Mental health and wellbeing community engagement micro grants

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Each year, Directors of Public Health produce an annual report that tells the story about the health of their population. In Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly we have chosen to use the 2026 report as a vehicle for shining the spotlight on the significant issue of mental health and wellbeing promotion and prevention.

We cannot fully understand or address the impact of living in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly on our mental health and wellbeing without listening to the voices of our residents. This includes how people stay mentally well, and what activities help them to feel positive and connected with others. We want to listen to experiences to understand what it means to live mentally well in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. These experiences will be included in the Director of Public Health’s report for 2026, and the report will inform the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Suicide Prevention Strategy and corresponding action plan.

We need your help to engage with children, adults and older adults

We are inviting local voluntary and community groups and organisations who work with children (0-17), adults (18-64) and older adults (65+), to deliver creative engagement activities to capture the lived/living experiences of mental health and wellbeing promotion and prevention in Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly.

We have small grants available of up to a maximum £500 to support the costs of delivering these engagement activities.

What your engagement activities look like is entirely up to you, however we would encourage you to be creative in how you capture responses! You may wish to use the medium of drawings, photos, videos, poetry, sculptures, audio recordings, comic book strips – whatever your participants feel comfortable with.

Themes we would like to hear about

You can focus your engagement on any of the following life stages: children aged up to 17, adults aged 18-64 years and/or adults aged 65+. We are particularly interested in exploring the following areas:

  • What is the most important thing you do to look after your health and wellbeing? Why is it important to you?
  • What do you usually do to look after your mental health and wellbeing?
  • What activities help you feel positive and connected with others?
  • What is good about local mental health and wellbeing promotion and prevention support?

Whilst we would encourage you to use these themes to guide your engagement activities, we are committed to hearing what matters most to children, adults and older adults and there are no restrictions of what aspects of mental health and wellbeing promotion and prevention that you explore through your engagement.

How will the engagement responses be used?

Responses will be featured in the 2026 Director of Public Health Report for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. This important information will help leaders make decisions about health and wellbeing priorities. The report will inform the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Suicide Prevention Strategy and corresponding action plan.

Who can apply for a grant?

  • Any VCSE organisations working with children, adults and/or older adults.
  • Partnership bids are also welcome where you’d like to co-host an engagement event.
  • Applications are welcome from organisations who have already received other funding from Cornwall Council.

We are seeking organisations who can actively engage with residents and gather their views and are particularly keen to hear from organisations who support:

  • People with physical and/or sensory impairment
  • Young people (particularly those who are NEET)
  • Those diagnosed with a mild, moderate, or serious mental health condition
  • Paid and unpaid carers
  • Minority ethnic groups
  • Veterans and serving military personnel
  • Those with experience of substance misuse
  • Those with experience of homelessness
  • Those with experience of domestic abuse and/or sexual violence
  • People who have experienced gambling harms
  • Those at risk of self-harm and suicide
  • Neurodivergent people
  • People involved with the criminal justice system
  • Fishermen, farmers and seasonal workers
  • LGBTQ+ communities
  • People living in rural and remote areas (including the Isles of Scilly)

Timeframes

  • Application window: Opens Friday 19 September 2025 and will close at midday on Friday 24 October 2025.
  • Successful organisations will be notified and receive grant funding from Friday 31 October 2025.
  • Organisations carry out engagement activities with children, adults and/or older adults in November 2025 to gather their lived experiences of mental health and wellbeing promotion and prevention.
  • Organisations must share their engagement findings with Cornwall Council Public Health by Wednesday 31 December 2025.

The application process

All applications will be reviewed by a small panel of representatives from the Director of Public Health Report 2026 Working Group. The panel will consider whether there:

  • Is a clear description of how the planned engagement activities meet the scope of this project.
  • Is a clear explanation of how you plan to create a safe space for engagement so that children, adults and/or older adults can freely express their views.
  • Are processes in place to escalate safeguarding concerns when appropriate.
  • Is demonstration of ability to deliver all engagement activities and collate responses by Wednesday 31 December 2025.

We will also make decisions to ensure that that is a spread of engagement activities across all life stages and diversity of engagement activities.

Interested in applying?

Please read the application pack on this page (see documents section to download pack) in full. This pack provides key details about the focus of the engagement activities, timelines, and terms and conditions of the grant. Then apply using our online application form below. The deadline for applications is midday on Friday 24 October 2025.

Further information

If you have any queries about the process, please contact:

Email: suicideprevention@cornwall.gov.uk

Before you start:

By registering yourself on Let’s Talk Cornwall (or signing in if you are already registered) before starting this application form, you will be able to save the application form part way through and return to it later without losing what you have already submitted. You will also receive a copy of your responses for your records. To ensure your answers are not lost, we strongly recommend completing your answers in a separate document and then copying and pasting them into the form when you are ready to submit your application.

Each year, Directors of Public Health produce an annual report that tells the story about the health of their population. In Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly we have chosen to use the 2026 report as a vehicle for shining the spotlight on the significant issue of mental health and wellbeing promotion and prevention.

We cannot fully understand or address the impact of living in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly on our mental health and wellbeing without listening to the voices of our residents. This includes how people stay mentally well, and what activities help them to feel positive and connected with others. We want to listen to experiences to understand what it means to live mentally well in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. These experiences will be included in the Director of Public Health’s report for 2026, and the report will inform the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Suicide Prevention Strategy and corresponding action plan.

