Wellcome Trust has commissioned the British Science Association to do something new and innovative to encourage ideas from communities. The emphasis will be on you and your ideas – to test out or to build on – to make a difference locally – this is a chance to lead with your ideas to address the theme of mental wellbeing
There will support from development co-ordinators during and after the process of application and there will be a partnership with researchers to support the projects
Hull is one of only 4 areas of the country in the pilot scheme – together with Oldham, Highlands and Islands in Scotland and North West Northern Ireland. So this is a learning experience and will hopefully influence other funders in the future.
Each area has co-ordinators who will support idea development/match up with researchers/help with the application process and then to continue to support the projects when funded.
In Hull the co-ordinators are Harriet Johnson – Two Ridings Community Foundation, Kate Macdonald – Timebank and Gill Hughes – University of Hull.
You can be an established and constituted group or a new or informal group or even an individual with an idea. The website offers information on who is eligible to apply
Some larger organisations can apply but they must show that they are well connected to, and that the ideas are driven by, the community.
There are two opportunities for funding – a smaller grant of up to 18-25k for new ideas and a bigger grant of 90k+ for established ideas. It has a new twist in that ‘the community’ –decide on the ideas and then the groups bidding will be matched with a researcher to support the project in some way – again determined by those applying.
There will be webinar workshops nationally to explain the process and help think through ideas.
The first is on the 18th Feb 2pm on what the fund is and who can apply.
March 4th 2pm is about defining mental wellbeing and exploring ideas
March 18th 2pm is about partnerships and collaborations with researchers
In between each national webinar there will be local workshops to assist in clarifying information for Hull and to assist in the development of ideas and matching with researchers. These will be February 25th/March 12th/March 26th
If you are interested in exploring this more please visit the website to sign up here
You don’t have to have a fully formed idea – this will be an opportunity to think things through and hopefully to change from seeing things as fixed ‘what is’ – to think ‘what if’
If you would like to discuss this further please contact:
For community groups and project ideas – Harriet Johnson – hjohnson@tworidingscf.org.uk
For researchers – Gill Hughes G.C.Hughes@hull.ac.uk