Side by Side Fund Grantee Profiles

About the Fund:

NSUN’s Side By Side fund has awarded 37 grants of £500 to peer support, mutual aid or self-help groups benefiting people and communities who live with mental ill-health, trauma and distress in England and Wales.

In this context, we defined peer support as the intentional action of bringing people together who have experiences in common, to offer mutual support. Not all groups who applied or who were successful in receiving funding define themselves as ‘mental health groups’. We were especially interested in groups who recognise that coming together supports wellbeing, healing or connection, and other things we associate with our mental health.

We had three funding priorities:

  • Groups led by and for people from racialised communities/people of colour
  • Groups led by and for young people (aged 18-25)
  • Groups who have been unable to meet during the pandemic, which may be due to digital poverty

We received 215 applications, and made grants to 37 organisations. You can read about the grantees below.

This grant-making programme demonstrated the importance and the vitality of peer support, mutual aid and self-help groups, but also indicated that these groups find it hard to access support from other funders, and face challenges that bigger organisations don’t. This echoes our findings in our What do user led groups need? (2020) report. We’ll be sharing what we learned from the NSUN Side By Side fund through a series of short podcasts over the next few months.

This opportunity was made available through Mind’s Side by Side: Peer Support in your community project, which is funded by Morrisons Foundation and Garfield Weston Foundation. Mind have now published some more detailed case studies from the Side by Side Fund NSUN delivered – click here to read them.

Grantee profiles:

Al-Abbas Institute

About the group:

“The purpose of the group is to provide peer support to young people and have been carrying out this work for the last 10 years. We support and work alongside 50 young people. Most of our participants are members of the BAME communities. They are participants from deprived and low socio-economic areas of Rochdale. These participants have and continue to face barriers and so this support is essential to these participants.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“Through the fund, we will purchase two laptops to support young people through peer support with their education and careers guidance. We will deliver sessions 1-1 with young people providing personalised peer and individual support. The sessions will also provide holistic support including avoiding crime and exploitation as well as mental and health well being. This will provide essential support to the participants and enable them to reduce barriers in their education, training and support.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: Al-abbasinstitute@hotmail.com or zafarkhan619@hotmail.com

All About Women

About the group:

“The purpose of our group is to provide a safe, calm environment for women who experience varying degrees of mental illness to come together to share their problems and concerns, with other women who experience similar problems, in a non-judgemental manner. We also signpost our women to other agencies who can help them with practical support which include disability benefits, debts, housing problems, medication queries etc. Our aim is to help the women cope better with their illness, support each other, and move forward in their lives and take an active part in the community in which they live.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“The money will be spent on hiring a room for our weekly meetings. Until the Covid Pandemic, we had free use of a room. However, this room has been unsuitable for our purpose for some time due to the fact that it is the communal canteen/dining room and is used by all the other women who use the centre. The grant will give us the opportunity to hire our own room, where we can once again meet on a weekly basis. Many of the women have no contact with families, and their only friends are those who attend the group.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: Lilian Baker: lilibut3@yahoo.co.uk

Angels of Hope

About the group:

“We are a women’s organisation and run an outreach service and work with women and girls who have experienced domestic abuse and other harmful practices. Most of these women are asylum seekers and refugees living in accommodated shelter. We empower the women to become independent and self-reliant. We also inspire women to support others by volunteering and by providing space for them to share ideas.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“The fund will be used for room hire in the community, and through this project, we would like to develop community support around people’s mental health needs through the women we will be working with. These women will act as a point of contact for those women in the community who don’t feel confident to access services. It will help people meet others in an informal way and talk to each other about their lives, achievements and difficulties. This will give them an opportunity to share ideas and experiences.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: angelsofhopeforwomen@gmail.com 

Website: https://angelsofhope.co.uk

Twitter @AngelsOfhopeFor1

Black Women’s Menstrual Health Group

About the Group:

