Community charities receive funding to support care service delivery

Ten health and care charities have been selected to join the GSK Community Health Programme, which provides funding and support to community-based organisations working to improve the health of some of the most-disadvantaged communities in the UK.

Delivered in partnership with The King’s Fund, the programme aims to fill the stark gaps in health between the least- and most-deprived communities by supporting small not-for-profit organisations.

The successful charities, all with an annual income of between £20,000-£150,000, were selected from almost 230 applications and will each receive £10,000 in unrestricted funding from GSK, plus a place on a sought-after leadership programme worth an additional £5,000, delivered by leading health and care charity, The King’s Fund.

The 10 successful charities are:

• Been There – providing free mental health mentoring to adults in England and Wales with body image issues, including disordered eating
• Disability Sport Yorkshire – supporting disabled people to improve their physical and mental health by creating accessible sport, activity programmes, and opportunities for skills development and volunteering
• Headway Ayrshire – supporting people affected by an acquired brain injury/traumatic head injury across Ayrshire
• Lunch Club – tackling food poverty and social isolation in Streatham, South London
• Nottingham Children Young People and their Families Project – providing tailored support to people facing complex barriers in under resourced areas of Nottingham
• Plushealth – providing free, UK-wide online peer support to improve emotional and physical wellbeing for those living with or affected by HIV, empowering them to lead active, healthy lives without stigma or prejudice
• Rainbow Parents Carers Forum – a parent-led charity providing peer support, advice, and information and inclusive activities for families with children who have special educational needs and disabilities in Greater Nottinghamshire and surrounding areas
• The Spring Charity – working to improve wellbeing and school readiness and reduce disadvantage for families with children under five in the Northampton area
• STAMP Revisited (Mental Health Advocacy Services) – providing an advocacy service in Middlesborough and the surrounding areas to people who have experienced mental health challenges and face multiple disadvantages
• Windmill Trust –providing creative therapeutic services for children and young people at risk of long-term mental health issues

Commenting on the programme, Stephanie Dean, director of programmes and charitable investments at GSK, said: “We’re proud to continue our collaboration with The King’s Fund to support the GSK Community Health programme.

“This initiative reflects our core commitment to work alongside communities to understand and tackle health inequalities.

“By offering both vital funding and leadership development, we empower these small, yet-highly-impactful charities to continue their essential work.

“It’s a privilege to support their efforts in bringing about real, positive change for the health and wellbeing of communities in some of the UK’s most-deprived areas.’

Lisa Weaks, senior associate at The King’s Fund, added: ‘Despite facing an incredibly-challenging financial climate and increasing pressure to do more with less, local charity leaders and their teams continue to deliver life-changing services that improve health and wellbeing for some of the most-vulnerable people in their communities, tackling deep-rooted health inequalities.

“With access to funding and leadership support often limited, offering these charities a place on our leadership programme is a chance to invest in their aspirations, helping leaders build the skills and confidence they need to grow their impact.

“We’re excited to work alongside them and learn from their experiences.’

The GSK Community Health programme is now in its second year, building on GSK’s nearly-30-year partnership with The King’s Fund. Together, they also deliver the GSK IMPACT Awards which recognises small and medium-sized charities working to improve people’s health and wellbeing across the UK.