This Grant is now closed
The York Mental Health Partnership are delighted to welcome the Community Mental Health Transformation Grant to York! The £250,000 fund (over two years) is now open to applications from Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector organisations supporting York residents who are experiencing significant mental ill-health.
York’s VCSE Sector offers a wide range of alternative activities and approaches to support people’s mental wellbeing. The Sector’s local knowledge, contacts and experience is invaluable in helping to support local people with serious mental illness. This grant is intended to help support VCSE organisations to work with partners across the city in an innovative and transformative way to continue to improve the lives of those experiencing significant mental ill-health.
Closing date for applications: Monday 20 March 2023 (12pm)
WATCH: Introduction video to the Community Mental Health Transformation Grant
An information video for voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in York, looking to apply to the Community Mental Health Transformation Grant.
WATCH: Are you ready to apply?
Watch this video which provides a checklist of everything that your organisation will need in place to apply to the Community Mental Health Transformation Grant.
Who can apply?
- Supporting people experiencing mental ill health
- Prevention and early intervention
- Innovation and transformation
- Projects running for 2 years
- Supporting Adults 18+
- Supporting people who live in the City of York Council area
You need to be working with people with a Serious Mental Illness (SMI) and we welcome approaches that aim to support recovery, prevent crisis, empower and connect people to stay well. We would also particularly like to support people on an NHS waiting list for mental health provision or diagnosis.
Please see the application and guidance documents for full details on the Grant Criteria.
“We’ve got a great project idea but have never applied for funding before…”
We’re always keen to help people get started! If you’ve got a great project idea but have never applied for funding before, get in touch with us as soon as possible so we can support you through the process.
What size grants are available?
We want to fund transformational projects which require this level of funding to encourage true cost recovery applications from projects that will make a significant impact in supporting people with serious mental illnesses in our city.
Funding will be awarded in two instalments: May 2023 and May 2024. Second year funding will be awarded subject to a review process (in March-April 2024).
How to apply?
Once you’re ready to apply (watch the short ‘Are you ready to apply?’ video above), please download and complete an application form and return it to grants@yorkcvs.org.uk by Monday 20 March at 12pm.
WATCH: Top tips for applying video
If you organisation is ready to apply to the Community Mental Health Transformation Grant, watch this short video for some top tips.
Questions?
If you have any questions or want to discuss if your projects meets the criteria please get in touch via: grants@yorkcvs.org.uk
Please take a look at the Frequently Asked Questions word document
Find out more about Community Mental Health Transformation:
This national programme aims to improve the lives of people with serious mental illness and the way they’re supported by encouraging health and social care, local authorities, emergency services, voluntary sector organisations and people with lived experience of mental ill-health to work together to deliver new, integrated community mental health care approaches. Watch the short video below which provides more information.
The York Mental Health Partnership, in collaboration with the ‘Connecting our City’ Partnership is delivering the Community Mental Health Transformation (CMHT) programme in York and is investing funds in the local VCSE Sector to better connect people to activities and support in their communities through the Community Mental Health Transformation Grant Fund.
York CVS are managing the process on behalf of the York Mental Health Partnership. As a local VCSE Sector Support and Development Charity, we have delivered grants for several years in order to strengthen York’s VCSE Sector, with a focus on reducing health inequalities, reducing isolation and loneliness and social prescribing. One of the advantages of this collaboration is the support and advice we can provide to applicants before they submit their application and after the grant decisions have been made. Find out more about us here.
Cllr Carol Runciman, Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care, City of York Council, said:
York Mental Health Partnership, in partnership with York CVS, is delighted to welcome this grant and the opportunity it brings to build on our existing support for mental health. Current provision has deep and effective roots in our communities which aligns with our strategy to support people where they live.
David Kerr, Community Mental Health Transformation and Programme Delivery Lead at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV), commented:
‘We know the significant impact the VCSE has on supporting York’s community with their mental health so we are pleased the grant can contribute to transforming and supporting those efforts.’
Application Process
Year 1
Milestone: |
Date: |
| Launch | Monday 30 January 2023 |
| Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and information video |
NOW available! Video’s now available on webpage FAQ document |
| VCSE Training – Completing finance/budget sections for grant applications | Tuesday 28 February 2023, 10 – 11:30am – Event now passed |
| Closing date for applications | Monday 20 March 2023 (12pm) |
| Panel decisions shared with applicants | Wednesday 26 April 2023 |
| Funds paid to successful applicants *(First Payment) | Wednesday 31 May 2023 |
Year 2
Milestone: |
Date: |
| Grant Recipient 2nd Year Funding Review | March – April 2024 |
| Funds paid to successful applicants *(Second Payment) | May 2024 |
‘Connecting Our City’ is a partnership vision for improving mental health and wellbeing in York. It began three years ago when a group of representatives from across health, social care, the voluntary and community sector as well as people with lived experience of mental health services, families and carers came together.
The ‘Connecting our City’ vision for York is that we are a city where:
- We all feel valued by our community, connected to it, and can help shape it.
- We are enabled to help ourselves and others, build on our strengths, and can access support with confidence
- We are proud to have a Mental Health Service that is built around our lives, listens to us, is flexible and responds to all our needs.
This partnership meets regularly and has developed different projects and workstreams aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing support in the City. These include:
- A pathway to recovery project at Foss Park Hospital, that looks to better support people in the community when they are discharged from hospital
- Employing a co-production worker to work alongside the project and ensure that the voice of lived experience is central to all our planning discussions
- A working group around autism and mental health, and
- A community conversations project. This provides local shop staff and community champions with mental health awareness and suicide prevention training, so that they feel more confident talking to residents who may be struggling with their mental health, and so they will know where to direct them for more support.