WE Heal Eligibility and Selection Criteria

Before making an application to the WE Heal Fund, please read this guidance on Eligibility and Selection Criteria together with our Frequently Asked Questions and Glossary. This will help you to determine whether you or your organisation are eligible to apply, which type of WE Heal grant you can apply for and whether your project is likely to fulfil our selection criteria.

Eligibility

Who we can fund

WE Heal provides grant funding to:

a. enable individuals – working in partnership with a constituted organisation

to develop, pilot and/or deliver therapeutic participatory arts activities and projects
to provide short-term community-focussed therapeutic arts services

b. enable organisations

to commission therapeutic / recovery-oriented arts activities / workshops / sessions
to develop / pilot short-term projects in partnership with external individuals and/or other agencies and organisations

Individuals such as artists, arts therapists, community social workers, youth workers, creative producers and academics, can apply for WE Heal funding. To be eligible, individuals:

Must be aged 18 or over
Can only apply for WE Heal micro-grants of between £500 and £1,500
Must be able to provide two reference letters supporting your project proposal
Must be able to nominate an Islington-based constituted organisation that can accept a grant on your behalf

Organisations or consortia of organisations that are eligible to apply for WE Heal funding:

Must be either an arts, cultural or heritage organisation, a healthcare or education setting or from the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector including charities (registered and unregistered), community groups, community interest companies, friendly societies, social clubs, healthcare and education settings, voluntary, grassroots and faith-based organisations

Eligible constituted organisations can apply for WE Heal project grants of between £2,000 and £5,000 but must fulfil the following criteria:

Have a written governing document or constitution
Have a governing body with at least three unrelated members
Have a UK-based bank or building society account in the name of the organisation, with a minimum of two unrelated signatories
The organisation must have been active for at least one year and can produce annual accounts for a whole year
Have safeguarding policies for working with children and vulnerable adults in place
Be able to provide two reference letters to vouch for your work and your project proposal

Unconstituted groups or organisations who are unable to meet all of the above criteria are eligible to apply for WE Heal funding under the following conditions:

Can only apply for WE Heal micro-grants of between £500 and £1,500
Must be able to provide two reference letters to vouch for your work and your project proposal
Must be able to nominate an Islington-based constituted organisation that can accept a grant on your behalf

Who is not eligible?

Individuals under the age of 18

The following types of organisations are not eligible to apply for WE Heal Funding:

Businesses and ‘for profit’ organisations
Statutory organisations such as local authorities
NHS bodies

Organisations should also note the following conditions for funding:

The organisation must not have two years of late submissions to the Charity Commission/Companies House within the last two completed financial years
The organisation must not have two years of net current liabilities within the two most recent completed financial years
Organisations where Trustees are paid are not eligible unless evidence of approval is provided from The Charity Commission and/or this arrangement is referenced in the governing document

If you are unsure whether you or your organisation are eligible, please do not hesitate to contact us by emailing culture@islington.gov.uk.

Applicants do not have to be based in Islington but all will be expected to demonstrate a strong relationship with or affiliation to Islington communities e.g., an existing partnership with an Islington-based VCSE sector, arts organisation, healthcare or education setting; history of delivering work, services or volunteering in Islington.

The fund will particularly welcome applications from:

Women’s community organisations working with women and families affected by Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)
Organisations led by and for Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority women and girls focussed on ending VAWG
Specialist grassroots organisations who provide services for marginalised groups (such as disabled women, LBTQ+ women, women with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), vulnerably housed women) working to end VAWG
Individuals with lived experience of VAWG

What we can fund

WE Heal grants can be used to fund participatory arts initiatives and projects with recovery-orientated creative activities designed to improve the mental, emotional and physical wellbeing of Islington women and children who have experienced violence.

Applications must present a strong case for support, clearly explaining what you will
do with the grant, who will benefit, how you know that the work you are proposing
will make a difference to the beneficiaries and how you will be able to measure this.

All proposed projects must therefore:

engage with the WE HEAL theme: healing through therapeutic arts-based activity created in safe spaces
directly benefit and engage Islington women and children who have lived experience of VAWG and/or have a relationship with Islington VAWG sector services – as participants and/or co-creators
Clearly demonstrate how they meet all of the WE Heal funding selection criteria (listed in the separate section below)

What we can not fund

There will be no retrospective funding for activity that has already commenced or been completed.

We are unable to fund the following:

projects which have already happened or are going to happen before the decision date for the grant application (March 2022) or projects due to finish after 10 December 2023
spending that has already taken place or any costs incurred through application to the WE Heal fund

The following types of activities are not eligible for funding:

purely commercial ventures or profit-making work
responsibilities of statutory agencies
work outside the UK or overseas travel
party political activity or activities promoting religious beliefs

WE Heal grant funds can not be used to:

fund capital costs such as care, repair or enhancement of buildings or facilities or the purchase of assets
fund interest payments on loans
meet the direct or indirect costs of statutory education, further education or higher education or to fund academic research
to support prizes, competitions, fundraising activities or grant schemes, namely the funds will not be awarded on to another party, or ‘re-granted’

Selection Criteria

WE Heal aims to fund new, imaginative and empowering projects that:

Promote mental health and wellbeing through the use of creative and expressive arts
Deliver accessible participatory therapeutic arts-based activity with clear social, health and wellbeing outcomes
Embed safety, recovery and belonging at the heart of the project
Demonstrate understanding of VAWG survivor voice-led ethos, intersectional and trauma-informed approaches
Demonstrate inclusion and equality by benefiting those from disadvantaged or under-represented groups highlighted in Islington’s VAWG strategy
Demonstrate commitments to equality and diversity through project design, engagement and delivery methods
Are well-managed
Demonstrate partnership working
Demonstrate value for money

See below a breakdown of the selection criteria.

