Grants awarded in 2019
In 2019 the Bupa Foundation awarded funds to projects focused on Mid-Life Mental Health and Healthy Futures. We provided £1m+ in grants to 49 organisations within these funding programmes. Here are the projects we are proud to support.
Community-focused projects
Smaller grants in the region of £20,000 for community-focused projects that aim to improve the health and wellbeing of older carers were awarded to the following organisations:
Aberdeen Foyer: Your Good Health
Improving access to mental wellbeing support through a programme run by Good Health volunteers for people in mid-life engaged in learning and employability programmes in North East Scotland.
Aware Northern Ireland: Grey Tickles
Early interventions to engage and support people with mental health challenges in their mid-life.
Be Safe Be Well Men’s Sheds: Resilient Sheds
Supporting men to increase emotional wellbeing through sessions offering practical skills, therapeutic support, self-care activities and resilience skills to help improve emotional wellbeing.
Beacon Counselling Trust: Back on Track
Providing mid-life males affected by gambling with a programme of social and mental wellbeing support to sustain meaningful recovery.
Bluebell Care Trust: Perinatal mental health support
Supporting new parents in their 30s and 40s experiencing perinatal mental health difficulties with group therapy and one-to-one peer support sessions.
Body & Soul: Mind, Body, Soul
Improving the health and mental wellbeing of mid-life adults with adverse childhood experiences, offering therapeutic techniques to create a safe space to talk openly
Bosavern Community Farm: Grow Well Together
Horticultural and nature-based outdoor activities to support people aged 30s to 50s in West Cornwall who have experienced mental health challenges.
Burnley FC in the community: Active Clarets – Strive Projects
Equipping adults with skills to build resilience and their interpersonal skills through a range of sessions including peer support groups, wellbeing walks and workshops.
Cartwheel Arts: Self-made
Improving social interaction and self-esteem among mid-life adults through creative workshops, bringing them together to contribute to a book and exhibition.
Chapter (West Cheshire): re:set Mental wellbeing programme
Community-based activities and tools to equip people who are experiencing low to medium levels of mental-ill health.
Chickenshed Theatre Company: The Space Between Us
Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing through Devised Theatre & Community Engagement workshops delivered by Inclusive Arts & Education practitioners
Chilli Studios: It’s my write
“It’s my write” workshop to develop verbal communication skills, self-esteem and nurturing confidence, encouraging people with mental health challenges to express themselves in a supportive environment.
Citizens Advice South Derbyshire: Self-management programme
A self-management programme for people experiencing mental ill-health delivered by volunteers with lived experience of mental health challenges and health professionals to help them manage their condition.
Common Wheel: Creative collusion
A combination of music and art sessions for people in mid-life with mental illness to help reduce isolation and encourage a positive mindset.
Look Again in partnership with Create Gloucestershire: See with fresh eyes
Mindful photography courses for people in mid-life with mental health challenges, hosted by four charities, culminating in an exhibition at Gloucester Cathedral.
Cruse Bereavement Care: Cruse Connects
Peer support activities and a toolkit to help men aged 30-50 who are struggling with bereavement. The support includes helping increase social connections, reduce isolation and stigma around loss.
DIAL Barnsley: Just for me
A peer–led hub in Barnsley for men aged 40 to 55 with long-term conditions who are experiencing mental ill-health to create mutual support and influence positive change.
Edward’s Trust: Day retreats for bereaved parents
Day retreats for bereaved parents, combining group counselling with wellbeing and holistic therapies to reduce mental and physical ill health caused by grief.
Framework Knitters: Common Threads
A programme of creative workshops including textile skills and heritage for people with mental health challenges to connect, learn and create an exhibition.
Friends, Families and Travellers: Let’s Rokker
Support services to improve mental wellbeing for local Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people in mid-life.
Get Out More CIC: Bradford Breathing Spaces
Supporting adults in Bradford from ethnically diverse communities who are on low incomes, socially isolated or suffering from poor mental health to connect with nature.. Inspired by the Japanese practice of forest bathing (Shinrin Yoku).
Home Start Knowsley: Time to mind
An early intervention course to improve the emotional and physical wellbeing of people with mental ill-health.
Independent Arts: PortFolio
Hosting workshops across several art disciplines including 3D wirework drawing, collage, photography, 3D modelling and painting, accompanied by guided mindfulness sessions to improve mental wellbeing.
Lancashire Mind: Community wellbeing challenge
Working with people in mid-life to develop local initiatives to improve mental wellbeing in their communities.