“The purpose of this group is two-fold: (i) create a safe space for black women and people with female reproductive systems to come together, share experiences of the difficulties and challenges they’ve experienced when seeking healthcare support for menstrual health needs, (ii) create an advocacy resource and tool for black women to feel more confident and stronger about their experiences and rights when seeking healthcare support.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“Funding will help us purchase an unrestricted Zoom account, host online meet up sessions and focus groups for participants, hire trained facilitators for sessions and create an advocacy resource for women to take away with them from the sessions and to support them when they attend future healthcare appointments for their menstrual health needs. Ultimately, the grant will better support black women in being able to feel confident, empowered and safe when talking about their healthcare experiences.”

Get in touch/ find out more:

Email: bwmh@freedom4girls.co.uk 

Instagram post: Freedom4Girls UK ???? on Instagram: “Announcing our Black Women’s Menstrual Health Project We are SUPER excited to let you know our Black Women’s Menstrual Health Project is…”

Blue Van Armed Forces and Veterans Drop-in

About the group:

“We provide a safe place, providing friendship and camaraderie, through social interaction to help end loneliness and the opportunity to talk with fellow veterans who speak the same language and had the same or similar experiences to help and support veterans and their families with issues ranging from healthcare, physical & mental to social care and homelessness.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“Funds will contribute to spend on PPE for when we start to meet up again. Transport for more isolated and infirm veterans to get to meetings. Help with mobile data for IT equipment provided and any volunteer training / DBS checks needed. We are veterans supporting veterans and all are volunteers, and every penny makes a difference and helps us to continue to work with and support veterans.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: bluevandropin@yahoo.com

Website: www.bluevandropin.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlueVanVeteransDropIn

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Connect

About the group:

“Connect was set up in response to identified needs. During lockdown, we ran remote support groups which joined disadvantaged (particularly BAME) children into a fun session of healthy life choices including sharing time, a mini aerobics session and workshops. Led by a caring Early Years Teacher, the children flourished against enormous anxiety/tension/depression at home.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“We will use the funding for a Project Manager. The focus of this project is to offer hope/emotional resilience/security to disadvantaged (prioritising BAME) young children in Hackney who face the serious threat of social isolation.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: info@thehappyandhealthy.co.uk

Decolonised Networking

About the group:

“Decolonised Networking CIC is a non-profit created by four young South Londoners. Frustrated by seeing the negative and often racially charged effects of nepotism, we decided to create measurable change in our communities ourselves. Our goal is to always empower, create opportunities and build a network of industry-level BPOC mentors for young BPOC in South London to help even the unfair playing ground in the British workforce”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“The NSUN Side by Side grant is going directly towards the resources for our upcoming event; ‘Reclaim the headline’. This event is being created in collaboration with the Brixton movement; 81 Acts, which seeks to commemorate the 1981 Uprisings and empower local young people in their name. This fund will ensure our event is truly accessible for all attendees as it will allow us to provide all of the stationary and resources needed to participate. We will also be able to buy from a local Black-owned restaurant to cater for the event and ensure there is no digital divide. The money provided by NSUN means that this event will be a safe, accessible space, where young attendees can focus on their project and produce exciting work. This is our first grant and we cannot wait to be able to finally run the projects our community deserves.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: decolonisednetworking@gmail.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/decolonisednetworking/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DecolonisedN

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/decolonised-networking-8b02311b4/

Website: http://www.decolonisednetworking.org/

Downham Dementia Support Association

About the group:

“The group supports those diagnosed with dementia and their care givers, alongside other associated health conditions Our dementia café is organized by a paid café manager and run by a dedicated group of volunteers. Many of our volunteers have worked in health and social care and most have experience of living or working with dementia.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“The money will be used towards restarting the Dementia Cafe, bringing care givers back into a safe environment, so their needs can be addressed post Covid. We wish to purchase craft materials and general supplies to enable us to run free activities, restart the coffee and lunch fund to ensure a positive social experience.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: downhamdementiacafe@gmail.com

