Grassroots Community Resilience Pilot

If you need this information in a different format, please contact us: info@peace-collective.org 

Funding to support community-based wellbeing activities across London

Peace Collective, with support from Thrive LDN and funding from the Mayor of London, is offering funding of up to £1,500 to grassroots and community groups already delivering culturally grounded work that supports connection, emotional wellbeing, and belonging for those affected by war, crisis or displacement or experiencing other shocks, emergencies, and trauma.

This pilot builds on findings from a recent review of mental health and wellbeing resources for communities affected by displacement, conflict and crisis. We heard clearly that not all mental health and wellbeing support happens through formal services. It recognised that spaces such as shared meals, storytelling events, faith gatherings and peer support circles often provide powerful ‘entry points’ to mental health support — even if they’re not labelled that way.

Through this pilot funding opportunity, we aim to:

• Fund existing grassroots activity that supports community mental health for those affected by war, crisis or displacement and/ or experiencing other shocks, emergencies, and trauma

• Highlight inspiring examples of effective practice through short case studies

• Explore how informal, culturally grounded support can be further resourced and amplified

Download the full Expression of Interest document here: https://www.peace-collective.org/projects

Apply now

Complete a short Expression of Interest form here:

https://forms.office.com/e/XZAXHbqBqf

Applications must be submitted by 23:59, Monday, 25 August.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1.     What’s on offer?

• Up to £1,500 in funding for grassroots groups already delivering activity that supports community wellbeing for those affected by war, crisis or displacement and/ or experiencing other shocks, emergencies, and trauma;

• A chance to be featured in case studies on Thrive LDN’s website, celebrating inspiring practice and helping inform future support;

• Signposting and optional access to trauma-informed practice training and safety guidance.

2.    Who can apply?

 

This fund is for London-based grassroots organisations, small charities, and informal community groups with an annual turnover of less than £300,000 who are supporting people affected by crisis, war or displacement and/ or experiencing other shocks, emergencies, and trauma.

To be eligible, your work should:

• Be led by, or directly support, underserved communities, such as asylum seekers, refugees, diaspora, faith-based or minoritised groups

• Already be happening, or ready to begin/repeat (this is not for brand new ideas)

• Help people feel safe, connected and cared for — even if your work doesn’t use mental health language

• Use activities that bring people together, like shared meals, storytelling, creativity, faith or cultural gatherings

• Be delivered by a grassroots group, community organisation or informal network (you don’t need to be a registered charity) with an annual turnover of less than £300,000

Important note:

We’re not able to fund individuals or sole traders applying on their own. If you are applying, it should be on behalf of a community organisation, group or informal project.

If you're not sure whether you're eligible, or you’d like to talk it through, feel free to contact us.

Some grassroots groups may use a larger organisation as a ‘fiscal host’ to help manage payments. This is fine, we will assess eligibility and fit based on the delivery group and their activity, not the financial host, as long as the host organisation is registered and operating in the UK. All payments will be made in GBP to a UK bank account.

3.    Can individuals apply for this funding?

 

No. This funding is for community-based organisations, groups or initiatives with an annual turnover of less than £300,000. We are unable to fund individuals applying in a personal capacity.

4.    Funding

We want this fund to be as accessible as possible, including to informal or unconstituted groups. However, because this is public money, we need to make sure there’s a safe and accountable way to transfer the agreed funding.

You don’t need to be a registered charity or formal organisation, but we do ask that:

• Your group has a bank account in its name, or

• You have a trusted partner organisation (like a school, place of worship, or local charity) who can receive and hold the funds on your behalf.

If you’re not sure how to do this, please get in touch. We’re happy to help find a solution, though we may not be able to fund groups where a safe and accountable payment route isn’t possible.

5.    What can the funding cover?

Funding can be used to cover the real costs of community-based activity, such as:

• Volunteer or facilitator time

• Venue hire or transport

• Food and materials

• Essential equipment

• Coordination or staff support

• Reasonable travel costs

This fund is not for new projects. This pilot is limited in the overall funding available and is about helping sustain work that’s already happening.

6.    What kinds of activities are you looking to support?

We’re looking to support small, community-based activities that help people feel connected, supported, and safe, especially those who have been affected by displacement, crisis or conflict.

You don’t need to run formal “mental health” programmes. In fact, some of the most powerful support happens in everyday community spaces. This could include:

• A shared meal or tea and coffee morning

• A choir, theatre or creative arts session

• A community celebration or cultural event

• A peer support group or talking circle

• A craft session

These are just examples. The most important thing is that this funding helps support existing activity which is bringing people together and where people feel safe, heard, and included, even if mental health isn’t spoken about directly.

7.    How will applications be reviewed?

Applications must be submitted by 23:59, Monday, 25 August. We encourage you to apply as early as possible.

Each application will be reviewed against:

• Whether it fits the purpose and spirit of the fund

• Whether the costs are proportionate to the work described

• Whether the activity supports marginalised or crisis-affected communities

• Geographical and community balance across the cohort

We expect to be able to support around 12 organisations in this pilot phase.

8.    What happens if I’m funded?

• We’ll transfer the requested amount of funding (up to £1,500) to you promptly

• We’ll follow up to chat about your work and feature your story as a short case study

• Your example may be shared (with consent) via Thrive LDN’s website and other materials as a model of effective practice

• You may be invited to share reflections or learning with others involved in the pilot

9.    Safeguarding and safety

If your activity involves children, young people or vulnerable adults, and you’re applying to fund upcoming activity, we may ask you to provide:

• A safeguarding policy

• Evidence of DBS checks for those delivering the work

• A short risk assessment

  
  

We may not require these if your activity has already taken place. We’ll be in touch if we need anything.

10.  Is any other support available alongside the funding?

Yes. Alongside the funding, we’ll:

• Share a list of free wellbeing and mental health support services in case you or someone in your group needs them

• Encourage groups to take part in optional training, such as trauma-informed practice or community safety guidance

• Offer light-touch support around planning, safeguarding and risk (where needed)

We’re not expecting you to be mental health experts. But we do want to make sure people are safe and supported if difficult topics come up.

11.   Training opportunities

We encourage you to explore:

• Trauma-informed practice training, available for free via Thrive LDN’s website

• Community Security Trust (CST) safety guidance, especially for those working in high-risk or faith-based settings

• Concerns about anti-migrant hostility: support and resources, collated by the London Communities Emergencies Partnership (LCEP)

12.  Questions?

If you have any questions about this offer or the application form, feel free to contact us at:info@peace-collective.org