Croydon Partnership Awards – Mental Health and Wellbeing Activities and Interventions for Croydon Residents

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) is commissioning grassroots Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations to deliver community-based activities that promote the mental health and wellbeing of Croydon residents. This includes, where appropriate, working with current service users of Croydon Community Mental Health Centres (CMHCs) to support social inclusion, independence and engagement with meaningful community resources. 
 
The programme aims to expand culturally relevant, accessible support — particularly for residents who experience greater barriers, stigma, or crisis-level engagement with statutory mental health services. 

About the award

We are funding organisations to deliver activities that:

  • Promote mental health and wellbeing
  • Reduce isolation and strengthen social connections
  • Improve access to culturally relevant support
  • Support residents, including those engaged with Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs) and young people transitioning from CAMHS
  • Build trusted relationships between communities and SLaM mental health services
  • Support individuals stepping down from clinical care into community-based support

Activities must take place in at least one Croydon neighbourhood:

  • North-East
  • North-West
  • Central East
  • Central West
  • South

Funding Available

Total funding available: £100,000 per year (for two years)

Funding will be awarded as four grants of £24,999 per year, aligned to the following categories:

  • Assertive Outreach
  • Youth Transitions
  • Peer Support for People with Neurodevelopmental Conditions
  • Carers’ Support
  • Funding is awarded for up to 24 months, with a review after 12 months to confirm continuation into year two.

Organisations may apply for one or more funding categories but must submit a separate application for each.

Funding Categories

Assertive Outreach

Support for adults (18–65) who may struggle to engage with mental health services. Focus on building trust, improving engagement, and promoting social inclusion through flexible, relationship-based support.

Youth Transitions

Support for young people aged 17½–25 moving from CAMHS to adult services or primary care, with a focus on racially minoritised communities.

Peer Support for People with Neurodevelopmental Conditions

Peer-led, neuro-affirming support for adults with conditions such as autism and ADHD, promoting connection, confidence, and early support to prevent crisis.

Carers’ Support

Support for unpaid carers, providing advice, emotional support, and help accessing services to improve wellbeing and reduce isolation.

Who Can Apply

Eligible applicants include:

  • Grassroots VCSE organisations
  • Registered charities
  • Community Interest Companies (with at least two directors)
  • Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs)
  • Not-for-profit companies (e.g., Companies Limited by Guarantee)

Organisations must:

  • Be based in Croydon
  • Deliver activities within the borough
  • We particularly encourage applications from:
    • Black-led and Global Majority-led organisations
    • Organisations delivering culturally specific mental health support
    • Hosted or umbrella arrangements are permitted, with appropriate agreements in place

Eligible Activities

Funding can support new or expanded community-based activities, including:

  • Wellbeing groups and peer support
  • Creative, social and community-based activities
  • Outreach and engagement support
  • Practical and emotional support for service users and carers

All activities must be:

  • Inclusive, accessible, and culturally relevant
  • Safe and appropriate for participants
  • Delivered by trained staff or volunteers
  • Inclusive of neurodivergent, disabled and LGBTQ+ communities

What We Will Not Fund

  • Clinical or statutory mental health services
  • Activities requiring specialist regulated provision outside the VCSE remit
  • Religious activities where participation depends on belief
  • General organisational costs not directly linked to delivery

Requirements

Successful organisations must have the following in place by mobilisation:

  • Risk assessments for activities
  • Safeguarding, complaints and whistleblowing policies
  • Enhanced DBS checks (within 3 years)
  • Safeguarding Level 2 and Prevent training (within 3 years)

SLaM will provide induction, templates, training access, and ongoing support.

Monitoring and Support

This programme takes a light-touch and supportive approach to monitoring. Organisations will be expected to:

  • Submit quarterly engagement data
  • Provide participant feedback and case studies
  • Attend quarterly support meetings

SLaM will provide ongoing support through the Community Partnerships Officer, including training opportunities and guidance.

How to Apply

  • Read the full specification and attend an optional information session
  • Submit your application using the online form
  • Shortlisted organisations will be invited to interview

If applying for more than one funding category, please submit a separate application for each.

Application timeline

Timeline
Date Milestone
18th May 2026  Applications open
13th July 2026 (5pm)   Applications close 
Late July – early August 2026 Shortlisting outcomes issued 
Mid-August 2026    Interviews (online or in-person) 
Early September 2026  Final funding decisions 
Mid-September 2026 Mobilisation begins 
Mid-late September 2026  CMHC inductions and training  
Mid-October 2026  Engagement begins (providers begin delivering services, working with service users). 

 

Information sessions /drop-in sessions

Details of the information and drop-in sessions are set out below.