Website: https://downhamdementiacafe.wordpress.com/

Disability Solidarity

About the group:

“The purpose of the group was to provide disabled women with mutual aid and support during Covid. We started by asking what the disabled community wanted via a survey in April 2020. The majority of the respondents told us that their mental health had declined during the pandemic. From that we set up Disability Solidarity which is an online peer support group for mental health. Most of the group not only have lived experience of mental health but also live with a disability or are neurodiverse.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“Funding will be for training delivery for volunteer facilitator costs, co-facilitator cost to support volunteers in order to build confidence in facilitating groups, skillshare activity packs for participants where we have found some participants are more at ease when there is an optional accessible activity and contribution to Public Liability Insurance. It means the group will become more sustainable as we will be able to rotate facilitation of the week’s discussion topic or skillshare between a pool of volunteer facilitators.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: jessica@thelokkifoundation.com

Website: Lokki Foundation – ‘The crack is where the light gets in’ (thelokkifoundation.com)

Dulwich Islamic Centre

About our group:

“Our centre, which was set up in 1990, has a community of 300 people where we provide mentoring, education and support for the community. It started when the growing Muslim community in Dulwich realized that there was an urgent need to facilitate a place for them to conduct Friday prayers and have a place where they could observe daily prayers.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“We will be using the grant to distribute PPE and COVID prevention information to the highly vulnerable and high-risk members of our community. Our centre is mostly used by people who have been identified as being in the high risk BAME community, and it will help the community be more aware and prepared for COVID 19 and prevention measures.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: Info@dulwichislamiccentre.org.uk

Website: Dulwich Islamic Centre & Mosque – Bringing Islam to East Dulwich 

Facebook: Dulwich Islamic Centre | Facebook

Enabled for Change

About the group:

“We provide a user led project activity for beneficiaries experiencing mental health challenges resulting from traumatic experiences that are compounded by circumstances underscored by their immigration status, from where stigma, discrimination, loneliness, financial hardship, marginalisation, and lack of support networks, is a common experience. We support beneficiaries with psycho-social peer mentorship from our volunteers, who have lived experiences that mirror the challenges of mentees.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“The fund will be used to facilitate volunteers with lived and working experience of mental health, to offer peer support to refugee/migrants. Volunteers will offer targeted outreach through virtual media and physical outreach visits; providing information, psychosocial and one to one support to beneficiaries’ with mental health related support needs. The grant will augment continuation of volunteer peer outreach support by adding to on-going time and personal resources already being committed by some volunteers towards supporting members experiencing mental health challenges.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: Pieter Goldman Kerubino hcpprojekts27@aol.com

Expert By Experience

About the group:

“Our work as it stands is a peer support group that is for South Asian men, we cover a range of topics such as body image to navigating Covid. Our aim going forward is to continue such workshops, however, our aim is to also expand into facilitating peer-support groups for women, trans-folks and non-binary folks with a specific emphasis in disabled/chronic illness individuals.”

About the use of the grant:

“The money will be spent on our zoom account as our aim is to continue and expand our workshops because we recognise that while able-bodied folks can go ‘back to ‘normal’, folks with disabilities/chronic illnesses can be left behind. As such, our aim is to continue and expand our online workshops beyond South Asian men. The funding will support design cost, advertising cost to garner numbers & any facilitators fees.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: expertbyexperienceuk@gmail.com

Website: https://www.expertbyexperience.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/expertbyexp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/expertbyexperienceuk

Get Up Set Up

About the group:

“We are a group of Lived Experience Peers based across England and Scotland Responding to Covid 19, we co-created and set up online experiential sessions to help people to bring their peer groups online, having formerly run these face to face. Our experiential learning tool, Living Peer Support workshops and scrapbook, explores the core values of Peer support; commonality, mutuality, respect, shared vision, learning, support and shared experience to make a difference on the ground which in turn makes a difference to the culture of hierarchical systems within organisations and wider diverse communities.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“We would like to use this grant to be able to widen our offer of these online sessions and attract further funding. In order to do this we are building our website to inform and signpost people to what we do best. It will also enable people from wider geographical areas to see our visibility and be able to view our ongoing and past achievements.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: getupsetup2021@gmail.com

