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Public Health Community Grants Programme – Worcestershire County Council
Worcestershire’s community grant programme has enabled hyperlocal projects aimed at increasing levels of physical activity for women and girls to be developed.
Background
Worcestershire Public Health is directly supporting community initiatives for health improvement by setting up a varied and robust grant programme, supporting different segments of its communities, including women and girls. This sees the County Council collaborating more closely with its residents and the Voluntary Community Sector, investing in local communities.
The National Institute for Health Care Excellence (NICE) guidance emphasises the value of community engagement in enhancing health outcomes. Health improvement efforts that foster collaboration among local communities and statutory services have a greater impact.
The challenge
People living in more deprived areas and those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups are more likely to suffer greater health inequalities. Women and girls often face intersecting inequalities which can make it more difficult to be physically active. This could be because of accessibility of women only sessions, cost, transport and childcare.
The solution
Working with communities to develop more opportunities for girls and women to be physically active. Community grants allows co-produced activities to be developed and delivered. Streamlining the process of accessing small grants and providing support to develop projects allows grassroots organisations and volunteers to do what they do best, which is engage underrepresented groups. Also, allowing organisations to demonstrate impact in more innovative and qualitative ways helps to tell stories of individuals and groups.
The impact
It is key to measure outcomes and demonstrate impact when delivering community development grants. Whilst overtime, quantitative health outcomes will shift, in the shorter term, the value of narratives and local stories is key and lends itself more to earlier demonstrations of impact. We continue to receive and share inspiring stories demonstrating the continued community impact.
How is the new approach being sustained?
The Worcestershire County Council Public Health team is committed to this approach which funds local community activities.
As community grants are one-off payments, processes are in place to ensure they are sustainable in impact. Projects will demonstrate the long-lasting benefits to participants.
Lessons learned
Listening to community voices is key. Also, devolving funding and power to local communities is the best way to engage underrepresented groups in physical activity programmes.