Mind, the leading mental health charity in England and Wales, and Agenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk, are delighted to announce the launch of their £1.3m women’s mental health peer support grants programme. 
The programme responds to the needs of women experiencing disadvantage, particularly multiple disadvantage, who are frequently under-represented in services. It builds on Mind’s experience of peer support approaches that they have seen reach women within their communities and that women value.
Peer support differs from other forms of mental health service and support in important ways. It happens when people who have similar experiences of something difficult come together to support each other. It is through this development of meaningful, two-way relationships that peer support works. Crucially, the people involved play an active role in creating a safe environment for each other.
Covering England and Wales, the programme aims to fund:
• Organisations to facilitate peer support initiatives delivered for and by women experiencing multiple disadvantage. Multiple disadvantage is defined as women who experience several issues such as mental health problems, homelessness, drug and alcohol misuse, abuse and violence, offending, and family breakdown. They may have one main need complicated by other factors (eg race, sexuality, age or disability) or lower level issues which together combine to constitute multiple disadvantage.
• 'Women's Peer Support Hubs' - women's organisations working to improve the capacity of individuals and community based organisations to lead effective peer support activity delivered for and by women.
This programme will seek to fund and enable community-based peer support that reaches around 4,500 women. Work will be funded for a maximum of one year, and Mind expect to make between 80 and 90 awards.
Through the programme Mind intend to fund a broad range of voluntary, predominantly women’s sector, organisations that are able to reach the women they want this work to support. All applicants will therefore need to demonstrate a track record of delivering services and programmes developed specifically for women facing complex social issues.
Organisations will be able to apply individually or in partnership, where the combined expertise enhances the ability to ensure more targeted reach, to engage women where they are, and to respond effectively to their mental health needs.
For further information and to apply, visit: www.mind.org.uk/workplace/influence-and-participation-toolkit/women-s-mental-health-peer-support-programme/
Deadline for applications: 15 October 2018