Happy hooves EAL CIC bereavement group

About the group:

“Happy hooves EAL CIC is an animal assisted learning centre that was started in 2015. Since that time we have worked with hundreds of children and adults (majority are repeat users) providing personal hands-on sessions for people with mental health issues, special needs, autism, dementia, recovering addicts, victims of bullying, self harm, anxiety or anyone that feels they may benefit from being around animals and nature.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“We would intend to spend the funding on DBS checks for volunteers running the group,  and the remaining would be spent on refreshments for the sessions and materials and equipment for our art, craft , gardening and animal activities. This grant would be a massive help to us to be able to fund a new regular group run by users and allow us to support a group of people who we haven’t necessarily worked with before.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email:  louiseshepherdso@aol.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/happyhooveseal

HK Adoptee Network

About the group:

“We are a social network with a simple aim of connecting Hong Kong-born transracial transnational adoptees in the UK and internationally. We do this through meetings, Facebook and our website. The network was founded in 2010 by one individual seeking to reach out to others from the same cohort – adults, mainly women, abandoned or relinquished as babies in Hong Kong and sent abroad for adoption – part of the International Social Services Hong Kong Project that ran from the late 1950s-mid 1960s. Prior to 1985, adoption was a very different process than today. Whether domestic or international, children would be uprooted and transplanted, stripped of names and given new identities with the aim of providing a new start.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“The fund will enable us to renew our Zoom Pro subscription, and as the majority of UK-based members live in London & South East, we plan to hold our first post-lockdown F2F meeting in London, specifically Chinatown.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: hkadoptees@btinternet.com

I am my sister

About the group:

“This group is set up by and for Black and mixed black women residing in Birmingham and surrounding areas. It is a safe space for women to come and share their experiences or listen to others. The group creates a sense of belonging, a sisterhood, a safe space to be vulnerable, listen and learn. It is founded on the principles of peer support – mutuality, reciprocity, strength-based, community facing and progressive.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“We will run one face to face session per month in Aston, Birmingham. Women who have previously attended the sessions come from various backgrounds, drawing on asset based community development, they have offered their time and skills to cater for the sessions. As such, we will be contributing to the purchase of food and refreshments throughout.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: swag@iammysister.co.uk

Tel: (+44) 07387 973 653

Inspire Women Men and Children

About the group:

“InspireWMC was created to work with BAME communities, as well as migrants and refugees, set up in 2015 working with 300 families. Most of our members were affected with grief, loneliness and social isolation and have recently been diagnosed with mental health and physical health issues.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“The grant will be used to purchase laptops, to enable us to deliver improved remote services to our beneficiaries. We wish to continue our workshop programme in order to facilitate more virtual sessions to support people dealing with mental health problems and those dealing with feelings of loneliness.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Website: https://inspirewmc.org

Twitter: Inspire WMC (@inspire_wmc) / Twitter

Instagram: Inspire WMC (@inspire_wmc)

Facebook: Inspire Women and Children Foundation International

In this Together

About the group:

“Our group was set up during Covid as a support group for mothers who are suffering during lockdown. We are now looking for our own venue we can hire on a weekly basis to continue running our wellbeing sessions here in Cornwall. Our sessions include talking therapies, complementary and beauty therapies as well as nutritional support, food parcels and food activities for children and adults.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“We will spend 100% of the money on the rental of a space to run regular wellbeing sessions for our mothers and their children. Food parcels will be distributed alongside a hearty healthy soup provided by Food Troops. We will have regular sessions around healthy eating, boosting overall wellbeing with good food as well as learning vital cookery skills to save money at home. Children will be given crafts and activities and mothers will also have the opportunity to share their skills and experiences around wellbeing activities to provide much needed care and support for each other during these tough times.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Website: foodtroops.org

