FAQs Marsh Awards for Mental Health Peer Support 2021
Nominations for 2021 are now open.
About the 2021 Awards
We are inviting nominations from all peer led support groups, both face-to-face and online, in England and Wales.
We will be Awarding nine projects/groups under the categories of 1) ‘Peer Support in Marginalised Groups’, 2) ‘Doing it for Ourselves’ and 3) ‘Innovative Peer Support’. For each category, one project will receive a £500 cash award, and two projects will receive £250 each.
The Marsh Charitable Trust (MCT) is a grant-making body that offers an award scheme, working with different partner charities, to celebrate outstanding work being achieved across the charity sector.
To recognise excellence in mental health peer support, MCT works with Mind and PeerFest partner organisations to run the Marsh Awards for Mental Health Peer Support in England and Wales.
Peer support happens when people work together, or support each other, from their lived experience. It can take place informally and formally, in all sorts of settings such as in user led organisations, projects, support groups and in the workplace. It means different things to different people. It may also be called self-help, befriending/wellbeing groups, meet ups, or mentoring. It also can take place online, by phone or other means.
Peer led peer support is a group or project directly run by the people with lived experience in the group.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Nominations will be accepted from a peer support group (not an individual)
- The group needs to operate in England or Wales
- The group’s main focus needs to centre around mental health / supporting emotional wellbeing
- The group is peer led
A judging panel of people with peer support expertise, others with lived experience, and representatives from PeerFest partner organisations will assess groups/projects within a framework of peer support principles. The support principles can be seen on the National Survivors User Network website.
We will also be looking at how projects impact upon people’s lives.
Nominations need to come collectively from groups themselves, so complete this form together with the group.
Groups will need to nominate themselves. Please tell them about these awards and ask them to complete this form.
The closing date to receive all nominations is midnight on Wednesday 20th October 2021.
The panel and MCT will present the awards during a special celebration event, online mid-December 2021.
