Perinatal mental health peer support groups for expectant or new mothers

We were offering grants of £5,000 to £10,000 to fund local organisations who deliver, or could deliver, targeted perinatal mental health support groups for new or expectant mothers who fall under the following protected characteristics:

• Age (young parents)
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Sexual orientation

Applicants were welcomed from all 12 districts in Kent.

Your programme will meet the following outcomes for expectant or new mothers:

• Feel safer when interacting with the health system more widely
• Report being more aware of services available to them, particularly with regards to their mental health
• Feel more confident to access support, knowing when and how to access support and knowing who to ask if they are not sure
• Feel they have made strong relationships with other mothers
• 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

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, 393.1 KB).

Apply

Applications closed at midnight on Monday 24 November 2025.

Assessment

All applications are reviewed by a small panel and judged according to fixed criteria.

The panel are looking for:

• value for money
• sustainability
• effectiveness of suggested projects

We will contact successful applicants by Thursday 27 November 2025.

If successful, you must complete your project by 31 March 2026 and provided us with a mid-way project report and an end-of project report.

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