This page lists current funding pots that mental health user-led community groups and organisations may be interested in applying for. New funding we become aware of will also be shared in our weekly NSUN member’s bulletin, which you can sign up for by becoming a member for free here.
These are external funding opportunities. NSUN sometimes runs grants programmes for members, and any current grants will be advertised on the Our Grants page.
Please get in touch if you know of funds that might be useful for community-led mental health groups and we can add them.
You can also get in touch with us if you are involved in running a user-led group and would like advice and support around making funding applications.
Other funding directories
- A directory of funders from Edge Fund.
- The Charity Excellence Framework have a directory of grant funders for small UK charities and community groups.
- Local councils sometimes offer funding for community projects: you can search with your postcode.
You may also be interested in Disability Rights UK’s Locating funding: An online resource to support Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs).
To explore other useful resources for user-led groups, visit our Resources for Groups page.
Liberty Festival 2025 Open Call – R&D Artistic Commissions
This is an open call for d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists, producers and creatives to undertake research and development for new arts projects that can be delivered as part of the Liberty Festival 2025.
We are seeking to support the development of new and accessible work, with clear potential to be presented at Liberty Festival 2025 and subsequent future touring across other UK and international arts festivals.
The minimum amount that you can apply for is £500 and the maximum is £10,000.
The application deadline is 8 Jan 2025.
More information and application.
The Baobab Community Fund
Baobab is grateful to announce the return of The Baobab Community Fund, a £3m fund dedicated to Black African/Caribbean and Global Majority collectives, organisations and individuals dismantling systems of oppression for our communities in their work.
The Baobab Community Fund is offering grants ranging from £5,000 – £30,000 per year for up to 5 years. We welcome applications from black and global majority individuals, organisations and collectives (18+) who are working towards racial justice and are based in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Deadline: Monday 3rd Feb 2025 11:59pm.
More information and application.
The Clothworkers Foundation
Our Open Grants Programme accepts applications from UK registered charities or not-for-profits and who meet our eligibility criteria, for funding towards capital projects (related to buildings purchase, construction, renovation or refurbishment; fittings, fixtures, and equipment; vehicles).
The work of the organisation must fit within one or more of our specified programme areas:
- Communities Experiencing Racial Inequalities
- Disabilities (including Mental Health & Visual Impairment)
- Domestic & Sexual Abuse
- Economic Disadvantage
- Homelessness
- LGBT+ Communities
- Older People Facing Disadvantage
- Prison & Rehabilitation
- Substance Misuse & Addiction
- Young People Facing Disadvantage
Deadline: ongoing.
More information and application.
Paul Hamlyn Foundation
The Paul Hamlyn Foundation we works collaboratively with organisations and individuals who are working to build a just society. They often have several currently-open grants programmes at once, focussing on arts, education and learning, migration and young people.
More information about currently-open grants programmes via the Paul Hamlyn website.
National Lottery Community Fund programmes including Awards for All
The NLCF has reopened its “Awards for All” funding for Voluntary and Community Organisations in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. This funding aims to provide a quicker way to apply for smaller amounts of funding between £300-£10,000 for up to one year.
Our funding can be used to deliver activities, but also to help your organisation recover, adapt and thrive. This includes supporting you to become more financially resilient and operate in a more digital world. We can cover core costs to help your organisation develop, share learning with others, support you to test activity designed to help your organisation work in new ways and help you better understand the difference you make.”
Deadline: this is an ongoing/rolling funding opportunity.
You can find out more about Awards for All and their other funding programmes via the NLCF website.
Blagrave Trust
The Blagrave Trust funds and collaborates with partners to bring lasting change to the lives of young people. They often have several currently-open grants programmes at once, across four areas:
- Investing in youth organisations
- Investing in young people directly
- Investing in youth organising
- Investing in better youth policy
More information about currently-open grants programmes via the Blagrave website.
