The Greater Manchester Health and Social Partnership’s all-encompassing vision is that parents across Greater Manchester have accessible and welcoming peer support services that remain 
different from, but also closely connected to, clinical perinatal mental health services. This means:
- Services are working in partnership with each other and signpost to each other
- Environments are safe and welcoming and promote healthy relationships that supports a sense of connection and empowerment to all attendees
- Peer-led groups encourage parents to increase their social skills, learn from each other and boost wellbeing
Grants of up to £1000 are available to support GM based peer-led Voluntary groups that can:
- Engage local parent’s (remotely or face to face), in a welcoming, safe and nonjudgement environment; where they access peer support, socialise with and learn from other parents
- Recruit/use volunteers with lived experienced of perinatal stress; to offer valuable support to new parents and help ease the sense of isolation or overwhelm, often felt when new parents experience anxiety, or feeling down, or that they can’t understand why they are ‘struggling’ with feeling anything other than joy. This type of support gives a sense of relief, connection and also promotes coping strategies.
Ideas of what you can apply for:
- Costs to cover rent or administration
- Contributions towards technology to enable digital/remote support
- Leaflets/posters for marketing and to distribute
- Safety items, such as travel mugs
- Wellbeing resources such as books
- Start-up kits
To be eligible to apply, an organisation must be:
- A Voluntary, Community, Faith, Social Enterprise sector organisation
- Based in any of the 10 GM boroughs (Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, Rochdale, Bury, Bolton, Manchester, Trafford, Salford, Wigan)
- Peer-led and specifically aimed at parents experiencing feeling of overwhelm
You do not have to be a ‘constituted’ (have a set of rules that govern what you do) group to apply.
Deadline: There is no deadline for applications but the grant will close once the funds have been exhausted