Do you facilitate mental health peer support in Greater Manchester’s community?
Are you looking for extra funds to meet your needs?
The PeerFest Greater Manchester Sustainability Fund could focus on your wellbeing, your development or service delivery. The fund wants to hear about any ideas you have to ensure they design a grants programme that meets your needs.
Peer support in community-led groups takes various forms, from group discussions to poetry groups coming together to write about mental health issues, from queer faith groups supporting each other to BPoC workplace organising to art groups, campaigning and skill sharing. What they have seen in all of these instances is that support from your peers is a vital part of people’s lives.
Criteria: You don't need to be registered or hold a company bank account to apply. You do however have to be small, grassroots, peer/community-led group in order to be eligible. Your group would have an annual income of under £100,000.
Your wellbeing
It is recognised how hard peer workers work and how crucial their self-care is. What ideas appeal to you to help you nurture and sustain your own wellbeing, or the wellbeing of both you and the group of peers you work alongside. For example, this might include an individual fund that could be used on anything from your own therapy to reiki healing or a gym membership, just for you.
On the other end of the scale you might like the idea of a group activity that brings peer workers from across all of GM together. For example, could this be a retreat? Or another way of getting together allowing for a relaxed day/morning/afternoon of company and conversation.
Your development
This could include funding to help you with your training needs including, for example, travel/participation in a conference.
Service delivery
Trying something new: It could be a small, community meetup you've wanted to run but haven't been able to.
Sustainability: Buying equipment, resources or venue hire for your group, food, and beverages – or any other reasonable cost.
Deadline: 17 December 2023