Funding
The funding has been aimed at community and voluntary sector organisations including town and parish councils and small to medium businesses, that do not have an employee assistant programme. Like any funding, there are certain objectives which this fund seeks to support. The list below is for indicative guidance and not meant to be exhaustive.
The objectives the Warwickshire Covid-19 Mental Wellbeing & Resilience Fund seeks to support projects that:
- Enhance resident's resilience, wellbeing and coping abilities that are inclusive across the life course.
- Promote mental health initiatives to help working age people at risk of stress, anxiety and depression, and support people experiencing mental distress to be retained in paid employment.
- Build an inclusive and protective support system for the mental and emotional wellbeing of children, young people and families.
- Create social activities including volunteering and intergenerational activities to enhance wellbeing including for those with caring responsibilities.
- Support people experiencing poor mental wellbeing or mental ill-health or aiming to reduce significant risk factors for mental distress among people with or without a mental health diagnosis in the community.
- Provide targeted support and provision to people who have or at risk of self-harm.
- Support those that are experiencing mental distress and feeling suicidal.
- Improvements to physical environments to support suicide prevention activities.
- Increase capacity of VCSE organisations to address the increased demand and complexity of bereavement during the pandemic.
- Provide support for those who have experienced trauma, particularly as a direct or indirect result of the pandemic.
- Create mental health friendly environments where people experiencing mental distress whilst out in the community can go for a period to reduce levels of anxiety before resuming with their activities.
- Enhance physical environments that promotes mental health (make places light and airy, create or develop access to green open spaces, create relaxation spaces- sensory rooms etc).
- Support efforts to address health inequalities within local communities and neighbourhoods.
Who cannot apply for funding?
- Individuals.
- Party Political Groups.
- Organisations with significant ‘free uncommitted reserves’.
- NHS trusts.
- County Council or District and Borough Councils.
What will not be funded by the Mental Health & Wellbeing Resilience Fund
- Projects that promote religious or party-political beliefs.
- Projects for personal profit.
- Social trips or holidays – however educational visits and residential training may be funded.
- On-going running (core) costs.
- Costs related to items or work already carried out before the funding has been awarded.
- Projects that have already been delivered or work that has already been carried out.
- Loans or debt repayments.
- Activities that are part of statutory obligations or replace statutory funding, including curriculum activities in schools.
- Projects which do not pass the mandatory questions on Equality and the national legislation on health and safety, discrimination and child protection.
All projects must follow national legislation, guidance and good practice in relation to:
- equality and diversity
- health and safety
- the environment
- safeguarding
- Covid-19 secure delivery
Available funding
The overall total value of the fund is £750,000 of which £250,000 is provisionally allocated for capital spending. This is a one-off funding to respond to the mental health impacts of the pandemic and bidders will be asked to outline how they will seek to ensure sustainability of the project as part of their bid (where appropriate).
This first round of funding was launched on Friday 21 May. A second round of funding may be available if the funding is not all allocated in the first round.
The fund was open to applications for projects which require investment under three thresholds.
- Threshold 1: Minimum of £6,000 to a maximum of £10,000
- Threshold 2: Over £10,000 to a maximum of £25,000
- Threshold 3: Over £25,000 to a maximum of £50,000
The funding must be spent within 12 months of the funding award date.
Additional funding can be used to top up the grant provided by this scheme, such as by matched funding or from other sources.
Restrictions / Conditions
Bids must be a minimum of £6,000. Successful projects which require investment under threshold 2 & 3, with the exclusion of capital funding will be allocated in two stages. 50% of funding will be made available at the funding award date and 50% following the first submission of the progress update report. All money will be allocated until the money is spent starting with the highest scoring applications.