NSUN Grassroots Comms Fund 2026

This Fund, open for applications until 9am on the 10th of August 2026, is for grassroots user-led groups (run “by and for” people with shared identities/experiences) working in and around mental health to cover the cost of communications activities.  

We are looking to support small, informal (e.g. not registered as a charity) and volunteer-led groups with no/very little funding, such as campaigning collectives and peer support/mutual aid groups. 

The aim of this Fund is to cover relatively small costs of up to £300 for things that help groups communicate with people they want to reach, and which would otherwise be out-of-pocket expenses for individuals running the group. 

Examples of activities which could be funded include:

• Media and advocacy (e.g. support with press releases or media engagement; media liaison or PR consultancy; training in media handling or storytelling and strategy communications support) 
• Practical tools and platforms (e.g. website hosting or development; email marketing platforms; phone credit or SIMs; online meeting or webinar tools such as Zoom licenses and project management or social media scheduling tools) 
• Design and branding (e.g. logo or branding work; infographics or flyer design; translations and accessible formatting) 
• Social media and outreach (e.g. paid social media advertising; printing costs for flyers; posters or banners and photography or videography for campaigns and audio or visual equipment) 
• Community engagement (e.g. stipends or expenses for community members to create communications; storytelling workshops or media training; producing zines, newsletters, podcasts or videos and hosting public meetings or listening events to shape messaging) 

Eligibility criteria and prioritised groups

Eligibility criteria (please only apply if you meet the following requirements):

• Your group must be primarily based in England 
• Your group must be user-led (run by and for people with shared experiences or identities – this should be all/the majority of the people involved in running the group) 
• Your group must have a focus on mental ill-health, distress or trauma (even if it is not the primary focus of your group/not the shared experience or identity that your group is based around; please read the drop-down below for more information) 
• Your group must be an NSUN user-led group member (sign up for free here) 
• Your group must be unregistered (not recognised by a regulatory body such as the charity commission – though your group can still be e.g. affiliated with a registered charity) 
• Your group must be run by unsalaried volunteers 
• Your group must receive no or very little funding (maximum income in the last financial year of under £10,000) 

In the case that we receive more eligible applications than we can fund, we will prioritise the following groups:

• Groups which receive the least amount of funding 
• Groups led by and for people from racialised communities/people of colour  
• Groups led by and for trans & non-binary people 
• Groups campaigning against harmful government policy such as the hostile environment and cuts to social security 

More information about the mental health-related focus of your work

NSUN is a mental health charity that views mental health as a social justice issue and is committed to supporting work that focusses on addressing marginalisation and oppression. We actively welcome applications from groups working to support people who live with mental ill-health, distress or trauma within communities that face other disadvantages and exclusions. 

Your group’s work must either directly or indirectly contribute to attempts to support the mental wellbeing of its community/membership. However, working to provide ‘mental health support’ does not need to be the primary focus of your group, and your group does not need to be specifically led by and for people with lived experience of mental ill-health, distress or trauma (as long as it is led by and for people with another shared experience/identity).  

For example: we recognise that a campaigning collective working to resist harmful hostile environment policies is playing a part in trying to improve the mental health of refugee and migrant communities whose wellbeing is impacted by these policies. 

Apply

The NSUN Grassroots Comms Fund will be open from 9am, 13th July until 9am, 10th August 2026. 

We have a total of £3,000 to distribute, which equates to 10 grants of £300. As we are offering very small grants, we want to keep the process as simple as possible. You will need to complete a short application form and provide an estimate that is as accurate as possible about what you will spend the money on, but we will not require the reporting of funds spent or the return of expense receipts from successful grantees.

Alternative version: You can download a copy of the questions in a Word document here. If you want to use this rather than the online form, you must return the completed document to info@nsun.org.uk by the deadline.

If you need support with your application (including if you are unsure about your eligibility), please contact us at info@nsun.org.uk.  

FAQs