Facebook: facebook.com/foodtroops

Let’s Talk About Loss

About the group:

“Let’s Talk About Loss supports young people aged 18 to 35 who are bereaved. Our volunteers are bereaved young people themselves, and they run monthly peer support groups to provide a safe space for young bereaved people to chat. We started in 2018, and we now run 32 groups across the UK (29 of which are in England and Wales). We have approximately 70 volunteers running these monthly groups, and welcome over 250 young people into our safe spaces every month. We are proud to be led by the bereaved, for the bereaved.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“We wish to spend this money on providing supplementary training to our meet up Hosts (volunteers) on how to provide exceptional support for our bereaved young people. We will spend the remainder of the money on social media adverts to promote Let’s Talk About Loss meetups so that more people can access our bereavement support and know more about our work.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: hello@letstalkaboutloss.org

Website: www.letstalkaboutloss.org

Twitter and Instagram: @talkaboutloss

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LetsTalkAboutLoss

Lighthouse

About the group:

“Lighthouse was founded in April 2010 to support the increasing number of divorced women and their children facing domestic abuse and hardship. Lighthouse aims to re-educate, re-integrate and re-inspire divorced women and their children, through health and parenting courses, vocational training, peer support, social welfare, group counselling, family respite breaks and regular family activities. Our aim is for these women to become self-sufficient and go on to build healthy relationships and stability in life.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“Lighthouse was founded in April 2010 to support the increasing number of divorced women and their children facing domestic abuse and hardship. Lighthouse aims to re-educate, re-integrate and re-inspire divorced women and their children, through health and parenting courses, vocational training, peer support, social welfare, group counselling, family respite breaks and regular family activities. Our aim is for these women to become self-sufficient and go on to build healthy relationships and stability in life.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: admin@lighthouseforwomen.com

Migrant Empowerment Group

About the group:

“Migrant Empowerment Group (MEG) started in July 2013 to bring people in the communities together, enhance their ability to rebuild their lives and help with their integration. We provide services, develop programs, empower and advocate for migrant and local people in need. Our services are free, regardless of race, culture or religion for people who are facing similar barriers or problems. We help them discover their inner strength and confidence through information, assistance and support.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“The funding will be used for hall hire, publicity, equipment and refreshments which  is needed for rehabilitating our members, peer support who are going through mental ill-health, trauma and distress some as a result of their experience of Covid-19. The grant will help to bring back together all our members, and the focus will be on our members who have been identified to be having mental health problems, trauma and distress.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Website: Migrant Empowerment Group | Changing Life’s

Norwich Access Group

About the group:

“We are a group that fights for great accessibility for disabled people in Norwich. We have recently won a £10,000 Awards for all grant to make our Website more accessible and also for more posters etc. We want to help our disabled community to feel they can boost their wellbeing while coming out of Covid. We want to run four sessions over the year to allow disabled people to come along and have a lovely time together and do arts and crafts with each other and have nice refreshments. In a venue that is accessible for all.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“Funding would be for room rental, hiring facilitators, getting artists materials and tea and coffee. It would be wonderful for our community as lots of people we know have found the lockdown very difficult to get through and by bringing several of our members together we can help people to feel human again.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Website: www.norwichaccessgroup.org.uk

SAM Recovery Swansea CIC

About the group:

“SAM Recovery Swansea is a peer support group and outreach service for individuals with current or previous problematic substance/alcohol use. We are a nonprofit, voluntary run CIC that provides 1-1 support, Foodbank, outreach and outdoor group activities.Our goal is to help people recognise their own skills and abilities and empower them to build a much-needed recovery community for Swansea”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“A common barrier to support is lack of transport, the fund enabled service users to get to outdoor social events and participate in football, footgolf and general fitness. We were able to deliver Foodbank parcels, provide outreach services and take people to appointments. We were able to purchase sports equipment and a technology device that enabled service users to access information and online support. The fund also covered DBS checks and further volunteer training in collaboration with a local homelessness project. The support from NSUN has helped empower and motivate service users to build recovery capital. Furthermore, these individuals were able to keep busy, form friendships and overcome barriers to support. A massive thank you from all at SAM Recovery!”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: samrecoveryswansea@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samrecoveryswansea/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samrecoveryswansea/

