Aims and changes we want to see

The overarching aim of Nature for Health is to improve mental health and provide greater access to natural spaces and nature-based activities for people experiencing mental health problems, socio-economic disadvantage, marginalisation and discrimination.

The changes we want to see can include:

- Support for adults and young people (aged 11-18) who are experiencing mental health problems, socio-economic disadvantage, discrimination and marginalisation:

• to have greater access to natural spaces and nature-based activities;
• to be involved in the development and running of nature-based activities in their local area;
• to experience measurable positive changes to their mental health.

- Additional support for those who need it accessing other services, for example, advice or specialist mental health services.

- The learning gained through the delivery of funded activity is used to work with decision-makers locally to make changes that benefit local people’s access to nature.

What do we mean by natural spaces and nature-based activities?

Natural spaces can be in towns and cities, the countryside, or the coast, such as parks, community gardens, woodland, canals, lakes, rivers, beaches, and greened/reclaimed urban spaces. Nature-based activities can include creating, maintaining, accessing and using natural spaces.

What we expect funded partners to do through Nature for Health

Activity funded through Nature for Health must include all these key elements:

Approach

Involve local people in the development and running of nature-based activities in their local area, which improves social connections.

Use learning gained through the delivery of funded activity to work with decision-makers locally to make changes that benefit local people’s access to nature.

Communities

Funded activity should focus on working with people who are experiencing mental health problems (for example anxiety, panic attacks, depression, loneliness) and:

• Are experiencing socio-economic disadvantage;
• Are experiencing marginalisation and discrimination (for example, people from racialised communities, LGBTQ+ people, disabled people, excluded young people and those struggling to attend school (aged 11-18)
• Or are otherwise less likely to access support (for example, men of all ages).

Activities

Funded work should involve the development and facilitation of activities in nature and natural spaces, which can include creating, maintaining, accessing and/or using natural spaces.

Places

The focus must be on an area that people would consider to be local.

Funded activity must be based in one of the following six regions of England or in Scotland

• East Midlands - Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire
• West Midlands - Birmingham, Black Country, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire
• East - Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk
• South West - Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire
• South East - Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire (including the Isle of Wight), Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Sussex
• North West - Cheshire, Lancashire, Liverpool and the Wirral and Greater Manchester
• Scotland – all areas.

You must show clear evidence of need in this place by demonstrating how the people you plan to work with are experiencing mental health problems, marginalisation and discrimination.

In addition, you will need to describe how the people you plan to work with meet the Trust’s primary focus, which is on people facing socio-economic disadvantage. One way you could do this is by telling us where the place you plan to work is ranked according to the Indices of Multiple Deprivation. Our map, which shows places in the most disadvantaged 30% of neighbourhoods, may help you with this but you should feel able to use any evidence that demonstrates socio-economic disadvantage.

Key criteria

All organisations applying must meet the following criteria:

Size - An annual income up to £1 million in the most recent annual accounts, or on average over the last three years, based on published accounts (not current year management accounts).

Organisations with annual incomes higher than £1 million are unlikely to be funded, but may be considered in exceptional circumstances, for example where the most recent year’s income was higher than usual due to a one-off event, such as a capital project. If this is the case, you must speak to us before applying.

Type - Voluntary sector (non-profit) organisations that are constituted or registered in Great Britain.
This list shows the types of organisations that can apply.

Leadership - Organisations that can demonstrate they are led by and for the communities they intend to work with will be given priority. For example, the majority of its board, committee and staff are representative of these communities.

Location - Based in Scotland or in one of the following six regions of England: East Midlands, West Midlands, East, South West, South East, North West. See places section above for details.

Track record - A clear track record and evidence of supporting access to natural spaces and/or providing mental health support, particularly for communities experiencing marginalisation and discrimination.

Equity, diversity and inclusion - Can describe their approach to equity, diversity and inclusion clearly and have a strong track record on this. This should go beyond inclusive practice, to consider how the funded activity will achieve equitable outcomes for all.

Evidence of need - Evidence that the people that the funded activity is for are experiencing mental health problems, socio-economic disadvantage, marginalisation and discrimination.

Measuring outcomes - Can measure whether the activity results in changes we want to see:

• Support for adults and young people (aged 11-18) who are experiencing mental health problems, socio-economic disadvantage, discrimination and marginalisation:

- to have greater access to natural spaces and nature-based activities
- to be involved in the development and running of nature-based activities in their local area
- to experience measurable positive changes to their mental health.

• Additional support for those who need it accessing other services, for example, advice or specialist mental health services.

• The learning gained through the delivery of funded activity is used to work with decision-makers locally to make changes that benefit local people’s access to nature.
  

Partnerships - Partnerships can be proposed where this brings together organisations to ensure expertise on both mental health and access to natural spaces. The applicant organisation must be the lead partner and must not be outsourcing the whole delivery to the partner organisation. A partnership agreement must be in place.

Grant amounts, match funding, length, and use

Grant value - Grants will be £20,000 to £40,000.

Match funding - Applicants are asked to secure match funding of at least 25% of the grant value.

Match funding can be with funding that is already secured or can be included in your budget for year two to allow time to fundraise. The second year of the Trust’s grant will be dependent on securing this match.

Length - The funded activity should last two years.

Funding use - Funding is for running costs for the activities, for example staff salaries, events, venue hire, small capital items, and can include a small contribution to organisational overheads. We are a Living Wage funder, and we encourage pensions and cost of living increases to be included in the budget.

Networks and capacity building - The Trust supports its funded partners with capacity building and involvement in our networks. Nature for Health partners will be expected to participate in a bespoke network for this fund, which will meet around three times per year, usually online. There may also be targeted capacity building training as a term of grant, as well as access to the our funding partnership offer to all funded partners.

Please see full list of exclusions to our funding here.