NHS Charities Together are offering grants for the wider NHS and voluntary community dealing with Covid-19

Since the start of the pandemic NHS Charities Together has distributed over £50 million of grant funding to its NHS member charities. NHS charities and the hospitals that they support have benefited enormously from the availability of additional funds to support hospital staff, patients, and their families.

Stage 2 grants are aimed at supporting the wider NHS and voluntary community dealing with the impact of COVID-19. Examples of potential projects could be managing the transition of the elderly from hospital to home, mental health support, supporting vulnerable members of the community or end of life care. They may also support early intervention, reducing disparity or focus on preventative health and social care with a focus on diversity within the population. Projects or initiatives that should be covered by core NHS or social care funding or those which are only hospital focussed are not eligible for funding.

The allocation for West Yorkshire & Harrogate is £1,158,385 and we are particularly interested in how heath partnerships can help NHS organisations by:

1. Preventing admission to NHS facilities (including acute trusts and community services) for example by early intervention and self-management programmes.
2. Supporting initiatives that seek to remove health inequalities and disparity in health outcomes with a focus on diversity in the population.

Applications can come from Community groups, Charities, Social Enterprises or other charitable organisations in the third sector as well as NHS organisations.

Grants of varying size are available:

• Up to £25,000 x 7
• Up to £50,000 x 5
• Up to £75,000 x 7
• Up to £100,000 x 2

We are particularly interested in ideas which deliver a partnership approach to reducing health inequalities by working across health and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) partners to deliver a social return on investment.

As a consortia/ partnership approach is expected, it is recognised that larger organisations may wish to make the application as the lead and responsible body. Applicants will need to ensure that roles and responsibilities of partners are clearly set out within their application.

Priority populations 

Proposals must evidence how the partnership can provide support for population groups who have been disproportionately affected by the direct and indirect impacts COVID-19, with the aim of reducing health inequalities.

The population groups have been identified through intelligence on inequalities in health in addition to local insight of people most affected.  Areas of focus include:

• Specific neighbourhood areas based on local need, for example those living in poverty in our communities ranked as being most deprived₁.
• Population groups that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic that do not cluster around specific geographic areas. These include:
• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Groups₂.
• People living with long term conditions and physical disabilities, particularly those that have been listed as Extremely Clinically Vulnerable to COVID-19 ₃ and people living with learning disabilities₄.
• People living with Dementia, particularly those with new diagnoses.
• There are also specific population groups where inequalities in health were already significant and these inequalities have been widened during the pandemic. These groups include.
• Rough Sleepers ₅,₆
• Gypsy, Traveller population ₆
• Refugees and asylum seekers₆
• Unpaid Carers₇, particularly young carers.
• Prison population and those who are leaving prison.

Projects

Projects might include interventions that have targeted approaches to improving health and reducing inequalities. These include approaches that address primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. Potential areas of focus include:

• Reducing inequalities in access to screening and early diagnosis of long-term health conditions.
• Approaches that promote healthy behaviours and reduce risk factors for poor health including physical activity, healthy weight and smoking cessation.
• Identification and support for people living with the impacts of Long COVID.
• Support for pregnant women and new mothers.
• Personalised care approaches that support the management of long-term conditions.
• Digital Inclusion.
• Food security.
• Housing and health including reducing risk of homelessness.
• Reducing domestic violence and abuse and providing support for those affected.
• Promotion of good mental health and wellbeing across all ages.
• Support for those living in rural communities who have experienced greater isolation.
• Support for those who have been self-isolating to build confidence to re-integrate with society and with services.

Full details of the grant funding opportunity including the criteria are available here along with the application form. All grant applications must be submitted by 26 February 2021.

If you would like to apply, please complete the form below and return to Rebecca.baldaro-booth@leedshospitalscharity.org.uk by 26^th February 2021.

For further information about this funding opportunity, please contact Rebecca.baldaro-booth@leedshospitalscharity.org.uk

We will be hosting a webinar on 10 February at 12 noon to provide an overview of the grant funding opportunity and answer any questions.

To register your interest to join please email Rebecca.baldaro-booth@leedshospitalscharity.org.uk

Find out more about the WY&H Steering Group and its membership here.

Voluntary Action Leeds