£900,000 grant scheme launched in Staffordshire to support adult mental health projects

A new local grant scheme is inviting community and voluntary groups to apply for grants of up to £20,000 to support and help adults with mental health issues across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

A total of £900,000 is being made available as part of the transformation of adult and older adult community mental health care across all boroughs and districts in the county. Funding is available for equipment, training, and events to create projects that will provide access to activities and give adults with a severe mental illness a positive experience.

The grant scheme is being managed by The Community Foundation for Staffordshire on behalf of North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust and Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and forms part of the Community Mental Health Transformation programme in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent to enable adults 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.

The programme not only involves health and care providers working more closely with each other, but also sees local voluntary and community sector being given greater opportunities to be more directly involved in delivering this change.

The Community Foundation is a specialist local fund manager who administer programmes for local authorities, philanthropists, and business across the county. Their local knowledge of the voluntary and community sector will ensure the grant funding will go exactly where it is needed.

The scheme is open for applications until 12 August 2022. For further information visit: https://staffordshire.foundation/grants/mpft/

Steve Adams, Chief Executive of The Community Foundation said: “We want creative grant applications from organisations who can support people over the age of 18 with severe mental illness. Applicants can send in videos or audio files to demonstrate their proposals – we want dynamic ideas to make a difference and so don’t want to restrict organisations to paper forms.

“We are delighted to be working with North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust and Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to target and help adults across the county with a severe mental health illness that substantially interferes with or limits one of more major life activities.”

You can find out more about the Community Mental Health Transformation programme for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent by clicking https://staffsstoke.icb.nhs.uk/our-work/mental-health-2/adult-mental-health