The global pandemic has affected our society deeply physically, socially, and psychologically. The mental health and well-being of whole societies have been impacted. COVID-19-related psychological distress is widespread, with many afraid of the virus itself or of isolation brought about by lockdowns and social distancing. In addition, there are those facing economic insecurity as an added factor. And all the while, misinformation is causing deep uncertainty. 

Quantitative and qualitative analysis tells us adolescents and young people are particularly affected. Emotional difficulties felt by young people are being exacerbated by family stress and social isolation, with some facing increased abuse, disrupted education, and uncertainty about their futures. 

This Mental Health Awareness Month we are announcing the focus of our second call for projects supported by the UCB Community Health Fund will be on the mental health of vulnerable young people aged between 15 and 24 years of age. This second call is open for applications from May 15 until July 15, 2021. 

The Fund is looking to contribute a total of approximately $2.4 Million to support around 40 impact-driven organizations and projects* (excluding research projects) aiming to make a positive difference to the mental health of young people with grants of approximately $60,000 each. 

Our UCB Community Health Fund
We launched the UCB Community Health Fund in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to support organizations that are active in communities where we operate, addressing issues outside of our business scope. The pandemic only reinforced our commitment here at UCB to creating value for patients, now and into the future.

Managed by the King Baudouin Foundation (KBF) in Belgium, it aims to address health disparities among vulnerable populations. More specifically, the Fund wants to support vulnerable people, such as racial and ethnic minorities, children, older people, socio-economically disadvantaged persons, un(der)insures or those with certain medical conditions in the communities where UCB is active.

Our first call for projects, which closed in September 2020, supported organizations and projects contributing to understanding and reducing the medium- and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health of vulnerable young people. The response was phenomenal: 170 applications for support projects and 43 applications for research projects from 24 different countries. And we were proud to award almost $3 million to 44 inspiring support projects and seven inspiring research projects including these in the U.S. communities where we live and work.

The size reflects the huge amount of support that vulnerable populations continue to need. The extent of the health and economic crisis we are living through continues to prove massive, and the journey to recovery will take time. By working together, we will not just recover – we can build a stronger and more resilient future. Applicants for the 2021 call for projects can find more information and selection criteria* here and donations to the fund through KBF U.S. can be made here. 

 

* Note: Applicants should be based in or have a project serving one of UCB’s home office markets in the U.S. – Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina; Boston, Massachusetts; Seattle, Washington; and Washington, D.C.