News

The Yorkshire & Humber AHSN welcomes the news that West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership has provided funding to support communities across the region that have been severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

A leading local community partnership in West Yorkshire has pledged £650,000 of funding to support a number of charities across the region. The sum includes £90,000 from the Government’s Coronavirus Community Support Fund, which is being distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund.

West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership’s (WY&H HCP) Harnessing the Power of Communities Programme, working with the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector VCSE) are delighted to support local communities across Bradford district and Craven; Calderdale, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield.

The funds will be channelled through local VCSE partners and will be used to support people who have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

This is the latest tranche of funding which has been made available to the VCSE through WY&H HCP. It builds on more than £2.5million already invested in the valuable work delivered in local neighbourhoods in the past three years.

Pip Goff, Volition Director, Third Sector Leeds said: ‘The funding comes at a time when third sector organisations are under extreme pressure financially but have stepped up above and beyond because their work is so absolutely needed to support people facing significant inequality. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every child, adult, family and community in West Yorkshire and Harrogate, with some of the biggest impacts seen for the most economically disadvantaged and in our Black and Asian communities. It’s brilliant to be collaborating with the National Lottery Communities fund in this way. This will make a huge difference now but also signals a commitment to a more strategic, partnership approach to funding the sector’.

Hilary Thompson, WY&H HCP Harnessing the Power of Communities, Senior Responsible Officer said: ‘We allocated over £550,000 to fourteen voluntary and community organisations across the area in July 2020. The funds are making a huge difference and are being used to tackle health issues such as dementia, mental, physical and emotional wellbeing as well as supporting people living in care homes, hospices or isolating at home.  Over 80 high quality applications were received in July and we were sorry all could not be funded. Receiving this additional funding has meant we can support a further four VCSE partners to help more people and continue the vital work that they do’.

Robin Tuddenham, CEO for Calderdale Council; Chief Officer for Calderdale Commissioning Group and Co-Chair of the WY&H HCP Improving Population Health Programme said: ‘Our VCSE have been amazing during the pandemic and we are determined to bring much needed funding into the area to support the valuable, life-saving work they deliver locally. This has included innovative work like the project supporting South Asian women living with Diabetes in Calderdale. I am delighted we can support’.

The money from the Government’s Coronavirus Community Support Fund has bolstered the financial support available – through WY&H HCP to local groups helping communities respond to the crisis. Funding four more organisations that previously applied for the WY&H HCP’s original Health Inequalities Fund now means 18 VCSE organisations have been supported across the area in this way, including:

• Homestart Craven
• Athelas CIC
• Streetgames
• Mafwa Theatre
• Women’s Activity Centre, Calderdale
• Dementia Friendly Keighley
• Healthy Lifestyle Solutions
• Inspired Neighbourhoods
• Keighley Healthy Living,

Shak Rafiq, Communications Manager for NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group and member of WY&H HCP Black, Asian and minority ethnic Network said: ‘We have really seen the value of community groups in our collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic. They have helped ensure our communities are kept safe during these challenging days for all of us. This funding comes at a time when the need for community resilience is at its greatest and is very much a welcome boost to our efforts to help everyone in our diverse communities’.

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