115 health projects across the UK have secured a share of more than £500,000 of new funding in a scheme linking with GPs and primary care around the country – reaching more than 51,000 people.
The schemes – ranging from cancer support for children and young people to projects to help the homeless have won grants from our Community Fund, which is supporting health-improving work by charities and local groups in the communities around our GP surgery, primary care and treatment centre buildings around the country.
Among other criteria, projects were given priority for the ability to build strong working relationships with referral agencies including GPs, other primary care and health professionals, and social prescribing link workers.
Our CEO, Jonathan Murphy, said: “We were blown away by the number and quality of applications from all over the country. Local health, social prescribing and wellbeing projects are under so much stress at the moment, so we hope these grants can make a real difference to projects which are keeping individuals and communities connected, healthier, safer and happier in this really difficult time.”
The Assura Community Fund was launched in May and is managed by Cheshire Community Foundation. It builds on the work of our previous Healthy Communities scheme, which supported projects nominated by the GP practices in its buildings ranginag from social prescribing walking groups, gardening schemes and coffee and chat sessions to support for a new Men’s Shed and a community bakery run by young people with learning disabilities and autism.
The fund is distributing £550,000 in grants this month, and by March 2026 hopes to have made more than £3m in grants to health-improving projects.
Zoe Sheppard, Chief Executive of Cheshire Community Foundation, said: “It is in difficult times like these, that the generosity and vision of organisations like Assura are so vital in supporting the most vulnerable members of our communities. We are delighted to be able to utilise our grant making expertise to ensure that every penny of the Assura Community Fund is spent as effectively as possible”.
The next application phase will open in spring 2021.