Smaller sums, bigger impacts
Micro grants have a maximum value of £999 but in reality awards can be made for smaller amounts, whilst still making a big impact.
For the period April – December 2025, 343 micro grants were approved totalling £105,404. The average micro grant = £307. When compared with the same period in the last financial year, this represents an increase of 68%.
Getting hands on for better mental health
Some children affected by poor mental health often struggle with traditional therapeutic work. Fife Health Charity were delighted to support Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to introduce an outdoor therapeutic group. This group supports a more relaxed therapeutic approach which has been evidenced to be just as impactful and helpful.
The beauty of gardening is that it can be done individually or with others. Either way, it encourages children to explore their identity. When done in groups, it can be a subtle way to get young people to socialise and work together to create something. Working collaboratively on garden projects can strengthen relationships, build social skills and create a sense of belonging and community. There is also a lot of problem solving which teaches patience and resilience.
The aim of this initiative was to bring about significant improvement to children’s mental health and the CAMHS team believes that it has certainly succeeded in this outcome.
Being outdoors and participating in green therapy activities is known to reduce stress anxiety and depression. Improved mental health through increased self-esteem, confidence and sense of achievement.
Roads to Success exhibition
The Charity were delighted to support a request from the mental health occupational therapy team to purchase frames to present patient artwork at the annual “Roads to Success” exhibition which runs alongside the Scottish Mental Health Art Exhibition and was held at Lochgelly Centre Community Gallery.
Funding totalling £947, was awarded in September and was provided to purchase picture frames which supported a professional display of patients' artwork. The artwork has been made by both community and ward patients as part of their treatment with the Occupational Therapy Team.
“This is a great opportunity for patients to display their work in a professional way in order to showcase their talents and achievements."
Lynn Dorman, Lead AHP – Mental Health
From System Holes to Whole Systems
Improving Care Conference
Support from Fife Health Charity allowed Fife Specialist Palliative Care Team colleagues to attend this year’s Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care Conference on Wednesday 12 November 2025.
This year’s theme, “From System Holes to Whole Systems”, sparked thought-provoking discussions on improving care and collaboration. Two of their Specialist Palliative Care Consultants, Dr Jo Bowden and Dr Stephen Fenning, delivered a powerful presentation on People and Family Experience.
The Fife Specialist Palliative Care Occupational Therapy team also showcased their expertise through four posters, among the 36 presented and judged by delegates. A special congratulations to Julie Wilson (Advanced Occupational Therapist) and Jilly Dryburgh (OT Support Worker), who won first prize – the Derek Doyle Poster Award – for their exceptional work on the Carers Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT).
Julie and Jinny taking 1st prize
Further examples of micro-grants awarded to December 2025
- Halloween activities – various wards
- Staff retirals
- Training and development grants
- Patient complementary therapies – Hospice/Tarvit Ward/St Andrews Community Hospital
- Pantomime for in-patients
- Wellbeing Champions event
- Furniture for staff rooms
- Festive activities – gifts for patients, decorations for wards and departments, festive fayre
- Staff hub refreshments
- Newspapers for in-patients