The men’s health community fund

Movember is investing £3 million over three years in community-led approaches that help young men build connection, improve wellbeing and seek support earlier, as part of our partnership in the Men’s Health Community Fund (MHCF).

The Men's Health Community Fund is a landmark partnership between Movember, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and People's Health Trust, supporting the delivery of the Men’s Health Strategy for England.

Jointly investing over £6 million and combining government commitment with philanthropic expertise, the Fund will invest in preventative, community-led programmes that improve men's health and wellbeing. Alongside improving outcomes for the men reached, it aims to build practical evidence about what works, to inform future policy, commissioning and systems change.

What the fund covers

The MHCF has three funding streams, each with a distinct focus and target group:

• Movember funding envelope (£3 million): supports Programmes for young men aged 16 - 35, with a focus on community-based approaches that strengthen social connection and encourage men to prioritise their mental health, seeking help when needed. More details below.
• DHSC funding envelope (up to £3 million): supports programmes for two groups: men aged 35 - 59 who are unemployed, economically inactive or facing economic precarity; and older men (60+) experiencing key life transitions (e.g. retirement, bereavement, relationship breakdown, caring responsibilities etc.). See here to apply for DHSC funding.
• People’s Health Trust envelope (£300,000, with fundraising planned to increase to up to £1.25m): supports programmes for men working in industry.

Strengthening help-seeking through social connection 

As highlighted in the Men’s Health Strategy for England, many men across England do not access support for health concerns early enough, contributing to poorer health outcomes and significant inequalities.

While these challenges affect men across the life course, evidence suggests that young men are facing particular barriers to seeking support and maintaining meaningful social connections.

Across the UK, rates of poor mental health, psychological distress and social disconnection among young men remain concerning, and suicide continues to be one of the leading causes of death among men under 35. These challenges are often compounded in communities experiencing poverty and structural inequalities, where health outcomes are poorer and engagement with support services is often lower. 

What the research shows

Movember’s research provides insight into the challenges many young men experience around loneliness, connection and help-seeking. The Real Face of Men’s Health report found that one in four men aged 15 - 34 in the UK frequently experience loneliness, while only 38% said they would seek emotional support from friends, compared to 54% of women. Similarly, the Young Men’s Health in a Digital World study found that 71% of young men surveyed reported feeling isolated from others. 

Men need to feel connected

These findings are significant because growing evidence suggests that social connection and a sense of belonging can play an important role in supporting mental health and wellbeing. Community-based settings that foster trusted relationships, peer support and meaningful social connections can help young people feel more connected, confident and supported, while also increasing engagement with sources of support. 

The emerging evidence

Movember’s experience also aligns with this emerging evidence. For many years, we have invested in community organisations that engage men through relational and community-based approaches. Through this work, we have seen how trusted relationships, shared activities and peer connections can help men build confidence, develop supportive networks and feel more comfortable discussing challenges, accessing support and engaging earlier with health and wellbeing services.

Needing to know what's most effective

While the evidence base linking social connection and health outcomes continues to grow, there remains a need for more practical learning about which community-based models, approaches and mechanisms are most effective, for whom, and in what contexts. 

Movember’s funding opportunity through the Men’s Health Community Fund has been designed to address this need. The fund aims both to support the delivery of community-based approaches that strengthen social connection and to generate learning about what works to improve help-seeking, increase engagement with support services and reduce health inequalities among young men.

Our funding opportunity

Movember is committing £3 million to support up to 15 grants of up to three years. 

Grants of £150,000 - £300,000 are available to voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in England delivering community-led, non-clinical initiatives that strengthen social connection as a pathway to improving young men’s mental health and encouraging earlier help-seeking.

Successful organisations will receive funding alongside evaluation and learning support, access to a funded Knowledge Community, opportunities for peer learning and collaboration, and support to share learning and influence future policy and practice.

What we want to achieve

The Fund aims not only to improve outcomes for young men, but also to build practical understanding of which community-based approaches are most effective in strengthening trust, engagement and help-seeking. Learnings will be used to inform future policy, commissioning and systems change.

Who this opportunity is for

This opportunity is for voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in England already working with young men aged 16 - 35 who face barriers to accessing support. 

We are especially interested in organisations that understand how trusted relationships, shared activity and social connection can support young men’s health and well-being, and that are using community-based approaches to encourage help-seeking and long-term, positive health behaviours for young men.

What does that look like?

Illustrative examples include peer-led groups, early fatherhood or family programmes that strengthen social connection and relationships, sports or gaming initiatives, creative arts or nature-based programmes, faith-based peer support groups, and other community-based initiatives that foster belonging, meaningful relationships, and supportive social networks. These examples are not exhaustive.

Is this you? If yes, apply now

Apply now via Movember’s online grants platform.

Request for Application key activity and dates:

• RFA issued: Monday June 22nd 2026
• Information webinar Registration Required : Monday 29th June 2026 (please read RFA pre attending)
• Deadline for expression of interest: Wednesday 15th July 2026
• Deadline for full applications: Monday 31st August 2026
• Selection panel meets to review RFA's: October 2026
• Notice of outcome: Week of October 27th 2026
• Earliest project start date: January 2027