A new Staffordshire wide grant scheme has been launched to specifically help adults with mental health issues during the current cost of living crisis, but applicants need to act fast. Community and voluntary groups have until Monday 13th February 2023 to apply for grants of up to £20,000 to support and help adults with mental health issues across the county. £161,000 is available through the Community Mental Health Transformation programme for Adults and Older Adults 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 Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) and North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust (NSCHT) and forms part of the Community Mental Health Transformation programme in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, which is seeing community-based organisations working closer together to deliver more targeted support. The Community Foundation is a specialist local fund manager who administers 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 now, closing Monday 13th February 2023. For further information visit: https://staffordshire.foundation/grants/mpft/
Steve Adams, Chief Executive of The Community Foundation said: “The rising prices during this cost of living crisis are having a severe effect on community and voluntary groups supporting adults with Severe Mental Illness (SMI). We distributed £900,000 worth of grants last year to the same sector of society and saw the impact it made. This additional round of grants will have a further positive impact in a short space of time.”
Lisa Agell-Argiles, Director for Unplanned Care and Mental Health for MPFT said, “Delivering successful programmes to support adults and older adults with mental health issues is so important to make a better society. Through the Community Mental Health Transformation programme for Adults and Older Adults (CMHF), NHS community mental health services are working together in a seamless way, with users central to service provision because they are much more involved in their own care and support. After the success of the grants last year, I’m delighted that together with the Community Foundation for Staffordshire we have additional grants available that will make a difference during a difficult time.”
Liz Mellor, Director of Strategy and Partnerships, North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “Following the success of Round One of the grant scheme and over £96,000 being awarded in grants to VCSE organisations in North Staffordshire, Combined Healthcare is delighted that a further scheme is now open until 13 February 2023 for the VCSE sector to apply to.
“The grant programme gives us even more chance to join up with local organisations and support the delivery of inclusive, accessible and responsive services to support young adults with severe mental illness, as part of the Community Mental Health Transformation Programme.”