Sangini

About the group:

“The Srijoni Group, set up by Sangini, is an amazing cohort of 20 Bangladeshi Muslim women living in communities in South Tyneside and Sunderland who have gathered together since 2006 in various settings to support one another, overcoming the gaps in mental health and wider health service provisions where their needs have been unmet to learn from, comfort and assist one another with accessible, multi-lingual health information.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“This fund would enable the Srijoni Peer Support Group to connect remotely via Zoom between 17 May 2021 and 27 December 2021 to continue to receive guidance and engage in user-led peer support activities provided by Sangini and its workers whilst continuing to apply for further funding for this project.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Website: https://www.sangini.co.uk 

Blog: WordPress

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/sangini.oursisters/

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/sangini.oursisters/

Shining Stars

About the group:

“We have been set up since 2017, in order to reduce social isolation, promote social inclusion and improve people’s mental well being for people who speak limited English. We support most members from predominantly South Asian communities. We do not exclude, and anyone is welcome to participate in the activities we provide.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“Once social distancing rules are eased, the funding will provide coffee mornings, brisk walking and lunch groups to enable people to get together in fresh air local parks for picnics and create a sense of community spirit as well as bringing members back together face to face.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: shiningstars32@yahoo.com

Shropshire Epilepsy Support

About the group:

“Shropshire Epilepsy support is a not for profit charitable organisation, set up in 2018 by Ange Barre who suffers from epilepsy and has first hand experience of the difficulties this condition presents to those trying to lead a normal life. It provides support to people affected by Epilepsy throughout Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“We would spend the money on room hire, refreshments and payment for an activity. The purpose of the group is to provide a safe, supportive environment for a peer support group of 18-25 year olds with epilepsy. We have a volunteer aged 23 who would like to set up these peer support meetings and has lots of ideas about activities that may work with such a group.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: info@shropshireepilepsysupport.com

Website: Shropshire Epilepsy Support (shropshireepilepsysupport.com)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShropshireEpilepsySupport/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gillclements2

Sporting Recovery

About the group:

“Established in 2014, Sporting Recovery is a BME-led, Peckham-based, not for profit Community Interest Company (CIC), providing opportunities for social interaction through physical activity and a Wellness Café; for people experiencing mental distress and those recovering from severe mental illness. Our aims and objectives are to use physical activity and social interaction as vehicles to raise self-esteem, reduce social isolation and promote well-being.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“To reach service users we know are reluctant to engage with mainstream services and have become less physically active and socially isolated because of the Covid-19 Pandemic, we will use 50% of the funding to buy approx. Twenty hours of outreach time and 50% on an open event later in the summer encourage re-engagement in physical and social activity. The outreach work will be undertaken by lived experience peer support volunteers who will be paid (therapeutic earnings). They will visit targeted supported housing schemes so that residents can hear first-hand from them about their lived experience of the Sporting Recovery Wellness Programme and how they have benefitted. They will also meet and greet service users who attend the open day and subsequently attend the Programme.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: help@sportingrecovery.org.uk

Website: www.sportingrecovery.org.uk

Renew Plus

About the group:

“Renew is a mental health support group set up since 2009. Its purpose is to provide a safe, secure place for members to meet and support one another. It helps them to make friends, connections and reduces social isolation and stigma. For many the group is a lifeline which prevents deterioration of their mental illness. “

About the use of the SBS grant:

“We will spend the money on transport for members to access the group without fear and anxiety. This cost is out of reach of all of the service users from the peer support group and so would really help them to get to the centre.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: info@involvelincoln.org.uk