Leathersellers’ Small Grants Programme
The Leathersellers’ Small Grants Programme will consider applications for one-off grants of up to £5,000 from charities and Charitable Incorporated Organisations in the UK meeting the following criteria:
- Operate in a geographical area of deprivation in the UK
- Deliver activities to meet an identified need for vulnerable members of the community
- Have a planned expenditure of under £200,000 in 2023/24
Deadline: this is a rolling/ongoing funding opportunity operating in “rounds” throughout the year.
More information and apply via The Leathersellers’ Company website.
Cost of Living Grants
Over recent months an increasing number of UK households have been struggling with rising prices for food, fuel and other essential goods leading to a cost of living crisis.
To alleviate the impact of the cost of living crisis, support organisations such as charities and community groups, as well as individuals can apply for a range of grants. Funding may be available from a range of sources including:
- Central Government
- Local Authorities
- Community Foundations
- Grant Making Bodies
The Andrew Wainwright Reform Trust
The objectives of the Trust are framed in general terms to work for a just and democratic society and to redress political and social injustices. It is a wide-ranging remit for reform, but the Trust will prioritise organisations that are ineligible for charitable funding because they are considered too political or radical to come within the Charity Commission’s guidelines. The Trust’s approach is similar to that of the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust with which it maintains informal links.
The Trust will support work undertaken at both regional and national level and may also consider pioneering projects operating on a more local basis that have a potentially wider impact.
Deadline: this is an ongoing/rolling funding opportunity with decisions being made at specific points in the year.
More information and apply via The Wainwright Trusts website.
The Critical Social Policy Solidarity Fund
Critical Social Policy has and continues to be a political project grounded in international socialist, feminist, anti-racist and radical perspectives, relating to the experiences of people struggling within or against the state within national and global contexts. The Critical Social Policy Solidarity Fund seeks to support activist projects that align with the aims and mission of Critical Social Policy.
The Critical Social Policy Solidarity Fund recognizes the struggles of resistance, emancipation, and political transformation for social justice in order to counteract unequal power relations of exclusion, subordination and domination, due to oppressive constructions of identity, representation and position. In a small, but hopefully effective way, The Critical Social Policy Solidarity Fund will enable activist, advocate, practitioner, and users of service groups in their actions to promote people before profit approaches to social policy, welfare and the state.
The Fund will support:
- Hard to fund activist projects.
- ‘Pump priming’ activism (small amount of funding provided to help lay the foundation for an activity)
- Overheads
- Activist training and development projects
- One off activist events
- Dissemination of activism
- Other activist projects
Deadline: this fund appears to be continually open but they state that they have a deadline each year of the 20th May.
More information and information on how to apply here.
City Bridge Trust
City Bridge Trust is London’s largest independent funder. Their vision is for London to be a city where all individuals and communities can thrive, especially those experiencing disadvantage and marginalisation.”
At any one time they usually have several open grants organised under different themes. Previous themes have included “deaf and disabled people: inclusive services and better access”, “mental health”, and “strengthening voice and leadership”.
Deadline: varied.
More information on City Bridge Funding programmes via their website.
Small Grants Scheme – Foyle Foundation
Our Small Grants Scheme is designed to support charities registered and operating in the United Kingdom, especially those working at grass roots and local community level. Online applications can be accepted from charities that have an annual turnover of less than £150,000 per annum.
Our focus will be to make one-year grants only to cover core costs or essential equipment, to enable ongoing service provision, homeworking, or delivery of online digital services to charities that can show financial stability. Organisations can apply for between £1,000 and £10,000. There are no deadlines for submission. Online Applications can be received at all times, but it may take up to four months to obtain a decision from Trustees.
Deadline: ongoing.
For more information including on how to apply, please click here
Supporting Small Scale Change – The Wakeham Trust
The Wakeham Trust provides grants to help people rebuild their communities. They are particularly interested in neighbourhood projects, community arts projects, projects involving community service by young people, or projects set up by those who are socially excluded. They favour small projects – often, but not always, start-ups and they try to break the vicious circle whereby you have to be established to get funding from major charities, but you have to get funding to get established. The best way to understand the kinds of projects they support is to look at their website.
Application: Apply in writing by email
Deadline: ongoing.
Email: TheWakehamTrust@icloud.com