Liverpool ONE Foundation

Please read the Essential Information before applying. 

The Community Foundation for Merseyside is pleased to announce the launch of the next round of the Liverpool ONE Foundations Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Well-being funding programme.

The Liverpool ONE Foundation’s aspiration is to achieve a decrease in the number of children and young people up to 25 years of age suffering with mental health problems in Merseyside and they will be looking to support projects that decrease the number of children and young people suffering with mental health problems, raise awareness of mental health issues or remove the stigma sometimes associated with mental health problems.

What is the focus of the fund:

Funding will be offered to those organisations that have a core purpose and stated primary charitable objects related to supporting mental health.

The focus of all projects should be on improving children and young people’s mental health and well-being and preventing the development of mental health problems. Children and young people should always be primary beneficiaries of projects/services but the Foundation is keen to consider projects that in addition help support families and young children to develop methods to equip them with the skills necessary to prevent mental health issues occurring.

Examples of the sorts of projects that may be funded:

• Projects developing children’s resilience, e.g. teaching children and young people methods and techniques to equip them with the skills necessary to prevent mental health issues and focus on their mental wellbeing.
• Peer mentoring projects with a focus on mental health and wellbeing.
• Salary costs for mental health support workers, counsellors or similar.

How much is available:

• Grants of up to £15,000 per year for 2 years (£30,000 total) to support core service/project delivery with proven track record and outcomes.

Which areas are covered: 

• Liverpool City Region (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Wirral)

Any special criteria: 

• Organisations must have a core purpose and stated primary charitable objects related to supporting mental health.
• Grant requests should be proportional to your income levels demonstrated in recent accounts. i.e. the amount applied for should not exceed your annual income levels
• We will continually assess the overall impact and success of your project and the overall impact the Foundation is achieving. Applicants will be expected to work with us to determine the impact and outcomes of their projects.
• As part of their wider strategy, the Liverpool ONE Foundation has developed a Community and Statutory forum consisting of experts working on the front line with children and young people. The forums purpose is to provide opportunities to share best practice, identify gaps or duplication in provision and set some key aspirations for mental health and mental wellbeing. Successful applicants may be invited to participate in the forum, which takes place approx. three times per year.
• Training opportunities will also be made available for applicants covering topics such as Mental Health First Aid and Resilience  

Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside are a Real Living Wage employer therefore we encourage applications that include staff costs at the current Real Living Wage of £12.00p/h as a minimum.

What is it? | Living Wage Foundation

The closing date for applications is Friday 5^th January 2024 at 5pm. (decisions will be made in March 2024)

How to apply?

Please visit the Community Foundations for Merseyside’s website - www.cfmerseyside.org.uk and complete the relevant Liverpool ONE Foundation online application form. Once you have submitted the online application you will need to send the documents listed below. If relevant documents are not submitted within 7 days your application will be withdrawn.  Please attach your documents to your online application or email them to applications@cflm.email

Documents which need to be included with your application:

1. A signed and dated copy of the group’s rules or constitution
2. A list of your current Trustees/Directors/Management Committee members
3. A copy of the group’s latest annual accounts or income/expenditure document
4. A copy of a recent bank statement for your group
5. A signed and dated copy of the group’s current Safeguarding Policy. All applicants must ensure they hold relevant policies and procedures in place to undertake activities, such as DBS checks and/or a health and safety policy, depending on proposed activity.

The following cannot be supported via the fund:

• Statutory organisations or work that is their responsibility
• Organisations with less than 3 unrelated Trustees/Directors/Management Committee members
• CIC’s limited by Shares
• National organisations that cannot demonstrate local governance/autonomy (permanent base within Merseyside, bank account and Management team)
• Commercial ventures/Projects for personal profit
• Purchase/maintenance of vehicles
• Activities that will have already taken place before we offer you a grant
• Politically connected or exclusively religious activities
• Organisations that are established for the benefit of animals or plants
• Debts and other liabilities
• Reclaimable VAT
• Travel outside UK
• Gifts or projects exclusively for the purpose of entertaining

What happens next?

Completed applications are considered by Community Foundation staff to check eligibility. You may be contacted for more information after applying and a decision making panel will make recommendations based on the fund’s criteria and the budget available. You should expect to hear the outcome of your application within 2 weeks of the panel meeting which will be held in March 2024.

For further information please contact:

Community Foundations for Lancashire & Merseyside

Third Floor, Stanley Building, 43 Hanover Street, Liverpool, L1 3DN

T: 0330 440 4900 Email: applications@cflm.org.uk