The Thrive Fund
The Thrive Fund funds local projects to support children and young people's mental health and wellbeing. Applications for the first round of the Thrive Fund open on 1 May 2026.
What is The Thrive Fund?
We have approx. £300,000 in funding from NHS North East London ICB to fund local projects that support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
The Council is administering this money as it makes the process of giving local groups money easier.
This is a community-led process guided by the principles of the THRIVE Framework. A panel of residents, including children, young people and parent carers, will guide which projects we fund.
We want this funding to work for the voluntary and community sector and local groups, as well as for us as ‘commissioners’. We want to make sure there is equity of opportunity for organisations to apply.
We are looking for projects that:
- Support the emotional wellbeing of children, young people and families aged 0-18 (up to 25 for care experienced people and those with SEND).
- Support any of the priority groups listed below.
- Projects that centre residents' lived experiences.
Priority groups
- Children and young people aged 0-25 with SEND and their families with or without / awaiting diagnosis.
- Marginalised children, young people and families, including but not limited to
- global majority backgrounds
- d/Deaf residents
- LGBTQIA+
- those with disabilities
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- migrant, refugee and asylum seeking families
- unhoused families / those in temporary accommodation
- those not in education or work etc.
- those open to the youth justice system
- those who have experienced exploitation
- care experienced children, young people and their families.
- Children, young people and families that currently don’t meet statutory thresholds for services or where this meets a need / gap in service provision.
The criteria
We are looking for projects that improve children, young people and families' emotional wellbeing.
You can bid for new or existing projects.
Projects can be a one-off/series of events or a project lasting a number of months. We can’t fund materials alone; they must be linked to a project.
Organisations must have an income of less than £500,000 to bid.
Groups must be one of the following.
- A registered CIC
- Registered CIOs
- Company limited by guarantee
- Cooperative
- Community Benefit Society
- Constituted group/organisation
Groups are welcome to join up to bid together if they wish - contact us to be put in contact with like-minded organisations.
Groups must be running their project in Havering for Havering residents.
Groups can submit multiple bids if they wish.
Groups need to already have a good relationship with the audience they wish to work with/have a plan of how to reach their audience.
Groups can bid for up to £10,000 for a very special case. You will need to justify why £10,000 is needed. This will only be awarded in exceptional circumstances.
Groups/projects must pass due diligence. This will be project-specific, and we can talk through what this looks like for your project if it is a concern.
How decisions will be made
It’s important that we deliver meaningful, purposeful projects that our communities influence and shape. This year, we are shifting to a community-led model.
The Live Well Havering team will check that the bid meets the criteria to be shortlisted to the community panel stage.
Then, successful applicants will be invited to present their project to a community panel.
The Live Well Havering team will carry out due diligence to ensure the projects are realistic, achievable, and safe, and the community panel will assess the presentations.
The panel is made up of local people - children, young people and parent carers who will be impacted by this work. The panel scores will be used to inform the funding decision, though, discretion may be required in exceptional circumstances.
We have sought as many diverse lived experiences as possible to make sure it is fair.
Stage 1: Expression of Interest, May - July 2026
Groups were invited to apply on the online portal.
We know that written bids are not accessible to everyone, so you could submit a written application or a video.
The application had to answer some questions:
- What project are you planning on doing?
- Why are you doing it?
- Why is it needed?
- Where are you doing it?
- How much money do you need and what will you spend it on?
- What difference will this project make for children and young people? Please include reference to the THRIVE framework.
- How are you going to reach your target audience?
- What evidence is there to show there is a need for your project?
Groups also indicated whether they would be able to provide essential documents, such as a constitution and safeguarding policy.
Applications will open on 1 May 2026.
Stage 2: Due diligence, August - September 2026
Successful applicants have to provide essential documentation by 12th September 2026:
- A constitution
- A bank account in the group's name
- Safeguarding policies
- An appropriate level of insurance
- A project plan, risk register, and budget - using this template
- x2 professional references
These documents will be reviewed and assessed by the Live Well Havering team, who will also be carrying out due diligence.
We will be assessing:
- Quality of plan: does your plan make sense, are the aims achievable, is their clear accountability, are risks mitigated?
- Budget: Is the budget reasonable for the project being planned and are all expenses accounted for? Will this project be successful with this budget?
- Impact: how will you track the impact of this project? How will you present the impact?
- Are you best-placed to run this project: Do you have the experience and qualifications to run this project?
As soon as these documents are submitted and approved, you will be invited to book a slot at our community panels.
If there are any concerns, or you are unable to provide any of the documents at this stage, you will not move forward to the community panel.
We are here to support you through this process. You can find resources to help you get your documents together on our website. Remember, if you want to apply for funding in the future a constitution, bank account, and safeguarding policy is crucial. Therefore, we recommend starting to get these documents in place even if they won't be ready in time for this fund.
Stage 3: Community Panels, October 2026
The community panel will not know about your project before they meet you, as different panel members were involved in shortlisting.
So, it's important to explain the aims and impacts of your project on the day.
The panel will score your presentation according to the following criteria:
- What project would you like funded and how will it positively impact the wellbeing of residents?
- How can this impact be measured and is it realistic?
- How are you listening to what residents need to create your project?
- How will you engage with your audience and get residents to attend your group?
Stage 4: Delivery and impact
We are hoping successful applicants will get their funds in November/December 2026.
You will be invited to meet with the Live Well Havering Team to decide how to track the impact of your project.
We will also arrange a visit to see your project in action!
