Community Health Fund with King Baudouin Foundation

Funding is available to not-for-profit organisations for projects to support vulnerable young people (aged 15-24) facing mental health challenges.

Objectives of Fund

The funding is intended for new and existing projects that address the issues of mental health of young people in the 15 to 24 age range. Projects should specifically address the needs of the most vulnerable communities including young people displaced due to conflicts, racial and ethnic minorities, refugees and asylum seekers, those with disabilities and certain health conditions, and those who are socio-economically disadvantaged.

Value Notes

A total of €2 million (around £1,752,000) is available.

Organisations can request grants of between €30,000 and €50,000 (around £26,286 to £43,800).

Who Can Apply

Non-profit and non-governmental organisations located within the countries where UCB has an office can apply.

Restrictions

Funding is not available to:

· Individiuals.

· For-profit commercial organisations.

· Hospitals.

· Government agencies.

Research grants are excluded from this call.

Eligible Expenditure

Applications are invited in the following areas of impact:

· Projects that promote, detect, protect and care for young people’s mental health, for example:

o   Prevention and promotion: Projects that aim to respond proactively to reducing adversities that are known to harm the mental health of young people.

o   Peer support: Projects that enable young people to support each other, based on their own experience, their own ambition, and with support and training from mental health and social care professionals.

o   Community action: Community-based initiatives that seek to strengthen social cohesion and reduce loneliness, for example by supporting activities that help isolated young people stay connected.

o   Substance abuse prevention: Projects that build the capacity of community mental health and addiction recovery organisations to respond to and prevent future youth substance use.

· Projects that ensure availability of mental health and psychosocial support, for example:

o   Accessibility and destigmatising mental health care: The landscape of psychological help and mental health services can be complicated for young people to navigate. Young people need resources that are 'comfortable' and close to them to tell their story in confidence and find the help they need, whatever it may be (e.g. relationships, financial resources, housing, work, education, etc).

o   Home care and outreach: Projects that enable mental health interventions to be delivered remotely, for example through quality-assured tele-counselling and digital media. Additionally, initiatives that aim to engage hard-to-reach youth and foster meaningful engagement on the topic of mental health and social wellbeing.

· Projects that work towards building and implementing efficient mental health services for young people, for example:

o   Delivery platforms: Initiatives that combine various delivery platforms, such as digital media, health and social care setting, schools and educational settings, leisure facilities.

o   Capacity: Interventions that aim to build new/additional human resource capacity to deliver mental health and social care, for example among community workers or athletic coaches so that they can provide support.

o   Co-design: Initiatives that actively involve young people who lived the experience in the design, implementation and monitoring of mental health and wellbeing services.

How To Apply

Applications must be submitted online by the deadline of 3 July 2023.

Applicants must first create an account via the King Baudouin Foundation website.

Contact the Foundation for further information.


Useful Links

King Baudouin Foundation - Community Health Fund