VCSE Inreach Project: Funding applications open to deliver activities in local mental health wards
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust is launching a new project in early 2026 with local voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations (VCSEs), to support service users and staff by delivering structured activities on our hospital wards.
The VCSE Inreach Project will invite local grassroots VCSEs to deliver evening and weekend activities across 25 inpatient wards in South London over a 12-month period. The aim of the project is to promote a more therapeutic environment on our wards, whilst supporting long term recovery by bridging the gap between inpatient care and community living.
Successful applicants will be awarded £12,250 of funding for each ward they work on – each organisation can apply to up to three wards.
Co-funded by Maudsley Charity and NHS England Inpatient Quality Transformation Programme, this project will support local groups to deliver activities that meaningfully engage our service users.
To access the application forms, service specifications and more information: www.slam.nhs.uk/VCSE
Hannah Tendler, Community Partnerships Officer, said: “During evenings and weekends, our service users can have a tough experience on the wards due to a lack of structured activities, and feelings of isolation and boredom. This project aims to address those issues while also supporting our service users with the transition back into community living. If they engage in an activity while on the ward, knowing they can do a similar activity with the same group in the community gives them something to look forward to and supports their recovery journey.”
The project team will continue to work with service users and staff to ensure that the activities that will be implemented on the wards are both enjoyable and supportive of overall wellbeing. Service users have expressed an interest in a broad range of activities, including music, art, exercise and mindfulness. One service user shared that activities on the ward give them “the opportunity to laugh and care for each other.”
Hannah said: “We really hope to hear from a wide range of organisations across the boroughs so we can focus on finding the perfect match for the diverse and bespoke needs of our service users. We serve some of the most culturally diverse boroughs in the UK and therefore, we will be prioritising applications from Black-led organisations to ensure we can deliver culturally appropriate activities for our service users. This project is a powerful one with the ability to improve the experiences of our staff and our service users through support from the incredible voluntary groups in our areas that sit at the heart of the community.”
To access the application forms, service specifications and more information: www.slam.nhs.uk/VCSE
