Heads On

Charity Number: 1051736

Annual Expenditure: £0.8M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £468,593 (income), £762,348 (expenditure)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Variable - depends on funding round
  • Grant Range: £35,000 - £100,000+ (based on recent awards)
  • Geographic Focus: Throughout England and Wales (primarily Sussex)

Contact Details

Website: http://www.headsoncharity.org

Email: headsoncharity@sussexpartnership.nhs.uk

Phone: 07469 351456

Address: Heads On, Portland House, 44 Richmond Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 1HS

Charity Director: Rachael Duke

Overview

HEADS ON (charity number 1051736) is Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust's official charity, relaunched in Autumn 2014 with a new brand and revised strategy. The charity serves as the lead charity for all Sussex NHS charities through NHS Charities Together. HEADS ON provides funding for special projects, patient and family support, pioneering research, and the transformation of mental health hospitals into more comfortable and welcoming environments. The organization helps people with mental health problems feel supported, stay active, and be more involved in their communities. In recent years, they have managed substantial grant rounds, including distributing £830,000 from NHS Charities Together to address health inequalities, suicide prevention, and supportive hospital discharge across Sussex. The charity operates with a single trustee (Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust) and 10 volunteers.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

HEADS ON has distributed grants through multiple funding programmes, though these appear to be time-limited rounds rather than continuously open applications:

Mental Health Community Grants (2023)

  • Total funding pool: £600,000-£830,000 from NHS Charities Together
  • First tranche: £220,000 distributed to 9 voluntary sector organizations
  • Additional £380,000 allocated throughout 2023
  • Three funding streams: Innovate, Build, and Grow

Grow Programme (2023)

  • Total budget: £125,000
  • £75,000 for VCSE development grants for organizations with a track record of supporting mental health and wellbeing
  • £50,000 for infrastructure development for minority ethnic-led organizations in Sussex

Hospice Support Grant

  • £100,000 awarded to 7 adult hospices in Sussex for hospice care to patients discharged from hospital

Grant Recipients Have Included:

  • West Sussex Mind (peer-led community support)
  • Citizens Advice (£35,000 for specialist financial and debt advice)
  • Grassroots (£45,000 for suicide prevention training)
  • MindOut (crisis support)
  • Refugee Radio (refugee support services)
  • ONCA (arts-based recovery)
  • Sussex Cricket Foundation (sporting activities for isolated older men)
  • Friends, Families, Travellers (mental health support for Gypsy Romany Traveller communities)
  • Brighton Women's Centre (trauma-informed provision)
  • Multiple hospices including St Peter and St James Hospice, St Catherine's Hospice, Martlets Hospice
  • Demelza Hospice Care for Children
  • Amaze

Priority Areas

Primary Focus Areas:

  • Health inequalities affecting mental health service users
  • Suicide prevention programmes and training
  • Supportive hospital discharge
  • Community mental health support for underserved populations
  • Peer support work
  • Arts-based recovery programmes
  • Mental health support for specific communities (refugees, Gypsy Romany Traveller communities, LGBTQ+)
  • Specialist therapy and counselling
  • Activities supporting physical wellbeing and social connection
  • Return-to-work support for people with mental health challenges

Beneficiary Groups:

  • People with mental health problems
  • Children and young people
  • Elderly people
  • People with disabilities
  • Refugees and asylum seekers
  • Minority ethnic communities
  • LGBTQ+ communities
  • Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities

What They Don't Fund

While specific exclusions are not explicitly documented, HEADS ON focuses exclusively on mental health-related projects within Sussex and surrounding areas. Projects outside the mental health sphere or outside their geographic area of operation would not align with their charitable purposes.

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Governance and Leadership

Sole Trustee:

  • Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Leadership:

  • Rachael Duke, Charity Director - Launched the charity in Autumn 2014 with a new brand and revised strategy. Duke has stated: “Heads On is wholeheartedly committed to challenging mental health stigma through Living Histories.”

Governance Structure:

  • 1 Trustee (the NHS Trust itself)
  • 10 Volunteers
  • No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity

Relationship to NHS:

As the official charity of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, HEADS ON works closely with the Trust to identify needs and fund enhancements beyond core NHS services. The charity also serves as the lead organization for coordinating NHS Charities Together funding across all Sussex NHS charities.