Drop-in sessions

Date: 

Time: 

Location: 

Tuesday 19th May 

6pm to 8pm 

Online – Join Microsoft Teams session

Saturday 23rd May 

10:30am to 1pm 

Croydon Health and Wellbeing Space (Whitgift Centre) 

Tuesday 26th May 

6pm to 8pm 

Online – Join Microsoft Teams session

Saturday 30th May 

10:30am to 1pm 

Croydon BME Forum Head office   

Tuesday 2nd June 

6pm to 8pm 

Online – Join Microsoft Teams session

Saturday 6th June 

10:30am to 1pm 

Croydon Health and Wellbeing Space (Whitgift Centre) 

Tuesday 9th June 

6pm to 8pm 

Online – Join Microsoft Teams session

Saturday 13th June 

10:30am to 1pm 

Croydon Health and Wellbeing Space (Whitgift Centre) 

Tuesday 16th June 

6pm to 8pm 

Online – Join Microsoft Teams session

Saturday 20th June 

10:30am to 1pm 

Croydon Health and Wellbeing Space (Whitgift Centre) 

Tuesday 23rd June 

  

6pm to 8pm 

Online – Join Microsoft Teams sessions

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can apply for the award?

Eligible organisations must be Croydon-based VCSE organisations, including:

  • Registered charities
  • Community Interest Companies (CICs with at least 2 directors)
  • Not-for-profit companies (e.g., Companies Limited by Guarantee)
  • Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs)
  • Grassroots organisations (community-led, locally based groups)

Organisations must be a recognised legal entity for SLaM to process payments.

Do organisations need to be based in Croydon?

Yes. Organisations must have a registered address or primary operating base in Croydon and deliver activities within the borough.

What type of activities can be funded?

Activities must promote mental health and wellbeing and may include:

  • Peer support and wellbeing groups
  • Community-based social or creative activities
  • Outreach and engagement work
  • Support for carers or people with lived experience

Activities must:

  • Be inclusive, accessible, and culturally relevant
  • Reduce isolation and strengthen connections
  • Be safe and appropriate for participants, including those linked to mental health services

What funding is available?

There are four grants of £24,999 per year, each linked to a funding category:

  • Assertive Outreach
  • Youth Transitions
  • Peer Support for People with Neurodevelopmental Conditions
  • Carers’ Support

Funding is available for up to two years, with a review after 12 months.

Can we apply for more than one funding category?

Yes. Organisations can apply for more than one category but must submit a separate application form for each.

Can organisations work in partnership?

Yes. Partnership bids are permitted.
Hosted arrangements are also allowed, where a lead organisation takes responsibility for:

  • Safeguarding
  • Financial management
  • Compliance and insurance

A hosting agreement will be required before funding is released.

Are some organisations prioritised?

Yes. Priority will be given to:

  • Black-led and Global Majority-led organisations
  • Organisations delivering culturally specific mental health support

Can funding be used for existing services?

Yes. Funding can support:

  • New activities
  • Expansion or enhancement of existing services

What will not be funded?

We will not fund:

  • Clinical or statutory mental health services
  • Activities requiring specialist regulation outside the VCSE remit
  • Religious activities where participation depends on belief
  • General organisational costs not directly linked to delivery

Do safeguarding documents need to be in place before applying?

Not at the application stage.

However, by mobilisation, organisations must have:

  • Safeguarding, complaints, and whistleblowing policies
  • Risk assessments for activities

What training is required?

All staff and volunteers must have:

  • Safeguarding Level 2 training (adults and children)
  • Prevent training

Training must be completed within the last 3 years and refreshed every 3 years.

SLaM can provide access to training if needed.

Do we need Enhanced DBS checks?

Yes. All staff and volunteers must have an Enhanced DBS check dated within the last 3 years.

DBS costs can be included in your project budget.

Will we work with CMHT or CAMHS service users?

Yes, where appropriate.

Activities should be suitable for:

  • Adults engaged with Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs)
  • Young people transitioning from CAMHS

Referrals or signposting may be made, depending on suitability.

What monitoring is required?

A light-touch approach will be used, including:

  • Quarterly engagement data
  • Participant numbers and feedback
  • Case studies or examples
  • Budget updates

Templates will be provided.

What support will SLaM provide?

SLaM will provide:

  • Induction and mobilisation support
  • Access to training (Safeguarding and Prevent)
  • Monitoring templates
  • Ongoing support from the Community Partnerships Officer

How do we apply?

  • Read the full specification
  • Submit your application via the online form
  • If applying for multiple categories, submit separate applications

When will activities begin?

Timeline
Date Milestone
Mid-September 2026  Mobilisation begins 
Mid-late September 2026  CMHC inductions and training 
Mid-October 2026  Engagement begins (providers begin delivering services, working with service users). 

Who do we contact for support?

Zino Khalfaoui

Email: croydonvcsepartnerships@slam.nhs.uk

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