Community Mental Health Fund for adults – now open for applications in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin

The Community Foundation for Shropshire is managing a new local grant scheme which invites community and voluntary groups in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin to apply for grants of up to £20,000 to support and aid adults with severe mental illness.

Funding is available for equipment, training and events to create projects that will provide access to activities and give positive experience to adults with severe mental illness.

Community Foundation for Shropshire is managing the scheme on behalf of Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, with the funding having been secured via the Community Mental Health Transformation programme Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.

What is the Community Mental Health Transformation Programme?

This forms part of a national programme set out in the NHS Long Term Plan to enable people with severe mental illness to access care and support in a new, more joined up and effective way, regardless of their diagnosis or level of complexity.

This is about offering flexible and personalised care and support that responds to an individual’s mental health needs and preferences close to home; while also increasing support for the wider factors that can impact wellbeing, such as employment, housing and physical health.

To do this, health and care providers are working more closely together, based within networks of GP practices (known as Primary Care Networks), alongside local authorities and voluntary and community organisations.

Find out more view NHS England and NHS Improvement’s short animated video about the transformation nationally.

Who is eligible for this funding?

This service provision will be aligned to the Community Mental Health Service Areas Teams operating in North Shropshire, Central Shropshire, South Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin. The Community Mental Health Service Area Teams are aligned to the 8 Primary Care Networks and cover the same areas as Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin councils.

Voluntary sector organisations that operate, or are based in the areas detailed above, are eligible to apply. However, they must have a local connection to the area in which the proposal will be delivered and clearly demonstrate this connection. Please note that applications without clear demonstration of local connection will not be considered.

In the first round of grant funding there will be focus on Young Adults (those aged 18-25) with a severe mental illness.

Within this cohort, the panel will prioritise projects which also support other underrepresented groups. These may include:

• Muslim and Eastern European communities, inclusive of individuals/families seeking asylum
• LGBTQ+
• People with co-occurring needs and substance use
• People with disabilities
• Travelling communities
• Veterans and service personnel
• Rural communities and farmers

Submission deadlines

 The application process is open between 4^th December 2023 and 14^th January 2024

It is intended that 2 grant rounds will be commissioned per year for the duration of the contract.

How to apply

To apply for a grant of between £1,000 and £20,000 please see our dedicated webpage here

 Contact details

For grants enquiries prior to beginning the application process please call a member of the programmes team on 01743 295900.