Mental Health UK
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. Don't spend time on an approach; the similar funders below support the same kind of work.
Key takeaways
- Mental Health UK does not accept unsolicited requests, so a small charity should not send it a cold application.
- Its money reaches projects through four founding charities across the UK (Rethink Mental Illness in England, Change Mental Health in Scotland, Adferiad in Wales and MindWise in Northern Ireland), which submit detailed programme proposals for review.
- If your work fits its themes of money and mental health, young people's resilience, or employment support, the most useful step is to explore whether one of those founding charities is working with you or could be.
- Once a proposal is approved, funding is set out in a Memorandum of Understanding, and activities are monitored through monthly reporting and quarterly financial returns, so expect close oversight.
- No grant range is given, so a realistic request size is hard to judge.
Overview
Mental Health UK is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1170815).
Mental Health UK describes itself as the charity for everyone's mental health, challenging the causes of poor mental health and giving people tools to live their best lives at home, school and work. Its programmes address money problems, navigating the system to get the right support, understanding mental health, loneliness and isolation, and resilience in young people. It distributes its funds to four founding charities across the UK: Rethink Mental Illness in England, Change Mental Health in Scotland, Adferiad in Wales and MindWise in Northern Ireland, to deliver its projects and grow their own services. Its annual giving was £2,525,956.
What they fund
Priority Areas
Through its four founding charities across the UK, Mental Health UK directs programme funding to deliver its projects and help those charities grow their services. Its work addresses pressures that threaten mental health, including money problems, navigating support systems, understanding mental health, loneliness and isolation, and resilience in young people. The charity describes its focus as supporting people at home, school and work. Its programmes include practical guidance on money and mental health, holistic employment support for adults living with mental health conditions, and work with schools, colleges and other settings to equip 14–18-year-olds with tools and knowledge to maintain their mental health through life’s transitions. It combines local knowledge and delivery with UK-wide impact, and frames its support as practical and person-centred.
Themes
- Money and mental health
- Young people's resilience
- Employment support
Geographic Focus
Priority: UK.
How to apply
Each founding charity, acting as grant recipient, submits a detailed programme proposal to MHUK for review. Once approved, the parties sign a Memorandum of Understanding setting out the grant terms, including the programme budget. The charity then submits quarterly financial returns based on activities during the reporting period.
What to send:
- A detailed programme proposal
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- Programme activities are monitored through monthly KPI reporting and regular monthly meetings.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
- United Kingdom
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to Mental Health UK.
Grants
The largest grants to organisations in this funder’s latest annual report:
- Rethink Mental Illness£1,310,120year to 31 March 2025
- Change Mental Health£439,505year to 31 March 2025
- Adferiad£431,471year to 31 March 2025
- MindWise£344,860year to 31 March 2025
Grant examples taken from the funder’s filed accounts.
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 March 2021 | £7,424,000 | £4,133,000 | £3,612,000 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2021 |
| year to 31 March 2022 | £5,733,087 | £4,348,546 | £3,830,611 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2022 |
| year to 31 March 2023 | £3,682,515 | £5,388,092 | £4,152,105 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2023 |
| year to 31 March 2024 | £2,876,888 | £4,933,608 | £3,339,783 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2024 |
| year to 31 March 2025 | £3,032,237 | £4,898,188 | £2,525,956 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2025 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
In 2 of the 5 years shown, grants paid exceeded income.
- Grants paid, year to 31 March 2021; year to 31 March 2022; year to 31 March 2023; year to 31 March 2024: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
- Grants paid, year to 31 March 2025: the accounts do not say whether this is grants awarded or paid.
Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- mentalhealth-uk.org
- mentalhealth-uk.org/about-us/what-we-do · read on 30 October 2026
- mentalhealth-uk.org/support-and-services · read on 30 October 2026
- mentalhealth-uk.org/contact-us · read on 30 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 March 2025)
This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.
Sources last checked on 30 October 2026.
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At a glance
Applying to Mental Health UK?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
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Applying to Mental Health UK?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required