Twelve Kent and Medway mental health projects share £90,000 grant

Twelve voluntary and community organisations working on mental health and suicide prevention across Kent and Medway are sharing £90,000 from the 2026 Better Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Fund. Backed by NHS Kent and Medway and delivered through Kent County Council and Medway Council, the programme has now supported more than 130 organisations over eight years — a quiet but steady accumulation of grassroots work that rarely makes headlines.

The grants span a striking range of need. From autistic young people in specialist schools to pregnant women in Medway and Swale who’ve experienced suicidal thoughts. Professor Anjan Ghosh, KCC’s Director of Public Health, has pointed to research showing residents in deprived areas are 64% more likely to suffer depression and anxiety than those in better-off parts of the county — framing the fund as a direct response to that stubborn inequality.

Some projects are highly specific. Papyrus, the national suicide prevention charity, will pilot training adapted for autistic children and young people in specialist schools across Kent. Gemma Rowan, Papyrus Area Manager for England South and East, said: “We’ll be working across Kent with school staff and teachers to help improve awareness and support for autistic children and young people experiencing mental health struggles. It’s critical the voices and experiences of neurodiverse communities are reflected in our work.” In Thanet, Speak Up CIC is launching an ADHD Peer Support Group for adults aged 18 and over in East Kent, run by someone with lived experience alongside a trained volunteer.

Blackthorn Trust and Kenwood Trust are running a six-month rehabilitation programme for people recovering from addiction — covering housing, debt, past trauma and building resilience. Blackthorn Trust also received a grant in 2024. Dandelion Time, a nature-based charity, works with children aged 6–14 who’ve experienced domestic abuse or neglect, along with their families, and currently reaches more than 200 children and families each year across Kent and Medway.

Jane Angell-Payne, Co-Chief Executive of Dandelion Time, called the fund “incredibly valuable”, saying flexible funding lets the charity “reach even more people when they need us.” The awards launch was held at Dandelion Time’s Maidstone site.

Other grants go to Baby Umbrella, supporting anxious new parents in West Kent; Live Music Now, which partners with specialist midwives at Medway NHS Foundation Trust to run music workshops with pregnant women and new mothers who’ve experienced suicidal thoughts; One Big Family, running weekly mental health and substance misuse sessions at its 17-bed supported accommodation project in Medway; Empowera, working with young people aged 11–18 across Kent and Medway on the mental health impact of harmful online content; Red Rebel Collective, piloting training on early identification of suicidal ideation linked to Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD); and Medway Council Housing Services, setting up a wellbeing safe space for its tenants.

Dr Kate Langford, Chief Medical and Outcomes Officer at NHS Kent and Medway, said it was “really heartening” that so many organisations came forward, and that all successful applicants were “well placed in communities to support vulnerable individuals and families.” Jamie Henderson, KCC Cabinet Member for Environment, Coastal Regeneration and Public Health, said the fund had attracted an “incredibly high number of strong applications”. And Cllr Teresa Murray, Deputy Leader of Medway Council, described the new round as likely to have a “hugely positive impact on lives across Kent and Medway.”

The funded projects will now begin delivering their programmes across the county.