Positive mental wellbeing is important for us all and this also applies to when people are at work.

According to Mind, the mental health charity, people can sometimes feel scared and confused about confronting the issue at work. However, it says that “at least one in six workers is experiencing common mental health problems, including anxiety and depression”.

While the Mental Health Foundation comments: “Good mental health at work and good management go hand in hand and there is strong evidence that workplaces with high levels of mental wellbeing are more productive. Addressing wellbeing at work increases productivity by as much as 12%.”

To help improve workers wellbeing, Living Well Sefton, in partnership with Sefton Public Health, is offering ‘Small to Medium Enterprises’ (SMEs) grants of up to £500. The businesses must have a workforce of no more than 250 people and applications from south Sefton are encouraged.

What we will consider funding

• Staff costs including sessional staff – for example, towards workplace wellbeing activities such as yoga or mindfulness
• Volunteer costs and costs associated with allowing staff to volunteer during work time
• Equipment, for example bike racks to encourage active travel to work
• Training courses which are focused on wellbeing
• Events to support the wellbeing of staff
• Refurbishment of facilities which are clearly demonstrated to contribute to the health and wellbeing of staff, for example decorating a break room or buying a table and chairs to encourage people to each lunch away from their desks.

What we will not fund

• Core or ongoing running costs
• Overhead allocations
• Statutory responsibilities
• Overseas travel expenses
• Personal debts
• Grants to individuals
• Legal costs
• Redundancy payments
• Sole traders

Eligibility

• Primary business activities must be in Sefton
• More than 60% of employees must be Sefton residents
• Priority will be given to those businesses who employ routine and manual workers
• The applying organisation must not have been funded for a workplace wellbeing grant in the last 12 months for the same activity.

For more information and to apply please contact Living Well Sefton via workplacegrants@seftoncvs.org.uk or call 0300 323 0181.

For more details on Mind visit the website. And click here for the Mental Health Foundation.