The NSUN Covid-19 Fund was open for applications from the 30 April to the 30th June 2020. We received 381 applications in total, and initially awarded £60,000 via grants of up to £2,000 to 78 organisations, groups and collectives. We were then awarded more funding to provide 10 additional grants of £5,000 to existing grantees which were organisations led by and for people from Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic communities. Thanks to an additional grant from Lankelly Chase, we then awarded an additional £10,000 to 10 organisations, groups and collectives. The total awarded was £120,000 to 88 organisations to support their peer support, community action and mutual aid work during Covid-19.
The NSUN Covid-19 Fund was made available through a grant from Mind via the Department of Health and Social Care’s Coronavirus Mental Health Response Fund, which was aimed at the VCSE sector who were providing mental health support to people during the pandemic, and an additional grant from Lankelly Chase. The NSUN Covid-19 Fund was entirely managed by NSUN, and we used our reach to provide small grants to community-led and user-led groups who might not otherwise be eligible for funding.
Historically, unconstituted groups have been left out of these types of funds so we were delighted with this commitment to supporting user-led and community-led groups. We believe that this fund has demonstrated the value, impact and reach of projects and collectives led by lived experience.
As part of our evaluation of the fund, we asked 10 funded groups to produce a short video to talk about their work and how they adapted to the pandemic using the funding. The complete series is now available by clicking here.
Our evaluation report is also now complete and you can read it here.
The following groups/organisations/collectives were awarded a grant.
361 Lifesupport
3 Starts
Adira
African Caribbean Forum Kent
Arts and Health Hub
Badass People Demystified
Boooom CIC
Bristol Disability Equality Forum
Bristol Reclaiming Independent Living
Breakdown Bolton
Bury Veterans Hub Cafe
By Your Side
Chesterfield Bipolar Group
Chime to Thrive
Chronically Awesome
CiLK (Centre for Independent Living (Kent))
Community Action to Inspire Hope
Community Enterprise East London
Community Network Group CIC
Compassionate Mental Health
Depression Xpression
EleMental Music
Empower the Invisible Project CIC
FACE
Ffena
For Women
Free2B-Me LGBTQ+ Community Organisation
Freya
FruitCake Creatives
Hearts and Minds
Hive South Yorkshire
Humanity Concern Projects
Humber All Nations Alliance
Independent and Work Ready
Kashmiri Arts & Heritage Foundation
Kunsaka
KwaAfrica
Let’s Talk About Loss
Mad Covid
Make it Happen
Make Space
MCRC Ltd
Melancholy and Raving
Men Up North
Meridian Women’s Association
Migrant Empowerment Group
Mom’s Mindful Hub
MSKT/BACA Whiteness and Race Equality network
National Hearing Voices Network
New Baby Network CIC
Nomad Radio
North East together
North Tyneside Disability Forum Ltd
On the Out
Organisation of Support and Advice for Religion and Culture (OSARC)
People Come First
People First
Pioneer LXP
PND Mummies CIC
Real Insight Consultancy UK CIC
Release into Victory
Rise and Shine
Rising Moments community project group
Safely Held Talking Learning Healing
SARELI (SALFORD REFUGEES LINK)
Self-Injury Self Help
Self-Injury Support
Shaftesbury Mental Health Peer Support Group
Shining stars community group
SM Talking Circles
Surrey Coalition of Disabled people
Survivors of depression in transition
Survivors’ Poetry
SWAN (Supporting Women, Activities Network)
Taking Control of Psychiatric Medication Group
Talk for Health Chair and Share group
Talking Sense
Taraki
The Clear Out Your Closet Collective
The Cultural Connection
The Octopus Foundation
The Sunshine Group
Traveller Pride
Waltham Forest Hearing Voices Group
#watchUsgrow
We love carers
West London Somaliland Community
Wish