Ways to Wellbeing Social Prescribing Small Grants Fund

NOW CLOSED

The York CVS Ways to Wellbeing Small Grants Fund, 2023. 

£70,000 of funding for local projects 

The Ways to Wellbeing Small Grants Fund is now closed to applications for funding to support projects across the city that enhance community connections and address health inequalities 

As well as funding projects that reduce health inequalities across the city, we will also fund projects that increase the community support and involvement opportunities available to York residents being supported by social prescribers. 

We’re encouraging community groups, clubs, charities and other not-for-profit organisations, including small groups and new organisations across York to apply to the fund. So, if you’ve got a great project idea but have never applied for funding before, great, we’re always keen to help people get started! Just get in touch with us as soon as possible so we can support you through the process. 

Through its annual small grants fund, W2W has now awarded over £100,000 of grants to strengthen York’s voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. This year we are delighted to again be collaborating with the City of York Council Public Health team to distribute a further £50,000 to address public health priorities in the city. 

What we want to achieve  

We want to fund projects that achieve at least one of the following aims:  

• Enhancing community connections: Enabling isolated people, especially those who feel marginalised, to engage in and feel more connected with their community and informal support networks.   
• Addressing health inequalities: Improving health and addressing the causes of health inequalities, particularly in areas of deprivation or for those disadvantaged by inequality in the city. 
• Underpinning both aims is a focus on early intervention and prevention .

The type of work we want to fund  

To achieve the aims outlined above, we want to fund projects that deliver at least one of the following activities:  

• Social / community initiatives that combat loneliness and improve health, including mental ill-health, through the growth of community relationships and networks.  
• Initiatives that help people to access culture and creativity, employment, learning or volunteering.
• Help for people to overcome barriers to leaving their home or support for people experiencing barriers to leaving their home to still develop community connections.
• Creating opportunities for people who have restricted mobility or experience barriers to leaving their home, to move their bodies more.
• Support for people to manage health conditions better or navigate a barrier that causes health inequalities.
• Work to address some of the underlying injustices and causes of health inequality, for example poverty, racism and discrimination.
• Peer support, particularly for people with multiple long-term conditions. 

This video was created for the Community Mental Health Transformation Grant but provides a great checklist to review whether your organisation is ready to apply for funding.