£700,000 National Lottery funding boost for 14 expert partnerships tackling health inequalities across England

The National Lottery Community Fund has today announced it is funding the development of 14 partnerships, made up of local voluntary organisations, health sector organisations and local authorities in England, working to address health inequalities brought to the fore as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research shows that groups experiencing racial injustice, those living in deprived areas, and people working in lower-paid professions are more vulnerable to the effects of the pandemic.*

The funding will support the successful partnerships to develop and improve links between health and care services, promoting the role of the voluntary sector and the value of cross-sector partnerships. Each partnership will receive a share of £700,000 of National Lottery funding to improve the health and wellbeing of their local communities and tackle health inequalities.

The 14 partnerships cover the breadth of England. In Sheffield, Voluntary Action Sheffield is leading a partnership - including local NHS Foundation Trusts, Sheffield City Council and Sheffield City Clinical Commissioning Group – which aims to increase connections between the most disadvantaged and disconnected communities in the city with local diabetes health services. The partnership will forge access to effective integrated support services, empowering people to make the right choices relating to their health.

In Wolverhampton, the Ethnic Minority Council - which is made up of voluntary and community groups, statutory bodies and private sector partners - will develop effective and sustainable partnerships between the voluntary and community sector, the NHS and local authorities to improve health and wellbeing, reduce health inequalities and empower communities in Wolverhampton.

As well as funding the development of the partnerships, The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, will also provide learning and communication support to ensure learning from these grants is shared widely and helps others working to address health inequalities across the country.

Elly De Decker, Head of Funding for England at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “We are delighted that this funding will support 14 partnerships across England to come together and, alongside their local communities, develop solutions that support equal health outcomes for everyone. Thanks to National Lottery players, these partnerships have the potential to bring about significant change, promoting the role of the voluntary sector and the value of cross-sector partnerships.”

The partnerships were selected from a shortlist of applicants that applied for funding through the Healthy Communities Together programme, a £3million health inequalities programme established by the King’s Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund.

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes. Thanks to National Lottery players, £30 million is raised each week for good causes throughout the UK.

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk