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Creative perinatal mental health projects grant

Information

This funding programme is closed to new applications.

View open community funding programmes

We offered grants to fund organisations, community groups and individuals with the relevant experience, skills and knowledge to deliver creative perinatal mental health projects. This includes group sessions and peer support to families in Kent, for expectant and new parents with a baby or infant up to the age of 2 including:

  • mothers
  • fathers
  • co-parents
  • partners.

We have a maximum budget value of £106,000 to use across Kent for 2025 to 2026. You must have the ability and capacity to deliver in the allotted timeframe, and know where in Kent you will deliver your project.

The aim of the creative projects is to offer early support for parents and families in Kent in the perinatal mental health period to enable them to access local support. This includes group activities which support them to engage and connect with other parents to increase social networks and reduce feelings of social isolation, leading to longer term peer connections and an improvement in perinatal mental health. Your project will:

  • recognise and share what can impact perinatal mental health.
  • learn and share self-help techniques for perinatal mental health and wellbeing, that can be used beyond the life of the programme and group sessions
  • reduce social isolation - connecting people within the activity and to local and wider networks and activities which keep people well
  • identify and build a circle of support
  • signpost parents to wider support and information
  • partner’s wellbeing - share ways that the whole family can support each other
  • prevent an escalation of low level perinatal mental health challenges at an early point in the perinatal period
  • collect outcome data GAD7 Anxiety Test Questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) or WEMWBS) to measure change in mental health and wellbeing in mothers who access the group.

Email public.health@kent.gov.uk if you have any questions about the grant.

Eligibility

To apply for this grant your organisation must:

  • be a legally registered organisation, such as a charity or a business
  • be based in the administrative area of Kent County Council
  • deliver your services either partly or in full with volunteers
  • be planning a project that is not already complete or underway.

Read our grant prospectus (PDF, 350.4 KB) for more information before applying.

Apply

Applications closed at midnight on Thursday 23 October 2025.

Assessment

A small panel will review and judge all applications. The panel will be looking for:

  • value for money
  • sustainability
  • effectiveness of suggested projects

We'll let you know by Tuesday 25 November 2025, if you are successful. If you are, we must complete your project by 31 March 2026. You must also give us a midway and end-of-project report.