New Be Well grants support culturally rooted wellbeing initiatives
At the end of 2025, we were delighted to award a range of new Be Well microgrants - supporting a diverse and vibrant range of community-led wellbeing initiatives across all South London boroughs. We provide grants of up to £800 for our Be Well sites to help organisations in enhancing their current Be Well offer, and in some cases expand it.
While the projects differ in scope, several clear themes emerge across the funded organisations.
A strong emphasis was placed on culturally rooted wellbeing, with many groups serving Latin American, Black, Muslim, migrant, Hong Konger, and neurodivergent communities. These organisations used creative methods—dance, food, craft, storytelling, cultural rituals—to create spaces where residents feel safe, understood, and connected.
Another major theme was family and youth support. Many projects focused on strengthening relationships within families, creating youth‑led programmes, or equipping parents with tools to support children facing SEN, trauma, or social pressures. Schools, churches, mosques, and community centres played a major role in anchoring this work.
The grants also bolstered mental health literacy and leadership development, with programmes training volunteers, migrant leaders, and young people to become local wellbeing champions. This reflects the wider Be Well programme’s commitment to community organising as a route to structural change.
Several groups offered practical, barrier‑removing support, including digital inclusion, shared referral systems, health fairs, trauma‑informed women’s services, and improved access to trusted spaces.
Overall, the microgrants reflect a movement of communities taking ownership of local wellbeing—building relationships, strengthening collective resilience, and addressing the deeper social factors that undermine mental health. The projects show how small grants, when rooted in trust and local leadership, can activate powerful networks of care, creativity, and community action across South London.
The full list of grants is below:
Southwark
Civilmatica Community — Football tournament and weekly training for Latin American women and families
Christ Church / Springfield Community Flat — Organising and mental health workshops supporting ESOL learners and after‑school club families
English for Action (Southwark) — ESOL action group supporting migrant/refugee women; funds for crèche, venue & delivery costs
Harris Girls Academy — Photography exhibition on “Belonging” for vulnerable students
Parent Action — Practical support for MumSpace groups and wellbeing sessions
Cross–South London
Empoderando Familias — Wellbeing talks, walking groups, yoga, reading club
Familia y Autismo — Halloween & Christmas inclusive events for SEN families
Sindicato IWGB — Monthly wellbeing meetings for members
Croydon
Hold it Down CIC — “Talk Di Tingz” youth-led wellbeing programme supporting 10 families
Nu(pw)R Ltd — “The Holding Space” 6‑week wellbeing programme for women at career transition stages;
Greenwich
AfriLife M.I.N.D. — Nutrition, mindfulness and sound‑based wellbeing work
Creating Ground — Training 10 migrant women leaders to run wellbeing sessions
English for Action (Greenwich) — ESOL group for migrants and sanctuary seekers
Greenwich Community Advice Network (Debt Centre) — StepSearch shared referral system
Growth Beacon CIC — Intergenerational skill‑sharing workshops; £250.
CURECOMM CIC — Women’s wellbeing programme with swimming, dance and cooking
Ndukauba Ltd (Jollof Nights) — Expansion of Black men’s wellbeing gatherings
Woolwich Service Users Project — Pilot “Women’s Wednesdays” trauma‑informed drop‑in programme
Lambeth
Advocacy Academy — “Let Me Land” youth leadership and wellbeing circles
English for Action (Lambeth) — ESOL Fair, assemblies, trips and advocacy work
Clapping Hands — Parent leadership and wellbeing activities (action-plan pending)
Lewisham
Lewisham Islamic Centre — Monthly wellbeing activities for Muslim youth and women
New Testament Church of God — Community‑led wellbeing and advocacy programme
St William of York — Support for bereaved parishioners and leader training
Elevation Empowerment — Walk & Talk and wellbeing event
Merton
Sacred Heart — Laptop to support digital inclusion sessions
Merton Libraries — Community Health Fair for older residents
Mitcham Parish — Support for leader development and wellbeing groups
Richmond
Chronically Marvellous — Garden walks and creative wellbeing workshops for people with long‑term conditions
Sutton
Atlas for Humanity — Parenting and couple‑therapy workshops for the Arab community
Hongkongers CIC — Upskilling workshops for new Hong Kong migrants
Sutton Mental Health Foundation — Continued support for dye‑bed community project & exhibition
SACCO — Youth end‑of‑year celebration and leadership development
Wandsworth
Hope in the Heart — Creative workshops culminating in a housing‑themed exhibition
Roehampton University Students’ Union — Relaunch of Wellbeing Wednesdays
St Paul’s Wimbledon Parkside — Volunteer support and youth club activities
Bexley
Morris Mission CIC — Community Care & Wellbeing Day for residents at risk of homelessness
Cross–South London
Comunidad de Artesanos y Emprendedores Iberoamericanos — Mental health workshops and leadership development for Latin American entrepreneurs
Familias Neurodiversas — Emotional wellbeing workshop for caregivers of neurodivergent children
Miski Ayllu — Cultural wellbeing workshops including cooking, weaving, dance and healing activities
Organización United Hearts — Capacity building and community workshops addressing gender-based violence
UK Latin Citizens — International Day of Migrants large-scale event promoting belonging and wellbeing