A £10m fund for charities that deliver suicide prevention services has been made available by the government.
The latest round of funding from the Suicide Prevention Grant Fund is now open for applications from charities that work in England.
The scheme first ran from 2021 to 2022 and led to the investment of £5.4m in more than 100 organisations within the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector.
Previous funding recipients include Papyrus, which was awarded £151,815 to provide confidential support and advice specifically to young people and anyone worried about a young person through a 24-hour telephone helpline.
Steve Barclay, the health and social care secretary, said: “We’re already urgently investing record sums of money to transform and expand NHS mental health services, but the voluntary suicide prevention sector is such an important part of the support on offer and this multimillion-pound fund recognises the work it carries out alongside the NHS.
“I encourage charities to apply for this funding so they can continue to save lives, tackle taboos and make a real difference to so many people.”
The fund is intended to help prevent people from reaching a mental health crisis point and reduce future demand for suicide prevention and mental health services across both the charity sector and the NHS.
The funding period is from the financial year 2023/24 to the end of the financial year 2024/25, and funding requests from eligible organisations will be capped at £750,000.
Maria Caulfield, minister for mental health, said: “Every single suicide is a tragedy – one which still affects too many people in England. Heartbreakingly, it is still the biggest killer of men under 35.
“But we’re taking action. This £10m fund for the voluntary and charity sector will help people nationwide receive crucial mental health support and builds on the success of previous funds, which supported tens of thousands of people approaching a crisis.”
More information about the fund can be found here.