Compassionate Communities supports local health projects to address impacts of Covid-19
Compassionate Communities supports local health projects to address impacts of Covid-19
26 May 2021
Working in partnership with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, we’ve awarded grants to support 20 local projects as part of our ‘Compassionate Communities’ initiative.
The funding will help organisations in the local area address some of the barriers that prevent the most vulnerable members of the community accessing healthcare and have contributed to them being most significantly affected by the pandemic.
“The Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t just affected our hospitals, it’s had wide-ranging effects on our local communities as well."
Dr Bob Klaber, Director of Strategy, Research and Innovation
Dr Bob Klaber, Director of Strategy, Research and Innovation at Imperial College Healthcare, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t just affected our hospitals, it’s had wide-ranging effects on our local communities as well, exacerbating health inequalities in some of the poorest communities in London.
“By offering support to groups who have a strong understanding of the needs of their community, we can help address head-on some of the most pressing issues affecting people’s health in north west London.”
How will it work?
We’ve awarded individual grants of up to £30,000 to 20 community organisations in north west London. The chosen projects all support people who consistently experience health inequality and have been affected by some of the complex, long-term impacts of Covid-19.
Each of the projects aims to tackle a major health problem which has been worsened by the pandemic, including:
- food poverty and obesity
- poor mental health and wellbeing
- digital poverty and exclusion
- language barriers and misinformation.
As well as awarding funding, extra advice and support will be provided to help community groups maximise the impact of their work and make their projects more sustainable.
Ian Lush, Chief Executive of Imperial Health Charity, said: “Our investment will enable partners in the local community to help those with complex needs whose health and wellbeing has suffered significantly as a result of the pandemic. We hope this initiative is just the beginning as we work to build strong links with our local communities and encourage future collaborations.”
Who will it support?
Compassionate Communities will support a wide range of local organisations working to address a variety of health problems. One of these groups is the Hammersmith Community Gardens Association, which aims to support local people who have struggled with their mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic.
Our funding will support the association’s Grow Well in 2021 project, through which adults of all ages will have the chance to take part in therapeutic gardening and cooking activities.
The project also aims to inform people about the mental and physical benefits of nature, enabling them to try new food and take produce and plants home with them.
You can read about more of the projects supported by the Compassionate Communities initiative here.
