East Sussex Mental Health Connection Fund
Following delivery of the East Sussex Men’s Mental Health Training and Skills Project (Men in Mind), Mind in B&H are pleased to offer the opportunity to apply for grant funding, as part of a final phase of work commissioned by East Sussex Public Health. The funding will support the development of local initiatives that bring people together and strengthen community connections, aimed at improving the mental health of residents across East Sussex.
The East Sussex Mental Health Connection Fund supported initiatives that aim to create opportunities for people in East Sussex to connect together, undertaking activities that help improve mental health and wellbeing.
The fund totalled £30,000, with grants available for between £200-2000.
We encouraged applications that support people in rural parts of the county and those from marginalised communities*, recognising that these groups may face unique challenges with isolation.
*Including (but are not exclusive to) LGBTQIA+ people, migrants and refugees, and gypsy, Roma, traveller communities, and other racialised communities.
Projects we funded (scroll along)
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A Touch of Gentleness
Gentle Connections in rural areas of East Sussex
To train a cohort of 10 local volunteers to offer short, trauma informed consent-based therapeutic hand massage and compassionate listening.
Delivery: Uckfield, Rye, Hailsham and nearby rural areas
Communities: Varied, those experiencing isolation
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Association of Carers
Unpaid Carers Wellness series
To deliver a series of group wellness sessions for unpaid Carers, focused on improving mental wellbeing, emotional resilience, and social connection through accessible, non-clinical self-help practices.
Delivery: St Leonards and the rural outskirts of Hastings and Rother
Communities: Unpaid carers
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BARCO -The Black Anti-Racism Community Organisation CIC
Sanctuary and Support: East Sussex Workshop
To deliver a short series of culturally affirming workshops and community activities exploring cultural heritage, the role of Black joy in mental health and wellbeing, and the importance of connection, creativity and belonging.
Delivery: to be confirmed
Communities: Black African, Black Caribbean, Black diaspora and mixed-heritage residents in East Sussex
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Brighton Natural Health Foundation
Rooted and Rising
This project is a refugee-led mindful movement class designed to support mental wellbeing, reduce anxiety, and strengthen social connection within refugee and asylum-seeking communities in Eastbourne and surrounding areas.
Delivery: Eastbourne
Communities: Refugees and people seeking asylum, experiencing anxiety, trauma and stress linked to displacement
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Bourne This Way
Bourne This Way Health Matters
Enable Bournethisway to continue offering their monthly and alternate weekly health and well-being meetups in Eastbourne, Hailsham and Bexhill area.
Delivery: Eastbourne, Hailsham and Bexhill area
Communities: LGBTQ+ parents, carers, and their children
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Carer for Carers
Uckfield Carers Wellbeing Activities Programme
Free carers wellbeing and peer support activities programme, for carers living in the Uckfield area. Delivering 7 Mindful Tuesdays providing mindfulness, breathwork and mindful arts & crafts from local carers centre, at Victoria Pavilion in Uckfield.
Delivery: Uckfield and surrounding rural areas
Communities: Unpaid family carers and informal carers
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Compass Community Arts
Peer-Led Men’s Mental Health and Creative Connection Group
To develop a men’s mental health peer group specifically for men living with severe and enduring mental illness and/or neurodiversity, led by trained male peer workers with lived experience. The group will provide a regular, informal, creative space where men can meet, talk, and support one another through shared activity and dialogue.
Delivery: Eastbourne
Communities: Adult men living with severe and enduring mental ill health and/or neurodiversity
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Diversity Resource International CIC
Strengthening the Walking Roots project
Funding to strengthen “Walking Roots”, a women-only eco-systemic walking programme which will deliver seven inclusive 3–4km walks within the High Weald National Landscape.
Delivery: High Weald
Communities: Ethnically marginalised women experiencing isolation or migration-related stress
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Friends of Bishopstone station
Man Space: Meeting the Needs of Marginalised Communities in Rural East Sussex
Man Space exists to create a safe, friendly, and supportive social space where men can make new connections, build friendships, share concerns, and explore interests and hobbies. Their focus is on reducing loneliness, improving mental and physical wellbeing, and building both personal and community resilience. Funded a set of day trips for their group to take in East Sussex.
Delivery: Bishopstone
Communities: Men at increased risk of loneliness, poor mental health, and social isolation
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Magnetic Ideals
Creative Circle Space
Creative Circle Space is a monthly programme of workshops for migrants living in Lewes and surrounding rural areas where participants can partake in creative activities, meditation, and exchange experiences, process emotions, and begin to build personal wellbeing toolkits and practices.
Delivery: Lewes
Communities: Migrants and refugees
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Mind Out
MindOut LQBTQ+ community peer support groups
Two Community Peer Support Groups per month for LGBTQ+ people in Eastbourne, offering safe, inclusive, and accessible spaces for LGBTQ+ communities experiencing mental health challenges. The groups provide a supportive, facilitated environment where LGBTQ+ people can talk openly, share experiences, reduce isolation, and build strong, affirming Relationships.
Delivery: Eastbourne
Communities: LQBTQIA+
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Not Saints
Change The Record
The programme will run two cohorts of 6 weekly songwriting sessions centred on creativity, peer connection and shared experience. With each participant leaving with a song that they have made.
Delivery: Eastbourne
Communities: People who have lived experience of addiction and mental health challenges
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Sanctuary EastBourne CIC
Sanctuary Eastbourne CIC: health-giving activities
Delivery: Eastbourne
Communities: Asylum seekers, refugees and migrants
To continue to deliver their weekly drop-in sessions and activities but also enabling them to expand what they are able to offer to clients. Including buying new gardening and sports equipment, arranging transport and snacks for community outings, and supporting their community football team at away games.
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Seaview Project
Wellbeing singing group
To continue to deliver a weekly singing group within their Weekday open access wellbeing centre in St Leonards, facilitated by a lived experience advisor.
Delivery: St Leonards
Communities: People experiencing homelessness, mental health issues, domestic abuse, poverty, and disadvantage
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Turning Point
Hastings Sanctuary Communal Wellbeing Greenhouse
A Community Greenhouse Wellbeing Initiative to create a safe, therapeutic and nature connected space in the garden of Turning Point’s Mental Health Crisis House in Hastings. By installing a greenhouse and equipping it with tools, pots, compost and seeds, they will co‑design and run gardening groups with people staying at the service. The aim is simple but powerful: to use nature, connection and shared purpose to support recovery.
Delivery: Hastings
Communities: People accessing crisis support - marginalised communities, rural backgrounds and individuals with multiple protected characteristics.
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The Unity Centre
Nurture for Survivors
This is a free course of trauma-informed yoga sessions, to support and empower survivors of domestic and sexual abuse in Lewes and the surrounding areas.
Delivery: Lewes
Communities: Survivors of domestic and sexual abuse
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Warming up the Homeless
Rother Creative Connections
To deliver a pilot programme of weekly creative connection sessions from their expanding Rother centre in Bexhill. The pilot will fund approximately 8–10 weekly creative sessions, alongside one shared cultural visit chosen by the group.
Delivery: Bexhill
Communities: People facing multiple and overlapping barriers to wellbeing, including poor mental health, isolation, trauma, poverty and exclusion.
