The NSUN Side by Side Fund will award grants of up to £500 to peer support, mutual aid or self-help groups in England and Wales to connect remotely, prepare to move their activities to face-to-face, or make their group more sustainable. The peer support, mutual aid or self-help group must benefit people or communities who live with mental ill-health, trauma and distress.
In this context, peer support is defined as the intentional action of bringing people together who have experiences in common, to offer mutual support. Not all groups will define themselves as ‘mental health groups’. This fund is interested in groups who recognise that coming together supports wellbeing, healing or connection, and other things we associate with our mental health.
The peer support, mutual aid or self-help group must take place in a community setting (i.e. not NHS or local authority), and should be in some way led by the members of the community it engages.
The Fund is for peer support, mutual aid or self-help group groups to connect remotely, prepare to move their activities to face-to-face, or make their group more sustainable.
The fund is particularly interested in applications from:
- Groups led by and for people from racialised communities/people of colour
- Groups led by and for young people (aged 18-25)
- Groups who have been unable to meet during the pandemic, which may be due to digital poverty
For more information and to apply click here
Deadline: 31 May 2021