Rochdale Dawah Centre

About the group:

“We have run a peer support service for the BAME deaf community for over 5 years. This mainly started with a club for deaf people to meet as the local Rochdale Deaf Club, However when the club closed down and we realised this support service was needed especially within the BAME deaf community has its own additional issues of community ignorance and stigma attached to disability and mental health issues – leading to additional isolation and issues of mental health, it went on to provide all various support from us delivering a range of services to include: employment/benefit advice to Mental Health/Wellbeing guidance.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“We are looking to purchase a projector to use for our monthly deaf group sessions when presentations are given on various subjects from job/benefits support to mental health & wellbeing advice. We also need annual zoom subscription, which will be used for online sessions for the deaf community which were vital in lockdown and we hope to continue after lockdown is lifted, sessions previously included deaf awareness for hearing people, online support sessions for deaf people. The grant will enable us to provide a better service for the deaf community and also make it easier and effective for our service users.”

Get in touch/ find out more:

Email: info@rochdaledawah.co.uk 

Website: www.rochdaledawah.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rochdaledawahcentre

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rochdaledawah

Instagram: rochdaledawah

The Makers Group

About the group:

“The Makers Group provides a regular weekly creative session for individuals who are socially isolated or those who are in recovery from mental or physical ill health. Our aim is to improve the confidence and feelings of self-worth within the individuals who attend the group. We do this by teaching new skills and creative processes, offering a warm, welcoming and friendly atmosphere to socialise and receive peer to peer support, and by giving an opportunity to make, market and sell the work they create.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“This funding will help 3 individuals access The Makers Group as they are not able to on their own. It’s these individuals that are also in the most need of the group on account of them being so isolated. It will also enable us to offer transport to a new member of the group, widening the amount of people we can support. The grant will also fund PPE enabling us to operate safely and will also be put towards creative materials that will benefit the whole group.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: Summer@organicarts.org.uk

Websitehttp://www.organicarts.org.uk/projects/

Makers group digital exhibition: https://www.organicarts.org.uk/projects/posts/makers-group-online-exhibition/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OrganicArtsIde

Instragram: https://www.instagram.com/organicarts/

Trans Aid Cymru

About the group:

“Trans Aid Cymru (TAC) is a grass-roots mutual aid organisation founded in June 2020. It is run by and for trans, intersex and nonbinary (TIN) people in Wales and provides community, meals, advice, signposting, and funds to TIN people in need in Wales. We accept donations via the OpenCollective platform and use that money to donate to trans people’s fundraisers and pay for emergency expenses. A small amount goes to funding specific projects, but all of the hard work that keeps the organisation going is voluntary.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“The funds requested will be spent on facilitating a Trans Aid Cymru Big Picnic, which will bring together the trans, intersex and nonbinary (TIN) community from across South Wales to share food and enjoy time outside. Transport represents the largest cost as many of our members, volunteers and service users do not live within easy travel distance of Cardiff Bute Park. Many of them are also impoverished and/or disabled, which presents multiple barriers to attendance. Our past experience of organising protests has shown that covering costs of travel encourages participation of those who would otherwise be unable to attend.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: enquiries@transaid.cymru

Website: https://transaid.cymru/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/transaidcymru

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/transaidcymru/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/transaidcymru

Tribe Sisters

About the group:

“We come together to connect and share experiences and ideas to help each other heal and better our Mental Health. It’s a group for women only and we are all free to invite friends to join. The group was set up last year during the first lockdown, and has over 30 members. It is linked to The Wellness Tribe CIC, a BAME led organisation working as a first point of contact for families and individuals experiencing, or at high risk of experiencing mental health issues, as a result of social and personal factors such as refugee and asylum experiences, racial traumas, poverty, lack of skills, language barriers, health and economic inequalities, including unemployment and poor housing.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“The fund will help us buy some equipment to accommodate our group. We have just secured the lease of our first premises in town and we are preparing to meet face to face in our safe environment.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: thewellnesst@outlook.com

