Grants awarded in 2018
In 2018 the Bupa UK Foundation focused on Caring for Carers and on Mid-Life Mental Health. Over £650,000 was awarded in grants to 27 organisations within these funding programmes. See below for details of grants awarded.
Caring for Carers
Larger projects
Grants for projects with the potential to be replicated nationally were awarded to:
Carers Trust / Carers Leeds: Carers Good Health
Carers Good Health will focus on improving carers’ mental and physical health. The project will engage around 300 carers to test and evaluate different group health and wellbeing activities for carers. Findings will then be used to create a toolkit to share learning and best practice in engaging carers in health and wellbeing.
The Children's Society: Young Carers Active Connections
The Young Carers Active Connections project aims to improve the physical and mental health of young carers through physical activity and one-to-one support and by developing stronger connections with sporting clubs within the local community.
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:
Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland: Food with Friendship
Weekly cookery sessions offering older male carers a break from caring, the opportunity to learn new skills in a supportive environment and to develop new social contacts.
Age UK Sunderland: Essence of a Carer
Providing older carers looking after people with dementia with a structured programme of support, including practical and emotional skills to support and improve their wellbeing.
Calderdale Carers: Building Resilience
Improving the health and wellbeing of older carers, particularly levels of anxiety and depression, by equipping carers with skills to build resilience and manage overwhelm.
Camden Carers Service: Caring and Living Well
Providing social and health related support for older carers who feel isolated or lack the confidence to join mainstream community activities.
Huntingdon's Disease Association: Caring for the Huntingdon's Disease Community
Developing and delivering a new online platform to improve the information, advice and support available to older carers, and building capacity for peer support within the Huntingdon's Disease community.
Liverpool Carers Centre: Cooking and Company
Improving the cookery skills of older male carers, supporting their health and wellbeing by reducing social isolation.
Motor Neurone Disease Association: Carers' Champions
Creating and extending local support networks for carers and former carers of people with motor neurone disease to improve their health and wellbeing.
The Old Library Trust Healthy Living Centre: Me Time, Where Carers Matter
Delivering gentle exercise, mindfulness and support to improve carers' health and wellbeing.
Further funding
Following the Caring for Carers programme 2016, further funding was awarded to:
Carers UK: Caring for your Health
Working with carers to develop two new e-learning resources: one to support carers' physical health, the other to support carers' emotional health and wellbeing.
Hearts & Minds: Play Care Cope
Developing a workshop and online resources for carers of people with chronic illnesses designed to increase carers' confidence, empowerment and pleasure, and decrease depression and anxiety. The Play Care Cope workshop will be based on the Caring Elderflowers project funded by the Bupa UK Foundation in 2016.
Sinfonia Viva: Carers' Choir Rollout
Creating a network of musicians and choir leaders working with carers to share best practice and learn from the successful delivery of the Derbyshire Carers Choir. Sinfonia Viva will also be piloting a choir to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities and their carers.
Mid-life Mental Health
Following the Mid-life Mental Health programme 2015/16, further funding was awarded to:
Bipolar UK: Bipolar Peer Support
Establishing a telephone and email support service delivered for and by people with lived experience of bipolar.
Groundswell: Homeless Health Peer Advocacy
Supporting people experiencing homelessness by providing access to support services to improve their mental health and wellbeing.
Gaydio: Gaydio Academy
Delivering a combination of workshop prorgammes and on-air health promotion activity for people in the LGBT community effected by mental health issues.
Key Changes: Health and Social Out of Hours Activity
Supporting BAME men experiencing mental health issues through providing a programme of out-of-hours creative, sporting, and vocational activities.
Life Cycle UK: Bike Minded
Delivering a range of community-focused cycling activities for adults experiencing mental health issues; helping them improve their physical and mental wellbeing.
Rotherham United Community Sports Trust: Head in the Game
Promoting and improving both physical and mental wellbeing through the power of football and education.
Acknowledging excellence
Finally, in 2018 small awards of £1,000 each were awarded to the following organisations to recognise excellence in project delivery: Chequers Community Kitchen, The Dove Service, Down to Earth, The Furniture Scheme, Lifecycle, Oblong, Sign Health and Southall Community Alliance,