West Lothian’s Voluntary Sector Gateway has launched a new mental health and welfare fund.
The Holyrood funding first made available during lockdown is aimed at providing grass roots charities help with mental welfare for vulnerable people across communities.
Now in its sixth year the local fund is much smaller, with the bulk having been handed out to two-year projects last year. It will still have a large number of projects chasing the small pot of cash.
Since the fund was first launched VSG has found itself facing applications for £1.5m from an annual pot of around £470,000 given to West Lothian.
The head of the VSG told a meeting of councillors that the annual funding package is expected to rise again the next financial year 2028/29.
Alan McCloskey, chief executive of the VSG told members of the Economy Community Empowerment and Wealth Building PDSP that the Third Sector umbrella group had just launched the year six funding plan.
“VSG is launching a £26,500 micro-grants programme from 7 September to 5 October 2026, offering grants of between £500 and £2,500 to small grassroots community organisations delivering activities during 2027/28.
“Due to the Scottish Government`s Fairer Funding pilot which was set up to provide more certainty for organisations and services, a significant portion of the fund for Year five and seven was already ringfenced for multi-year projects.”
Last year 76 groups made applications totalling £1.5m. A total of 44 organisations won funding, 32 of those are getting two-year indicative awards.
The Scottish Government increased the total given to West Lothian last December from £470,000 up to £559,00.
VSGWL has produced guidance and an easy to complete online application form to encourage as many applicants as possible to apply.
The funding will be aimed at a number of priority groups, including people who have experienced bereavement or loss, women experiencing gender-based violence, people from a minority ethnic background, individuals with neurological conditions and individuals from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) communities.
Maree Todd MSP, the Minister for Mental Wellbeing, Public Health, Sport, Alcohol and Drugs, is scheduled to visit one of West Lothian’s Year five funded projects next month. She will hear directly about the impact being achieved through the programme.
The Scottish Government has confirmed a further £15 million nationally for the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund in Year seven (2028/29), giving community organisations greater certainty to plan and continue delivering vital local mental health support.
By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter
