Surrey Mental Health Fund awards second round of grants

2nd September 2019

The Community Foundation for Surrey is pleased to announce that we have made 5 new grants from our Surrey Mental Health Fund. The Fund, established in 2018 to support projects which focus on early intervention support for children and young people across the county, has now awarded £93,414 in grants to innovative local projects which will make a long-term difference to people in Surrey.

This second round of grants supported 5 projects to the total value of £39,148, each delivering an important service which fills a gap in local provision and helps young people to access help for mental health issues at an early stage.

The organisations supported are:

  • Discovery Church Trust –  £9,000 funding for an after-school club which supports vulnerable young people of primary school age in Chertsey
  • Matrix Trust – £9,998 funding for transition support for vulnerable pupils moving from Year 6 to Year 7 in Guildford
  • SparkFish – £6,000 awarded for Child Centred Therapy programmes using art and drawing in Reigate and Banstead
  • North Downs Schools Partnership – £4,000 awarded for workshops and debates for young people in schools about social media and mental ill health.
  • University of West London – £10,150.00 awarded for early intervention clubs for young people at risk of mental ill-health in Elmbridge

The groups supported will now start to begin their work and keep us up to date as they deliver impact in local communities.

What’s next for the Surrey Mental Health Fund?

Due to the impressive applications we have received, we are committed to continuing and growing the Surrey Mental Health Fund, and the Fund is now open for new applications, for an outcome in January 2020. If you are part of a charity or community group and believe you meet the criteria below, please visit our Apply for Funding page and submit an Expression of Interest – please note that if we invite a full application this will need to be submitted by the 18th October 2019.

Grants will be made to early intervention projects helping children and young people aged 8-13 develop emotional resilience and self-esteem. Consideration will be given to innovative new ideas and pilot projects as well as existing work.

Areas of particular interest include:

  • Encouraging healthier use of Social Media amongst children and young people
  • Self Harm prevention and support
  • Projects led by young people, including activities which raise awareness of youth mental health issues

Grants will typically be between £5,000-£10,000, however smaller projects are welcome to apply.

Please see our Surrey Mental Health Fund page for more information.

Supporting the Mental Health Fund

Thanks to the generosity of local donors, we were able to reach an incredible £100k for year one of the Fund, and we hope to be in a similar position again before the end of the year. Please do get in touch with us if you or your business would like to donate to the Fund, as your gift will join together with others to help have an even greater impact on children and young people in Surrey.

The full list of projects supported since launching the Mental Health Fund:

  • Peer Productions – ‘Hidden’, a performance raising awareness of self-harm, performed at schools across Surrey
  • George Abbott School – ‘Space for Young Minds’ – a series of wellbeing projects developed by student wellbeing Ambassadors
  • Surrey Minority Ethnic Forum – ‘Being Ourselves’, a pilot project exploring issues which affect mental health of BAME young people
  • YMCA East Surrey – Early intervention mental health workshops in schools in East Surrey
  • 40 Degreez Centre – ‘Health Hub’ project, offering dedicated 1:1 and group support sessions for young people
  • Momentum – Specialist counselling for young people who are living with cancer
  • Prospero Theatre – Multi phase project to support the wellbeing of boys at Sunnydown School.
  • Discovery Church Trust –  £9,000 funding for an after-school club which supports vulnerable young people of primary school age in Chertsey
  • Matrix Trust – £9,998 funding for transition support for vulnerable pupils moving from Year 6 to Year 7 in Guildford
  • SparkFish – £6,000 awarded for Child Centred Therapy programmes using art and drawing in Reigate and Banstead
  • North Downs Schools Partnership – £4,000 awarded for workshops and debates for young people in schools about social media and mental ill health.
  • University of West London – £10,150.00 awarded for early intervention clubs for young people at risk of mental ill-health in Elmbridge

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We’re pleased to announce our first grants from our Surrey Mental Health Fund that have been allocated to innovative early intervention projects helping children and young people aged 8-13 develop emotional resilience and self-esteem. READ MORE