How to Apply to Heads On

How to Apply

HEADS ON does not currently operate a continuously open application process. Instead, the charity distributes grants through time-limited funding rounds, often linked to larger grants they receive from bodies like NHS Charities Together.

Historical Application Process:

When funding rounds have been open, they have used an “open competitive grant making process” where organizations submit proposals addressing specific priority areas. For example, the Grow Programme in 2023 had a deadline of Noon, Thursday 25 May 2023.

Current Status:

No active application portal or current funding opportunities are advertised on their website. Organizations interested in potential future funding should:

  • Monitor the HEADS ON website for announcements of new funding rounds
  • Contact the charity directly at headsoncharity@sussexpartnership.nhs.uk
  • Watch for announcements through local infrastructure organizations like community action partnerships
  • Subscribe to local funding newsletters (e.g., East Sussex County Council Funding News)

Decision Timeline

Historical funding rounds have operated on fixed timelines with:

  • Application submission deadlines
  • Competitive review process
  • Batch announcements of successful applicants

Specific timelines vary by funding programme and are announced when new rounds open.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. However, recent funding rounds have been competitive, with the £220,000 first tranche distributed among 9 organizations, suggesting selective award-making based on strong proposals and proven track records.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is documented. Given the time-limited nature of funding rounds, organizations would need to apply to each new round as opportunities arise.

Application Success Factors

Based on analysis of successful grant recipients and the charity's stated priorities:

Proven Track Record:

The charity explicitly seeks “organisations who can evidence a track record of delivering activities that support the mental health and wellbeing of their communities.” Successful applicants should demonstrate:

  • Previous experience delivering mental health support
  • Evidence of impact and outcomes
  • Organizational capacity to manage and deliver projects

Alignment with Priority Areas:

Recent successful applications have directly addressed one or more of the three key priorities:

  1. Health inequalities (particularly for underserved communities)
  2. Suicide prevention
  3. Supportive hospital discharge

Community Focus:

HEADS ON prioritizes “communities in Sussex who are in most need.” Successful projects have included:

  • Targeted support for specific underserved populations (refugees, Traveller communities, LGBTQ+ individuals)
  • Peer-led approaches
  • Community-based interventions rather than clinical services
  • Creative and arts-based recovery programmes

Innovation and Collaboration:

The charity has funded both established approaches (suicide prevention training, debt advice) and innovative models (oral history projects, arts-based recovery). Successful applicants demonstrate:

  • Clear methodology for achieving outcomes
  • Potential for learning and innovation
  • Collaborative approaches that complement NHS services

Examples of Funded Work:

  • Grassroots: £45,000 for developing and delivering new suicide prevention training for non-clinical staff working with vulnerable people
  • Citizens Advice: £35,000 for specialist financial and debt advice for people being discharged from mental health hospital
  • Sussex Cricket Foundation: Sporting activities specifically designed to reach isolated older men
  • ONCA: Arts-based creative recovery programmes

Direct Guidance from Leadership:

Rachael Duke, Charity Director, has emphasized the charity's commitment to “challenging mental health stigma” and ensuring people with mental health problems can “feel supported, stay active and be more involved in their communities.” Applications should demonstrate how they contribute to these goals.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Not Always Open: HEADS ON operates through time-limited funding rounds rather than ongoing applications. Monitor their website and local funding newsletters for announcements.
  • NHS Charities Together Connection: Many of their larger grant programmes are funded through NHS Charities Together. When NHS Charities Together announces national programmes, HEADS ON may be the Sussex distributor.
  • Proven Track Record Essential: The charity explicitly seeks organizations with demonstrated experience in mental health support. New organizations should emphasize any relevant track record, partnerships, or expertise.
  • Three Core Priorities: Recent major funding focused on health inequalities, suicide prevention, and supportive hospital discharge. Projects addressing these areas align well with current strategic direction.
  • Community-Based Approach: Successful grants have supported community-based, peer-led, and innovative approaches that complement rather than duplicate NHS clinical services.
  • Underserved Populations: Strong preference for projects supporting communities facing particular barriers to mental health support, including minority ethnic communities, refugees, LGBTQ+ individuals, and Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities.
  • Diverse Approaches Welcome: Funded projects range from traditional (advice services, training) to creative (arts-based recovery, sports programmes), suggesting openness to various methodologies if evidence-based.

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