Lancashire Women: Mid Life Guides
One to one support, training, information and guidance for women living in some of the most deprived communities in Lancashire to develop coping strategies for mental wellbeing.
Lindengate: Nature Connection Resilience and Well-Being programme
Using the seasons as guiding principles our team will facilitate nature based activities linked with evidence based practical tools to reduce stress, increase resilience and improve subjective well-being.
The programme is ideal for people experiencing anxiety, stress management difficulties and mid-life changes and aims to promote positive wellbeing in the workplace and community.
Liverpool Philharmonic: Music for Mid Life Mental Health
Music making activities to bring together adults to reduce social isolation and nurture musical abilities to improve mental wellbeing in mid-life.
Martineau Gardens: Getting out
Providing outdoor activities such as gardening, mosaics, tai chi and photography for people in Birmingham experiencing mental health difficulties to create a sense of purpose and connection.
Meadow Well-Connected: Positive Connections
Weekly outdoor community-led activities for adults in mid-life, including practical and emotional skills to support their wellbeing and self-esteem.
Middlesbrough & Stockton Mind: Seed for strong mental health
Ecotherapy courses for adults in mid-life to learn from local park rangers about managing grounds and traditional craft skills in a supportive environment to develop new skills.
Mind in the City, Hackney and Waltham Forest: Radical self-care
Piloting a programme for the LGBTQ+ community in mid-life at risk of or experiencing poor mental health. The course includes mindfulness and compassion based methodologies that support improved mental and emotional wellbeing.
North East Lincolnshire Mind: Ways to wellbeing
Early intervention programme offering mental wellbeing support to adults in mid-life.
Opening Doors: Being Well Feeling Good
Training people with learning disabilities in mid-life to become wellbeing peer supporters. They will run workshops and events to teach their peers about good mental health and wellbeing.
Plas Derw Trust: Forest Therapy
Outdoor forest and talking therapy sessions for women in mid-life who have anxiety, depression or similar conditions to boost self-esteem and confidence.
Restore: Ripple Effect
Breaking down mental health stigma in Oxford’s BAME community by providing Mental Health First Aid training to 30-59 year olds.
Salford Foundation: Evolve
Supporting women experiencing mid-life crisis due to changes in personal and family life to provide mental wellbeing and recovery support in a caring environment.
Single Homelessness Project: Psychotherapy support
Psychotherapy support for people in mid-life who are homeless and suffering from complex needs including mental-ill health and substance misuse.
SJOG Hospitaller Services: Community Kickstart
Workshops to improve self-confidence, manage stress and positive thinking to help with quality of life and to improve mental wellbeing.
The Derbyshire Federation for Mental Health: Mid-Life Matters
Improving mental wellbeing and resilience using educational and practical workshops for those struggling with their mental health in North Derbyshire.
The New Cross Gate Trust: Mind Gym
Building resilience through peer to peer support, Mental Health First Aid Training and mindfulness sessions for people in mid-life, and to support and encourage adults who would like to become a facilitator.
Tyneside & Northumberland Mind: Wellbeing Ways
Supporting people in mid-life in Tyneside and Northumberland to grow mental health resilience and skills over the course of the wellbeing programme.
Voluntary Action Reigate and Banstead: The doing good project
Identifying and promoting volunteering opportunities for people in mid-life as a positive way to improve their mental wellbeing.
Whale Arts: Making and sharing for better wellbeing
Improving mental wellbeing in adults through creative making and sharing workshops.
Windmill Hill City Farm: The Wood Shed
Creating an active ‘maker space’ for people with mental health challenges to learn woodwork with reclaimed materials.
Women’s Health Information and Support Centre (WHISC): Finding our strengths
Training volunteers to provide mental health support for vulnerable women in crisis to boost resilience and confidence.
Healthy Futures
Further funding
Following evaluation of projects delivered within the Healthy Futures funding programme 2017, in 2019 funding was awarded in grants to enable 2 organisations to deliver further projects. These are:
Muscular Dystrophy UK: Residential Wellbeing Camps
To roll out a model for residential camps to improve the mental health and wellbeing of 18 to 25-year olds with muscle-wasting conditions.
Asthma UK: WhatsApp Helpline
To continue delivering a non-emergency WhatsApp service to help 18 to 25 year olds to self-manage their asthma effectively.
Acknowledging excellence
Finally, in 2019 small awards of £1,000 each were awarded to the following organisations to recognise excellence in project delivery: Bike for Good and Cardiff Community Trust