We need your help to engage with children, adults and older adults

We are inviting local voluntary and community groups and organisations who work with children (0-17), adults (18-64) and older adults (65+), to deliver creative engagement activities to capture the lived/living experiences of mental health and wellbeing promotion and prevention in Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly.

We have small grants available of up to a maximum £500 to support the costs of delivering these engagement activities.

What your engagement activities look like is entirely up to you, however we would encourage you to be creative in how you capture responses! You may wish to use the medium of drawings, photos, videos, poetry, sculptures, audio recordings, comic book strips – whatever your participants feel comfortable with.

Themes we would like to hear about

You can focus your engagement on any of the following life stages: children aged up to 17, adults aged 18-64 years and/or adults aged 65+. We are particularly interested in exploring the following areas:

  • What is the most important thing you do to look after your health and wellbeing? Why is it important to you?
  • What do you usually do to look after your mental health and wellbeing?
  • What activities help you feel positive and connected with others?
  • What is good about local mental health and wellbeing promotion and prevention support?

Whilst we would encourage you to use these themes to guide your engagement activities, we are committed to hearing what matters most to children, adults and older adults and there are no restrictions of what aspects of mental health and wellbeing promotion and prevention that you explore through your engagement.

How will the engagement responses be used?

Responses will be featured in the 2026 Director of Public Health Report for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. This important information will help leaders make decisions about health and wellbeing priorities. The report will inform the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Suicide Prevention Strategy and corresponding action plan.

Who can apply for a grant?

  • Any VCSE organisations working with children, adults and/or older adults.
  • Partnership bids are also welcome where you’d like to co-host an engagement event.
  • Applications are welcome from organisations who have already received other funding from Cornwall Council.

We are seeking organisations who can actively engage with residents and gather their views and are particularly keen to hear from organisations who support:

  • People with physical and/or sensory impairment
  • Young people (particularly those who are NEET)
  • Those diagnosed with a mild, moderate, or serious mental health condition
  • Paid and unpaid carers
  • Minority ethnic groups
  • Veterans and serving military personnel
  • Those with experience of substance misuse
  • Those with experience of homelessness
  • Those with experience of domestic abuse and/or sexual violence
  • People who have experienced gambling harms
  • Those at risk of self-harm and suicide
  • Neurodivergent people
  • People involved with the criminal justice system
  • Fishermen, farmers and seasonal workers
  • LGBTQ+ communities
  • People living in rural and remote areas (including the Isles of Scilly)

Timeframes

  • Application window: Opens Friday 19 September 2025 and will close at midday on Friday 24 October 2025.
  • Successful organisations will be notified and receive grant funding from Friday 31 October 2025.
  • Organisations carry out engagement activities with children, adults and/or older adults in November 2025 to gather their lived experiences of mental health and wellbeing promotion and prevention.
  • Organisations must share their engagement findings with Cornwall Council Public Health by Wednesday 31 December 2025.

The application process

All applications will be reviewed by a small panel of representatives from the Director of Public Health Report 2026 Working Group. The panel will consider whether there:

  • Is a clear description of how the planned engagement activities meet the scope of this project.
  • Is a clear explanation of how you plan to create a safe space for engagement so that children, adults and/or older adults can freely express their views.
  • Are processes in place to escalate safeguarding concerns when appropriate.
  • Is demonstration of ability to deliver all engagement activities and collate responses by Wednesday 31 December 2025.

We will also make decisions to ensure that that is a spread of engagement activities across all life stages and diversity of engagement activities.

Interested in applying?

Please read the application pack on this page (see documents section to download pack) in full. This pack provides key details about the focus of the engagement activities, timelines, and terms and conditions of the grant. Then apply using our online application form below. The deadline for applications is midday on Friday 24 October 2025.

Further information

If you have any queries about the process, please contact:

Email: suicideprevention@cornwall.gov.uk

Before you start:

By registering yourself on Let’s Talk Cornwall (or signing in if you are already registered) before starting this application form, you will be able to save the application form part way through and return to it later without losing what you have already submitted. You will also receive a copy of your responses for your records. To ensure your answers are not lost, we strongly recommend completing your answers in a separate document and then copying and pasting them into the form when you are ready to submit your application.

  • Mental Health and Wellbeing Community Engagement Micro-Grant Application Form

    This application form is your opportunity to describe your proposed engagement activities, how you will meet the criteria outlined in the application pack, and how you will ensure responses are shared with Cornwall Council Public Health by Wednesday 31 December 2025. 

    Please complete all sections of the form and use the guidance in the application pack document when developing your proposal. 

    *The application deadline is midday Friday 24 October 2025*

    Privacy Notice 

    The Data Controller for the information you provide in this survey is Cornwall Council, New County Hall, Treyew Road, Truro TR1 3AY. Data Protection Registration Number: Z1745294. Once the survey has closed, your data will be held within Cornwall Council’s secure network and premises for up to 2 years. Where we ask you to supply personal data on this form, we will only make access to this data available to authorised members of staff who are required to process it for the purposes outlined in this privacy notice. Please note that other information you provide, such as responses to open questions, may be published in full.

    Complete Form
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Page last updated: 23 Sep 2025, 07:58 AM