On 3 November, RUHX hosted an event to celebrate community organisations who will benefit from £400k of funds through NHS Charities Together (NHSCT) Covid-19 Appeal.
The community grants programme will support thirteen charities across Bath and North East Somerset (BANES), Swindon and Wiltshire in schemes to tackle health inequalities and support groups and communities affected by Covid-19 over the next two years in order to reduce impact on local hospitals.
Locally, the national charity has delegated responsibility for managing the funding to RUHX, the charity of Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Bath. RUHX is leading the programme with help from other local NHS charities, Brighter Futures at Great Western Hospitals, Stars Appeal at Salisbury District Hospital, and Headlight at Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust.
The executive group of the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Partnership (BSW) allocated grants to thirteen organisations and community projects across our region. These projects will work in partnership with NHS organisations, and prioritise the most vulnerable and marginalised groups impacted by the virus, focusing on deprivation, ethnicity, and mental health.
Rhyannon Boyd, Head of RUHX, said: “We are thrilled to be working in partnership with so many incredible organisations in our local community, and their projects that will drive real change over the next two years. We are appreciative for the huge support from NHSCT in making this happen.”
Cara Charles-Barks, Chief Executive of the RUH said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to work closely together with organisations across our community to tackle health inequalities together, and I look forward to hearing about the progress of all these projects over the coming months.”
Sue Harriman, Chief Executive Officer of Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board said: “If the Covid pandemic has taught us one thing, it is that we need to work harder as a health and care system to address the unfair health inequalities that exist among people living in our local area.
Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Groups working to deliver services in BSW are all doing essential work to help address health inequalities and protect the most vulnerable members of our communities and we are proud to be able to support them.”
Ellie Orton OBE, Chief Executive of NHS Charities Together said: “Partnerships between the NHS and the voluntary and community sector is vital in tackling health inequalities, and improve prevention and intervention of ill health collectively – especially amongst those who face wider inequalities and were disproportionately affected by Covid. This is the purpose of NHS Charities Together Community Partnerships Fund and why we are delighted this funding will make a tangible difference across Bath, Wiltshire, Swindon and North East Somerset, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact made.”
The 13 organisations include Alzheimer’s Support, Age UK BANES, Bath City Farm, Care Home Volunteers, Crosspoint Westbury, Off the Record, Ipsum, Roots Connection, Sporting Family Change Foundation, Swindon Carers, We Hear You, Wiltshire Council (Healthwatch Wiltshire and Spurgeons), and Wiltshire Mind.