Website: https://www.thewellnesstribe.co.uk/

Tel: 07440021790

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Wellness-Tribe-102040474734762/

Voice Collective

About the group:

“Voice Collective is a UK-wide, London-based project that supports children and young people up to 25 years old who hear voices, see visions, have other ‘unusual’ sensory experiences or beliefs. We also offer support for parents/families, and training for youth workers, social workers, mental health professionals and other supporters. The group is being set up in response to acknowledging the role of systemic and institutional racism on young people’s mental health, and how important it is to set up safe spaces of solidarity for people from racialised communities. As part of our work to tackle the injustices that young black people and young people of colour face in mental health services, including how they are more likely to be sectioned, restrained, medicated and diagnosed with schizophrenia, we are creating a space for those young people to discuss how racism impacts their mental health and how they are treated by the system.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“The funding will pay for a year of a professional zoom account for peer support groups set up through Voice Collective to be able to sustain themselves without relying on our organisational zoom account, allowing greater independence and autonomy. The funding will also go towards a pilot peer support group which will be held online, for black young people who hear voices, have other sensory experiences, hold unique beliefs, or experience alternative realities. This funding will pay for two facilitators from a racialised community with experience of mental distress to hold 5 groups. This grant will help make a peer support group for young people who hear voices and have other sensory experiences or beliefs from racialised communities possible.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: info@voicecollective.co.uk

Phone: 020 7911 0822

Twitter: @voicecollective

Facebook: www.facebook.com/voicecollective

Woodenstone

About the group:

“Our group is based in Oldham where we support people from the Black African community going through mental health issues. Before covid we used to meet once a week, share our experiences and offer each other support through peer to peer mentorship. Our project works in supporting our participants as our volunteers are also from Africa which allows our sessions to be culturally competent as we can speak in our mother tongue.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“The money will help to keep our project going. It will provide equipment that is needed as due to covid we have been unable to do fundraising events. The fund will help us purchase a laptop which we are going to use for zoom to allow us to connect with our members. A phone will also be purchased which will give more access to our participants as they will be able to ring and speak to one of the volunteers who will be on call all the time.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: Lieza Francisco : liezatf@yahoo.co.uk

Women and Digital Inclusion

About the group:

“WODIN is a CIC which promotes the welfare of Black/African women in Liverpool and Greater Merseyside. We provide advice and information to BME Women & communities who would otherwise feel excluded due to social or economic barriers through drawing on our lived experiences of hardship. Our support helps them get connected as well as become more productive in their communities.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“The funding would provide a 3 fully moderated sessions – digital meetings, and counselling to BME women in Liverpool working alongside other local community groups like Ugandan Community Association Liverpool, the Commonwealth Association, Mind Body and Soul; local organisations that meet women and families’ social inclusion and subsistence needs like the food banks and other emergency services.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: admin@wodin.org.uk

Website: https://wodin.org.uk 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wodinliverpool

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wodinliverpool

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/wodinliverpool

Youth Ngage

About the group:

“We are a user led organisation, set up to provide positive activities and empowerment programs for the BME (Mostly African Caribbean) youth and young people in the North Kent Area. Youth Ngage has members and reaches out to youth and young people in Dartford, Swascombe, Northfleet, Gravesend and Medway areas; organising youth empowerment programs that encourages bonding, create opportunities and community engagement.”

About the use of the SBS grant:

“The funding will be used to buy a laptop for our online activities; we provide work placement in the office; the computer will help volunteers to keep supporting our group members with 1-2-1 booking and online sessions; some of the members are experiencing Isolation, anxiety, job loss, or family hardship; we provide regular online support, pastoral care, health and wellbeing advice and training for them to improve their well-being and confidence.”

Get in touch/find out more:

Email: youthngage@outlook.com or  Yetunde Adeola: jalk1@hotmail.co.uk