What is the best way to fund a MEND or Mini-MEND Programme?

Financial vs. in-kind funding

As an integrated and community-based programme, typically involving two or more organisations (eg. local PCT and leisure trust and/or local authority), MEND can be made possible by utilizing both financial and in-kind contributions.  Examples of ‘in-kind’ contributions include:

- The provision of staff time, for example by a leisure centre, PCT or local supermarket (to conduct the supermarket tour)

- The provision of facilities, venue or equipment, for example by a leisure centre or school

Combined approach optimal

Our experience shows us that a combined approach towards funding, involving collaboration between local partners (perhaps coordinated through a CYPSP or Children's Trust), and potentially also including sponsorship from private sector companies based in the local area, is optimal for three reasons:

- As MEND is an integrated programme, there is rarely a single organisation with all the necessary resources (facilities, skills, financing etc.) needed to run a MEND Programme

- The community as a whole, local companies and local bodies such as PCTs, LA's, LEA's, Leisure Trusts and others all have a joint interest in fighting obesity and its related consequences

- Although the serious nature of obesity is increasingly recognised, the availability of dedicated government funding is still limited and fragmented.  

Wide range of funding sources

Current programmes, or those which we are in discussion about running, are accessing and combining a wide range of different funding sources, including direct PCT / LEA / LA / Leisure Trust/Centre budgets, regeneration/renewal/NDC funding, Big Lottery, ODPM funding through agreement of PSA targets and sponsorship from locally-based companies. We are happy to talk with you in this regard and share 'best practices' of successful funding applications from past MEND programmes.

MEND Places: our non-profit venture 

While our hope is that PCTs, in conjunction with their local authorities, will sponsor the bulk of MEND Programmes as part of the delivery of their local obesity solution, we have also developed a not-for-profit arm, MEND PLACES, to facilitate the sponsorship of places on the MEND programmes for socio - economically disadvantaged children.

We can share our experience

Any one of our Partnership Development team would be delighted to speak with you about our experience of funding and to pass on any related insights / learnings / success stories, or indeed to brainstorm with you about ways that you might go about seeking funding. For more information please contact:

Email: partnership@mendprogramme.org

Telephone: + 44 (0) 20 7231 7225