Grant funding awarded to 14 projects through Essex County Council’s Public Health Accelerator Bids programme.
More than £3 million is being awarded to projects which benefit the mental and physical health of Essex residents.
A total of £3,121,685 will support 14 schemes via the second round of Essex County Council’s Public Accelerator Bids (PHAB) major grant programme.
Supporting the aims of the Essex Wellbeing, Public Health and Communities Business Plan, PHAB funds projects which look to tackle the health inequalities experienced in Essex.
Grants are awarded across two funding streams, small grants less than £7,500 and major grants over £15,000.
The 14 latest organisations and projects to receive major grant funding are:
Epping Forest District Council: to support a project to improve lifestyles by increasing opportunities for residents to be physically active in two of the most deprived parts of the district.
TouchPoint, Uttlesford: to support a programme of physical activity sessions, including “She’s Ready” exercise and empowerment classes, chair and mindful yoga sessions and a new walking football group.
The Deanes School, Castle Point and Rochford: to support the existing school sport partnership to work with 60 schools in the area.
Parents 1st, Basildon and Tendring: to run a project providing one-to-one peer support, culturally appropriate sessions on healthy lifestyles and an activity that pairs musicians with new mothers and families to write, sing, record and perform a personal lullaby for their baby.
Open Road Visions, Tendring: to support the SOS Community Health Bus project, which will host comprehensive primary care services inside a bus, helping to combat health disparities faced by individuals in rural and marginalised communities.
Citizens Advice Harlow: to support the expansion of a pilot project working in four GP surgeries, offering on-site, face-to-face money, debt and welfare advice.
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), Tendring: to support the 100 Apprenticeships Tendring project, which will create 100 employment opportunities for people in the district.
Essex County Council’s Involvement Service, Braintree and Chelmsford: to support My Journey, a two-year programme of peer support, health advice and guidance for care experienced parents and their babies and children.
Colchester United Community Foundation, Colchester and Tendring: to support the FIT Us project, a free 13-week healthy lifestyle programme underpinned by behaviour change.
Find Your Voice CIC, Basildon, Braintree, Castle Point, Colchester, Harlow and Tendring: to support the Everyday People project, a 10-week course of health and wellbeing activities which use movement and dance, alongside music and multisensory props, for learning disabled adults who are engaging with social care and local services.
Castle Point Borough Council, Castle Point: to support the Find Your Active project, transforming leisure centres, community halls, parks and open places into community hubs with a focus on health and wellbeing.
The Children’s Society, Essex-wide: to support a project providing early help to improve the physical and emotional health of children, young people and families impacted by substance misuse.
The Children’s Society, Essex-wide: to support a community-based outreach programme focused on early intervention and targeted prevention for children and young people identified as most at-risk of becoming involved in substance misuse.
Refugee, Asylum-seeker and Migrant Action with African Families in the UK, Colchester and Tendring: to support The Pamoja Project, a joint venture between RAMA and AFiUK, which aims to bridge the gap between migrant communities and mental health provision.
Councillor John Spence, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Integration, said: “Through this programme we are seeking to unlock the innovation and insights of groups across Essex to support many of the residents and communities facing the greatest challenges in life.
“This wide-ranging collection of projects will receive a significant amount of money to expand existing services or create something completely new. We are very excited about the difference they will make to residents’ health and wellbeing.”
All 14 successful bids were chosen following assessment by a panel of experts.
PHAB major grants funding is awarded following a two-stage process, with initial expressions of interest followed by a formal application process.
The third round of expressions of interest closed earlier this month.
