News Local community groups asked to apply for grant to help mental health

Local community groups and Parish Councils are being asked to apply for a grant of between £500 and £5,000 before 12 July for projects to support residents and communities in Maidstone.

Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) is calling on local voluntary and community organisations to bid for money from The Community Resilience Fund which will provide support to Maidstone residents around mental health and wellbeing projects to help build stronger communities.

Cllr Claudine Russell, Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Engagement at MBC said:

“We are calling on local charities and community organisations that deliver services or activities which benefit the mental health and wellbeing of residents across the borough to apply for funding from this grant.”

Projects could include:

• Art and movement classes
• Coffee mornings
• Life skills or back to work schemes
• Befriending schemes to tackle loneliness
• Grassroots sports clubs who need funding for equipment for children to support mental wellbeing
• Schemes designed to encourage residents to access nature for exercise and wellbeing
• Youth groups providing recreation and social opportunities for young people

Claudine continued:

“This is the third phase of this grant which has previously helped some amazing projects, such as Dandelion Time, who support children with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

“Other projects that were successful in previous rounds were Maidstone Winter Shelters and Mid Kent Mind who all work hard to help those most in need in our local communities.

“These grants are helping to improve the quality of community services and facilities in our borough and help us work more closely with all our partners. I would really encourage any organisations that meet the criteria to apply.”

All applications will be evaluated by a panel and successful applications will be determined by how much residents and the community will benefit from the project proposed.

Applications should be able to demonstrate:

*        Who will be supported in the community

*        What impact it will have on their health and wellbeing

*        How the project will be delivered

*        How the grant will be spent

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 12 July.

To bid for a part of this funding click here: MBC Community Resilience Fund

For more information or an application form please email: VCSliaison@maidstone.gov.uk.

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