Funding
Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults
The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund (informally called the ‘Sunflower fund’) aims to support community-based initiatives that promote and develop good mental health and wellbeing and/or mitigate and protect against the impact of distress and mental ill health within the adult population (aged 16 or over), with a particular focus on prevention and early intervention. This fund has a strong emphasis on collaboration, partnerships, capacity building and the development of creative projects that can work at a very grassroots level, together with local people.
In Midlothian, the fund is overseen by a team of staff and volunteers from the TSI, Midlothian Council, Health in Mind, and Midlothian Health and Social Care Partnership. The Lived Experience Working Group from Health in Mind assess the funding applications.
Midlothian Third Sector Interface has been appointed by the Scottish Government to distribute funding locally and ensure the fund has a strong focus on prevention and early intervention and aims to support grass roots community groups in tackling mental health inequalities. We are also asked to encourage organisations and projects to work together and to support community-based organisations with suitable easy to understand processes.
Y4 Update 12/11/24
Due to unforeseen staff absence, there has been a delay in sending outcome letters to applicants. Decisions about the grants have been made and we aim to inform applicants before the end of November 2024.
We apologise for the delay in this process and appreciate your patience.
Year 4 Fund – CLOSED
Year 4 of the fund is now closed for applications. Thank you to everyone who applied, we recognise the time and effort that goes into each application.
Many people living in poverty experience the distress that comes with it, which is especially challenging for those most vulnerable. In year 4, the grant is to support community-based initiatives that promote and develop good mental health and wellbeing, mitigate and protect against the impact of distress, anxieties, diagnosed mental health problems, and neurodiversity within the adult population. It is aimed to address social isolation and loneliness and prevent suicides.
In Midlothian there will be £247,983.21 available in year 4 across three separate grant streams, consisting of microgrants up to the value of £2000 (min £500), small grants up to £10,000 and a very limited number of larger grants up to £30,000 each. Up to £5000 per organisation will also be available for capital spend to compliment the small and larger grant streams.
Year 4 fund guidance and application forms are available in the ‘previous fund information’ section below.
Fund FAQs
Who is the fund for?
Applications will be accepted from voluntary organisations, charities, groups, clubs, consortiums and partnerships, provided they have a strong community focus for their activities. The types of organisations that can apply are as follows:
- Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations (SCIO)
- Unincorporated Associations
- Companies Limited by Guarantee
- Trusts
- Not-for-profit company or asset locked company or Community Interest Companies (CIC)
- Cooperative and Community Benefit Societies
- Community Councils
- Parent councils*
*The funded activities must meet the aims of the Fund and specifically must focus on supporting young people aged 16 or over or supporting adults rather than their children.
We will consider funding un-constituted groups provided they develop their activities according to an agreed plan with the TSI, which could include working with a nominated representative from a larger organisation to oversee handling and management of the funds given. An organisation can in theory apply more than once for different activities. However, we are seeking to spread the money proportionately across different priority areas and projects. We can only fund activity that takes place in Midlothian. Applications are preferred from organisations with a turnover below £1m.
Please see Y4 fund guidance for more information.
How and when do I apply?
The fund is now closed.
Each grant stream has a different form. We would prefer applications to be submitted digitally. If you are unable to do so, please contact us and we can advise on how to submit a paper copy. The TSI will work with applicants as necessary to increase the chances of projects being funded. Please ensure you read the fund guidance before applying.
There will be online & in-person fund surgeries throughout September. If you miss these and would like to schedule a meeting, please email us.
All application forms should be sent to BOTH e-mail addresses: magda@volunteermidlothian.org.uk AND info@mvacvs.org.uk
The full submission should contain:
- Accounts or annual account of financial statements
- Fully completed application form
- Constitution of your organisation or terms or reference
What will the fund help pay for?
The money can fund the following things:
Equipment, one-off events, hall hire, staff costs one off and fixed term (provided these will bring added value), training costs, transport costs, utilities and running costs, volunteer expenses and helping people to stay safe. We can also allow capital to spend (e.g. land or building projects) up to £5000 in Year 4.
Please see Y4 fund guidance for details on what it cannot fund.
What is A Local Information System for Scotland (ALISS)?
ALISS is a digital tool operated by Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (The Alliance) that allows groups and organisations to find or share information on local resources, services, groups, and support.
All organisations funded by the CMHW Fund is required to add details of your project to the ALISS database.
Learn more and watch our ALISS training session here.
How and when will funding decisions be made?
Decisions for small and larger grants will be made via a panel in late October 2024, using pre-determined marking criteria and scoring.
Decisions about microgrants will be made in November and will be referred by the TSI to a local panel made up of people with lived experience.
Are there logos I need to use in my publicity?
Yes. You need to add the Midlothian TSI logo and the Scottish Government logo to any publicity/ comms. The Fund should be referred to as the ‘Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults’.
You can download the required logos here:
Previous Fund Information
You can view a list of past fund beneficiaries here. Below are relevant documents for year 1, 2, & 3 of the fund.
Year 1 – 2021
The CMHW Fund was set up in response to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Year 2 – 2022
Year 2 of the fund sought to respond to the cost-of-living crisis.
Year 3 – 2023
Year 3 continued an important emphasis on supporting mental health and wellbeing of communities through tough times.
Year 4 – 2024
Year 4 of the fund recently closed for applications, funding decisions will be announced soon.
A-Z of Useful Links
| Link | Description |
|---|---|
| ALISS Training Session | Previous ALISS training session recording from MVA. |
| British Red Cross | First Aid and other training. |
| Business Gateway | As part of a separate scheme (not applicable to this Fund), anyone can browse the training opportunities on offer, some of which could be free and/or online. Courses are run by social enterprises across Scotland. Some are in person and not local. |
| Chex – Pockets & Prospects | Worth checking for links to food and nutrition related courses, some of which are free. Includes links to REHIS accredited food courses (e.g. food hygiene) and Public Health Scotland’s new weight stigma learning hub. |
| Evaluation Support Scotland | Lots of different courses related to evaluation. Most will incur a charge, but some events are free. |
| Health in Mind | Various types of training related to mental health. HiM are the main provider for suicide prevention training in Midlothian and should be your first port of call if you are looking for training input around this topic. Check that you are not duplicating if you are considering buying this in. |
| Just Enterprise | Business start-up and development support for third sector organisations and social enterprises, various topics covered. |
| Midlothian Council Communities and Lifelong Learning Courses | Various courses to boost people’s skills, help them return to learning, and gain learning credits. Courses are updated periodically. |
| Open University | Many different free online training courses that could be relevant to the work of third sector groups and organisations |
| Scottish Association for Mental Health | Various online resources with information about mental health and wellbeing that could be useful for project development or your application. |
| Scottish Community Development Centre | Experts on all things related to community development, such as community leadership, co-production and participatory action research. Would include a fee for a half or full day. |
| SCVO | Various related to charity development and the third sector. Membership may be required and not all courses are free. Also includes a training search function across other Scottish training providers. |
| Volunteer Scotland | Volunteer development, volunteering research and Disclosure/PVG. |
You can sign up to Midlothian TSI’s email bulletin by contacting us.
The bulletin often contains links to training opportunities as well as useful third sector updates related to Midlothian and beyond.
We also regularly run free training courses for the third sector. Some training may also be offered specifically as part of the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, but you would only be contacted about this once you have received your grant and have started working on your project.