Healthwatch Essex Fund

New funds are available thanks to Healthwatch Essex, for voluntary groups and local charities that are working to enhance information, guidance and advice within health and care.

Healthwatch Essex has already awarded £150,000 to support healthcare projects across Essex since it began in 2016, which is managed by Essex Community Foundation. The independant charity provides an information service to help people access, understand, and navigate the health and social care system, as well as gathering people’s experiences to help improve local services.

The Chief Executive of Healthwatch Essex, Dr David Sollis, said: “There are some amazing charities and voluntary groups in Essex and the work they do is crucial in ensuring people get the support they need. In many cases they are the best placed organisations in the community to connect with local people and to help people in need navigate the right path to appropriate support.”

Voluntary organisations and local charities can apply for two different funding schemes:

Small grants of up to £10,000 and larger grants of up to £35,000. The latter is for strategic projects which will significantly improve access to local services at a county level or develop new ways of working.

In order to apply for the funding, click here for the Healthwatch Essex Fund application criteria and guidelines. The deadline date for applications is 22 September 2017. You can also visit the Healthwatch Essex website for more details and contact information.