Promote mental health and wellbeing through the use of creative and expressive arts

This is the core purpose of the WE Heal programme and should be clearly reflected in your project proposal and its aims and objectives.

Deliver accessible participatory therapeutic arts-based activity with clear social, health and wellbeing outcomes

Projects must be participatory with beneficiaries actively engaging in an art-making activity as the central focus of the project. Creative activities can be based on contemporary or traditional artforms and cultural practices as part of participatory workshops or delivered through arts and creative therapies. Activities must be accessible through primarily encouraging, nurturing and valuing creative expression, highlighting therapeutic benefits to participants relative to solely skills-based artistic learning.

Projects can include a trip to an arts or cultural institution as part of the project delivery where applicants can demonstrate this experience will be integral to the main participatory art-making activity and/or therapeutic process e.g. in order to access a unique resource or culturally specific object as a springboard to working with the beneficiary group.

Applicants must identity the transformations and restorative changes that they would expect participants to experience as a result of the project. Key social, health and wellbeing outcomes can also include any broader impact that the project seeks to make.

Embed safety, recovery and belonging at the heart of the project

All applicants must ensure projects are inclusive and safe spaces for all participants, staff and volunteers, demonstrating best practices, and drawing upon equality and diversity values to achieve this.

Demonstrate understanding of VAWG survivor voice-led ethos, intersectional and trauma-informed approaches

All project delivery should be informed by current best practice in the VAWG sector and this should be clearly reflected throughout the project proposal.

Demonstrate inclusion and equality by benefiting those from disadvantaged or under-represented groups highlighted in Islington’s VAWG strategy

We are particularly keen for arts initiatives that deliver health and wellbeing benefits to disadvantaged or under-represented groups highlighted in Islington’s VAWG Strategy:

Women and girls from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds
Disabled women and girls
Older women
LGBTQ+ communities
Women and girls who experience multiple disadvantages and/or complex needs

WE Heal supports the key aim within the VAWG strategy for safety planning, recovery and repair for children, and targeted therapeutic arts projects that promote the healing of affected children (i.e. not only girls), in addition to women, will be welcomed.

Demonstrate commitments to equality and diversity through project design, engagement and delivery methods

The WE Heal fund aims to support a diverse pool of arts projects and arts therapy sessions offering varied engagement options for Islington women and children, prioritising those often excluded from participation in high quality creative arts experience and those who are marginalised within current VAWG sector provision.

Applicants should consider different formats, models and methods of project delivery to support the successful recruitment, engagement and involvement of intended beneficiaries including but not limited to co-creation; socially engaged processes; the provision of peer-led, mentoring and leadership opportunities; targeted marketing practices; working with volunteers or community advocates.

Projects may take any appropriate form including:

Participatory workshops or sessions which may stand-alone or culminate in a safe sharing event such as a performance, screening or exhibition of works created group arts therapy sessions (delivered by an accredited arts/music/drama/dance therapist)
All projects should be designed to reflect relevant accessibility and adaptability considerations i.e., how the project will accommodate differing needs or requirements that potential beneficiaries may have e.g. variable formats for arts activities, the sourcing of specialist facilities or equipment, the use of community languages or other inclusive practices

Are well-managed

Applicants will need to demonstrate that the project will be well managed:

demonstrating the fullest consideration has been given to the safety and impact of their project proposal including its environmental impact
taking responsibility for meeting all statutory requirements relating to equal opportunities, relevant health and safety matters, safeguarding and project risk management and maintaining relevant insurances
ensuring all appropriate permissions, licences and authorisations are in place if required for project activities to be delivered
proposals should include clearly demonstrate a commitment to using environmentally friendly policies and practices with reference to Islington Council’s environmental policy and climate emergency guidance
that project managers / organisers have the knowledge, skills and capacity to deliver the project effectively and safely – this includes demonstrating appropriate contingency planning
that lead creative practitioners / facilitators / workshop leaders have the relevant artistic skills, knowledge and experience, and/or appropriate professional qualifications to deliver the proposed therapeutic arts-based activity
organisers will also need to provide evidence of their planned approach to monitoring and evaluation for reporting purposes

Demonstrate partnership working

The WE Heal grant programme hopes to foster and enable new and inclusive ways of working with shared purpose between individuals and organisations to provide high-quality creative projects that deliver health and wellbeing benefits to Islington women and children who have lived experience of VAWG and/or have a relationship to Islington VAWG sector services – as participants and/or co-creators.

Applicants are encouraged to work with other individuals, agencies and organisations from across the arts, health, education and VCSE sectors that may be able to share costs, facilities and expertise, and support the involvement of participants or beneficiaries.

Demonstrate value for money

Islington Council is committed to providing value for money in all its services.

All project costs should be realistic, proportionate to the artform(s), methods and duration of the project and clearly itemised with income matching expenditure.

Artist or arts therapist fees and facilitation costs should be fair and appropriate, reflecting the level of experience and/or qualifications of lead creative practitioners / project facilitators.

Any project seeking funds from the WE HEAL grant that includes salary costs should be budgeted at the London Living Wage or above.

Art Materials costs should be fair, appropriate and cost effective, taking into consideration the project duration, number of sessions and the number of participants.

What type of costs we will fund?

You can apply for the follow project costs (the direct costs of the project activities) – this is not an exhaustive list:

Artist / Creative practitioner fees
Arts Therapist fees
Materials / Props
Project facilitation and coordination costs
Direct Staff Costs
Volunteer costs (expenses, training)
Equipment hire
Venue hire for workshops, performance, exhibition
Marketing costs – printing and distribution
Transport
Translators
Access costs