Public Health Agency:“Take 5″ Small Grants

Overview

CLEAR is inviting community and voluntary sector organisations to apply for non-recurring small grants to address the outlined themes.

Two types of awards are available under this scheme:

1. Award one grants of up to £1,000 that non-constituted and constituted non-profit taking Community / Voluntary Sector groups can apply for
2. Award two grants of between £1,001 and to a maximum of £5,000 for constituted, non-profit taking Community / Voluntary sector groups.

Aims

• Encourage communities to be pro-active in promoting positive mental health and emotional wellbeing and tackle the contributing factors of self-harm and suicide through working with the ‘Take 5’ for your emotional wellbeing
• To build sustainable resilient communities through positive collaboration of organisations/groups.
• Promote innovative interventions/programmes that promote positive mental health and emotional wellbeing and tackle the contributing factors of self-harm and suicide.
• Address the determinants of poor health and reduce health inequalities by increasing the delivery of resources, programmes and/or services to the top 20% most disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
• Encourage resilience and capacity in vulnerable higher risk groups including LGB&T (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender), Traveller;
• BME (Black and Minority Ethnic Groups); individuals who have been abused; men, older people and those who self-harm.

Background to Funding Programme

The Public Health Agency commission a range of services from community and voluntary sector providers in response to the Government’s NI Regional Public Health Strategy – Making Life Better.

This small grants scheme provides the sector with the opportunity to access small non-recurring grants for projects that can demonstrate contributions to building capacity, emotional resilience and mental and emotional wellbeing. The Public Health Agency are keen to fund programmes founded on evidence based practice such as those outlined in ‘Take 5’, which suggest that emotional wellbeing can be improved by building the following into our daily lives:

• Connect
• Be active
• Keep learning
• Give to others
• Take Notice

Award One – Eligibility Criteria

• Grants up to up to £1,000 (non-constituted and constituted non-profit taking Community / Voluntary Sector groups).
• It is expected, and will be a condition of the grant that a level of good governance is observed in the running of the group.
• Provide relevant background / qualifications / knowledge and experience for trainers / tutors or facilitators – if you need any further guidance on this, please contact: The CLEAR Project on 02871 383 386 or email brenda@derryhc.com
• Where a group cannot provide sufficient evidence of proper financial processes, the CLEAR Project will pay for direct invoices/items needed under the provider/applicants. This would particularly suit smaller groups with limited governance.

Award Two – Eligibility Criteria

• Grants between £1,001 - £5,000 for constituted, non-profit taking Community / Voluntary Sector Groups (You have adopted a constitution and/or articles and memorandum of association)
• As a commissioned service Community Voluntary Sector organisations are required to consider the implementation of the PHA Core Quality Standards for Promoting Mental & Emotional Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention. Should your application be successful, as a minimum, your organisation should undertake a self-assessment against the core standards contained within the document (and additional sections if relevant to this project).

Both Awards – Eligibility criteria

• It is not envisaged that monies available under these funding streams will be used as gap funding for projects which are already in development.
• Funding must be spent by 28th February 2016
• If constituted,

o you should have a bank or building society account in the name of your group

o enclose your most recent annual accounts (or, for new groups, a statement of your income and expenditure). These must be signed and approved by an office-holder.

o provide a copy of your Committee Members

o provide a Child Protection / Vulnerable Adults Policy (if applicable)

• Your project fits within the advised themes.
• Your project will run within the Belfast LCG Area
• Organisations can only apply for either Award One or Award Two but not both and only one application per organisation for delivery within the Belfast LCG Area will be accepted

Examples of what they will fund

• Existing staff costs may be considered where work undertaken is in addition to current duties and where monies are not currently being received from another funder for the provision of same. You must provide a rationale / calculation of how the figure was reached e.g. number of hours x hourly rate and guarantee that this does not represent double funding or duplication of an existing service.
• Training and awareness events e.g. information or skills based workshops, seminars etc. (Current PHA endorsed/funded training programmes and providers can be funded through small grants scheme if funding is not duplicated.)
• Equipment, which is less than 50% of total project costs;
• Transport to local facilities which is essential for the delivery of the programme
• Venue hire will be considered where applicants can justify the need for external / additional premises;
• Facilitators
• Self-help initiatives for example:

Art and creative therapies such as drama, writing, painting, crafts etc.

Physical activity programmes – dance, swimming, walking, yoga, gardening, allotment etc.

Life skills initiatives for example:

• Initiatives linked to the ‘Take 5’ for your emotional wellbeing
• Mood management
• Coping skills
• Self-esteem/ resilience building
• Practical support to boost and protect Mental Health and
• Emotional Well-Being

Initiatives that address risk factors for example:

• Relationship/ communication issues
• Bereavement support
• Gender Identity
• Sexual Orientation
• Financial Stress
• Unemployment