Partnership awards over £500,000 in health inequalities grant funds

West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership are delighted to allocate over £500,000 to thirteen voluntary and community organisations across the area.

The funds will be used to support community organisations, working together with health partners, to support those that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.  Over 80 high quality applications were received.

Following an assessment with input from a number of perspectives, including public health, community sector, and partnership colleagues, final decisions were reached. Funding has been awarded to the following projects:

• Dementia Friendly Keighley, supporting people living with dementia and their carers
• Healthy Lifestyle Solutions, Bradford, providing support for self-care and resilience.
• Inspired Neighbourhoods, Bradford, empowering people with mental health problems to self-care, where safe to do so
• Keighley Healthy Living, supporting health in communities, with a focus on Black Asian and minority ethnic communities and older adults.
• The Thornbury Centre, Bradford, delivering befriending support for people aged over 55 and people from South Asian, Refugee and Eastern European Roma populations.
• Voluntary Action Calderdale, focusing on community connectivity to support health and wellbeing
• Saint Michael’s Hospice, Harrogate, providing volunteer training and advance care plan conversations for care home residents.
• Solace, Kirklees, delivering a project to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of refugees and asylum seekers.
• Third Sector Leaders Kirklees, delivering a project to develop skills and healthy behaviours for low income families
• Feel Good Factor, Leeds, will provide targeted support to reduce health inequalities for families with a member who is shielding
• GIPSIL, Leeds, supporting young people in transition from children’s to adult’s mental health services
• Open Country, Wakefield, will deliver a project to improve health for adults with mental health conditions, learning disabilities and / or autism
• Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange, covering Wakefield and Bradford, will work to increase access to services, information and support and reduce health inequalities for Gypsy and traveller communities.

Robin Tuddenham, CEO for Calderdale Council and Co-Chair of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership Improving Population Health Programme said:

"We were delighted to receive so many quality applications from so many wonderful voluntary and community sector organisations in West Yorkshire and Harrogate. The calibre was so high that we have sought to increase the funding from £450,000 to £503,000. The Health and Care Partnership is committed to enhancing our focus on reducing health inequalities, supporting what is being delivered in place and as set out in our five year strategy. This represents one of the ways in which we will support local services respond to the impact of COVID-19,  supporting resilience within our communities in partnership with our innovative and creative voluntary and community sector."

Dr James Thomas, Chair of NHS Bradford District and Craven Clinical Commissioning Group, who is also the Co-Chair for West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership Improving Population Health Programme said:

"Thank you to all the organisations who applied for the funding. We will share the learning from the successful projects across the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health Inequalities Network including case studies, evaluations and a learning event and have sought permission to share applications with other potential funders who may be looking to achieve similar objectives."

Rob Webster, West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership CEO Lead said:

"This is the latest tranche of funding we have made available to voluntary and community organisations through our Partnership. It comes at an important time when third sector organisations are under extreme pressure financially and when their work is often most needed to support people who we know are subject to significant inequality."