Who We Are Able to Support 

This programme is able to consider applications from:

• Constituted Voluntary groups
• Constituted Community groups
• Community Interest Companies
• Registered Charities
• Social Enterprises
• Parish Councils

We are particularly keen to see applications from smaller, grassroots level groups. Groups will need to have been established for at least 6 months

Who We Are Not Able to Support

This programme is not able to offer funding to:

• Private businesses
• Companies limited by guarantee, (if they are not also a registered charity)

Projects We Can Support 

Your project must meet one of the following aims:

• Preventing ill health and promoting self-care to enable individuals to be independent and live in their own homes for as long as possible
• Reducing loneliness and social isolation
• Supporting healthy aging
• Increasing access to affordable healthy, nutritious food
• Increasing access to opportunities for people to ‘move more’

Eligible Costs

• Equipment costs
• Capital costs relating to the project
• Training costs
• Project costs
• Event costs
• Revenue/ staff costs for the project
• Overhead costs – maximum of 10% of the total grant requested

Ineligible Costs

• Funding towards religious projects that promote religion (although religious organisations can be funded for non -religious projects)
• Overhead costs which are more than 10% of the total grant requested
• Staff costs / core costs for existing work – only additional project costs will be eligible

GROUPS WILL NEED TO HAVE THE GRANT FULLY SPENT AND THE PROJECT CONCLUDED BY 31ST MARCH 2025

Applicants will be expected to align their project and outcomes with Better Health Staffordshire or Supportive Communities

Better Health Staffordshire

We are particularly keen to see applications taking place in:

• Newcastle-under-Lyme
• South Staffordshire
• Tamworth

We’re encouraging providers to submit proposals that increase access to healthy, nutritious affordable food within these areas. Examples of initiatives could include

• Equipment (e.g. raised beds, tools) to enhance an existing initiative that aims to grow healthy produce within limited green space.
• Piloting a new community cooking class, linked to a community gardening group/community food initiative.
• Co-producing healthy eating recipe cards to enhance a community garden project or community cooking class.

Proposals that focus on increasing access to opportunities for people to ‘move more’ within the areas listed above, will also be considered. Examples of initiatives could include:

• Setting up local activities to support people who are exiting structured lifestyle interventions/programmes such as weight management programmes or exercise referral schemes within local leisure centres. The objectives of which are to help maintain the positive behaviour change around ‘moving more’ and/or healthy diets.
• Harnessing existing community assets to support communities to ‘move more’

As part of this programme we would like to encourage successful organisations to attend BHS partnerships, in order to introduce their project aims, approach and outcomes to the relevant Better Health Staffordshire partnership.

Supportive Communities

Examples of initiatives could include:

• Support to expand or add to existing support/groups where  capacity has been reached or to reduce waiting lists
• Increase accessibility to support/activities for people who don’t speak English or speak English as a second language
• Social activities for people in their 50-60’s
• Activities for younger people with physical disabilities, neurodiversity, learning disabilities & autism.
• Support for existing groups to widen their support offer to be more inclusive of people with physical disabilities, neurodiversity, learning difficulties,  autism and the LGBQT+ community
• Outreach eg form-filling support for people who are housebound
• Solutions to enable people to access local activities/support where they don’t have transport, struggle to use public transport
• Support to help ‘introduce’ people to new groups and activities
• Support  and enablement for people who are visually impaired

Grants available

Grants of between £3000 and £8000 are available 

Documents You Need to Send Us

The following documents should be submitted with your application.  We will be unable to consider applications that have not provided this information.  Should you have any problems with any of these documents, please call us for advice.

• A copy of your governing document (Constitution or Memorandum and Articles of Association)
• A copy of your most recent set of accounts, which should be either audited or independently examined
• A recent bank statement – dated within the last 3 months and clearly showing the account name, number and sort code, which must match the details that you have provided on your application
• A copy of your Safeguarding Policy
• A copy of your Equality or Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Policy
• Quotes for any capital items

Submission Dates

This programme has now closed for new applications

Applications already submitted for this programme will be presented to the panel at the end of October