Suicide Prevention Fund

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has made available a £4 million Suicide Prevention Fund to support Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations that work to prevent suicide.

The application portal for the grant fund will close at 5pm on 16 January 2022.

The strategic objectives of the fund are:

• service provision: to support suicide prevention VCSE organisations to meet the increased need or demand for suicide prevention services because of the pandemic
• to support service provision particularly to people considered to be at a higher risk of suicide, through the work of the diverse range of suicide prevention VCSE organisations and enhancing service provision to high-risk groups.

High-risk groups are defined in the latest progress report of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. It highlights those who were already at a higher risk of suicide, as well as those that we are particularly concerned about in the context of the pandemic, which include:

• middle-aged men
• children and young people
• people in contact with mental health services
• people who self-harm
• people who are economically vulnerable
• NHS and social care staff
• people in contact with the criminal justice system
• people who were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic
• ethnic minorities.

For more information including how to apply, see Suicide Prevention Fund 2021 to 2022 on gov.uk.

Back to our December 2021 eNewsletter.