The funding aims to support people’s mental and physical health by accessing advice. The funding can be used to provide wellbeing and emotional support to help people feel more able to access advice services. It can also be used to improve existing advice services so that they better meet the needs of people experiencing financial and social disadvantage, marginalisation and discrimination. This could mean developing more culturally appropriate services, or carrying out mapping work to understand who the service is not reaching and how best to change.
The funding is for people who:
- Feel unable to access advice services because they feel overwhelmed by the challenges they are facing in their lives.
- Are experiencing financial and social disadvantage (also referred to as socio-economic disadvantage): this might refer to low income, insecure work or unemployment, or people experiencing issues with education, housing, crime, or their local environment.
- Are experiencing marginalisation and discrimination (for example, people from racialised communities, LGBTQ+ people, disabled people or other groups where there is evidence of these experiences).
Projects make take place in specified areas of the East of England, the Midlands, or the South East of England.
Grants of between £20,000 and £40,000 are available for activity for one to two years.
Applications will be accepted from grassroots community organisations working with people experiencing social and financial disadvantage, marginalisation and discrimination.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Have an annual income of £500,000 or less in their most recent annual accounts or on average over the last three years, based on published accounts.
- Be able to describe their track record and experience for giving advice. If the applicant itself is not an experienced advice provider, then any advice-giving activities must be delivered by a suitable partner organisation through a formal partnership.
- Evidence their suitability and experience in advice-giving.
- Be able to describe their approach to equity, diversity and inclusion and have a strong track record. This should go beyond inclusive practice, to consider how the funded activity will achieve equitable outcomes for all.
- Be voluntary sector (non-profit) organisations that are constituted or registered in Great Britain
Funding is for running costs for the activities proposed, which could include staff salaries, events, venue hire, small capital items, and a small contribution to organisational overheads.
The guidance notes, FAQs, online application form can be found on the People’s Health Trust website.
There is a two-stage application process.
The timeline for this round:
- Webinar for potential applicants – 6 June (12:00-13:00) Registration via the Trust’s website.
- Stage one application deadline – 19 June 2024 (15:00)
- Applicants notified if they are invited to stage two – 10 July 2024
- Stage two application deadline – 7 August 2024 (15:00)
- Notification of decisions – end of September 2024
