Health and wellbeing support for thousands in Leeds

More than 7,000 people in Leeds have been supported with their health and wellbeing thanks to Harnessing the Power of Communities Small Grants. 

 

About the programme 

The Harnessing the Power of Communities Small Grants programme was delivered in partnership with Forum Central and with funding from West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership and NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group (now the ICB in Leeds). It supported organisations and projects to improve the health and wellbeing of people in communities identified as the most deprived in Leeds, building on local assets to address locally identified needs. 

The small grants programme was part of the wider Harnessing the Power of Communities programme which aims to better engage the Third Sector in shaping services and decision making in health and care. The programme aims to ensure greater inclusivity and accessibility in commissioning and service provision. 

 

Funded activities 

In total, the programme invested almost £250,000 in 31 Leeds Community Organisations in 2020 and 2021. There was a wide range of activities funded, including peer support projects, training opportunities, mindfulness skill-building, art sessions, social activities and physical activities including yoga and synchronized swimming. 

 

Health and wellbeing outcomes 

The Harnessing the Power of Communities Small Grants Programme has brought about positive change for many people across the city. Thanks to taking part in activities funded by the programme, almost 2,200 people said their mental health improved and nearly 660 said their physical health improved. People also felt more connected, with almost 1,400 people reporting an increased sense of belonging to the community. 

Through their grant reports, organisations also described a wider range of outcomes for the people they worked with. These include people feeling happier, feeling better about themselves and being more skilled. People at risk were also able to gain access to basic healthcare. 

 

Case study 

Leeds Destitute Asylum Seekers Support (LEDAS) is a charity that provides housing and support to homeless and destitute asylum seekers who have no right to work and no right to state benefits. LEDAS offer social activities, access to education and training in English language, IT skills and various chosen subjects, and access to physical and mental healthcare, vaccinations and health education. 

Those LEDAS support are “at the bottom on the inequalities pyramid” with no income or means to earn. A hostile culture towards asylum seekers, traumatic histories for many and destitution mean that access to both mental and physical health support is essential. Their Harnessing the Power of Communities Small Grant enabled LEDAS to provide fresh fruit and veg on a daily basis, bus passes to encourage residents to move about the city, gym membership to aid physical health and funds to meet energy bills. 15 people were supported by the work over the life of the grant.   

This highly practical approach has enabled the project to focus on different aspects of developing a healthy lifestyle. Food sharing has provided a way of learning about different cultures; trips out as a group have built connections, friendships and peer support; exercise has boosted both physical and mental wellbeing, and meeting energy costs has meant warmth and security. 

They said “Three of the residents who participated in outings to the seaside reported feeling happy at being on the beach, in the fresh air, walking and playing frisbee which was new to them. Four who participated in outings to a farm where there was an arts centre had positive experiences of the countryside, and watching participatory theatre which they had not seen before. They also expressed pleasure at seeing farm animals in their natural habitats in Yorkshire. The fact of these men living together enabled them to have these new experiences together and to discuss them with each other.” 

 

Looking ahead 

The evidence and learning from the Harnessing the Power of Communities Small Grants programme provides a guide to future investment to support the continued integration of the Third Sector within the health and care system. 

• • • • Community Organisations are well placed to deliver health outcomes and to reach people in communities most at risk from health inequalities.  These outcomes are achieved through relatively modest amounts, demonstrating that investment in the Third Sector represents good value. 
      • The grassroots approaches of many Community Organisations generate both innovation in delivery, and inclusive practice that supports shared approaches to service design and production. 
      • Investment in Community Organisations builds capacity and expertise within those organisations, promotes effective partnership working with mainstream health providers and prompts Third Sector alignment with strategic priorities within the health and care system.   
      • To sustain the boosts in capacity and resilience achieved by Community Organisations, and to secure the long-term contribution of the Third Sector within wider change programmes, investment is required both in service development and delivery and in multi-year core funding. 
      • The achievements of the small grants programme can support Third Sector infrastructure providers in Leeds in championing the role of smaller organisations in the delivery of good health outcomes. 

 

You can learn more about the wider Harnessing the Power of Communities programme from Forum Central here, and from West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board here.