The Community Chest, a grant award part of the Vibrant & Healthy Communities Programme, has funded 16 VCS organisations to help increase early detection of cancer.
What is the Vibrant & Health Communities Programme?
The programme brings the VCS, NHS, Local Authorities, Public Health and other stakeholders together in partnership to address health inequalities across Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster. The programme is driven by focus on early intervention and prevention, recognising that our communities hold the solutions.
What is being funded?
Accessing cancer screening and check-ups is uneven across our boroughs and reflects patterns of inequality. For this round of funding, the Vibrant & Health Communities programme invited organisations to run activities during 2024 to achieve earlier detection of cancer for our most marginalised communities.
Following assessment of all applications by an independent panel representing a range of stakeholders we are able to announce 9 awards under this round:
- The Advocacy Project
- BME Health Forum (on behalf of 7 smaller organisations)
- Groundswell
- Chinese Welfare Trust
- Age UK (Westminster and RBKC jointly)
- Volunteer Centre K&C (Notting Dale Community Champions)
- Mosaic Community Trust
- Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre
- French African Welfare Association
Liam Pywell (VCS Strategic Lead; One Westminster & KCSC) commented :
‘There are 16 amazing VCS organisations funded through this grant who have been given the opportunity to design their own solutions to increase early detection of cancer. That includes projects such as poster campaigns, community workshops, and working with cancer survivors/cancer champions. Projects that are being funded build on the work already happening on the ground and recognises how important the VCS is. There is so much more we can do when the NHS meaningfully partners with the sector, so this is a great first step in showing how that can happen.’
The VHC Community Chest is supported by NHS Inequalities Funding and is managed by Westminster Council Communities Team. We expect soon to announce further rounds of funding framed to target inequality in delivery of healthcare.
