Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults: projects awarded funding

Background

In October 2021, as part of the £120 million Recovery and Renewal Fund to support the delivery of the Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan, the Minister for Mental Wellbeing announced £15 million funding for 2021/22 for a new Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults (the Fund) to help tackle the impact of social isolation, loneliness and mental health inequalities made worse by the pandemic. In February 2022, an additional £6 million was provided for 2021/2022 to the Fund to meet the demand for local mental health and wellbeing projects, bringing total funding made available in 2021-22 to £21 million.

On 6 May 2022, a further £15 million of funding for 2022/23 (Year 2) was announced, with a particular focus on responding to the cost of living crisis and an increased emphasis on those facing socio-economic disadvantage.

In April 2023, it was formally announced by the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Sport that £15 million for a third year of the Fund would be made available for 2023/24.

The Fund is aimed at tackling priority issues such as suicide prevention, social isolation and loneliness, prevention and early intervention - and addressing the mental health inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic and the cost crisis including a particular focus on needs of ‘at risk’ target groups locally such as people with a long term health condition or disability, people from a minority ethnic background and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTQI+ ) communities and many others.

The Fund is being delivered through a locally focused and co-ordinated approach via Local Partnership Groups working together and building upon existing partnerships to ensure that support to community based organisations is directed appropriately and in a coherent way. Each regional Third Sector Interface (TSI) has overall accountability for the spend at local level and for working in collaboration with Integration Authorities and other existing local partners.

For information on how community organisations can apply to the Fund, please contact the local TSI via the the TSI Network page here.