The first organisations to benefit from our Public Health Accelerator Bids (PHAB) small grants programme have been announced.
A range of organisations will benefit from a total of £136,366. This will be used to support a variety of projects aimed at improving the physical and mental health of residents across the county.
The first successful organisations are:
- UTurn4Support: to launch a project combining sporting activity and theoretical mentoring to achieve positive health and social outcomes for young people.
- The Art Ministry: to run twice weekly creative sessions over two years for people with mental health issues as well as disadvantaged and disabled residents.
- SEND the Right Message Charity (STRM): to employ a community engagement officer working with residents in Canvey, Benfleet, Hadleigh, Hockley, Ashingdon, Great Wakering, Canewdon and Hullbridge.
- Urban Support CIC: to provide a supported learning programme in partnership with local schools, focusing on assisting children with learning difficulties by providing access to physical activities and mentoring.
- Over 50s Black Men Forum CIC: to host a Mental Health Seminar in Chelmsford and provide five mental health workshops over a 36-week period for older black men across Essex.
- Making It Mindful: to host “dance and dine” sessions for women and families, combined dance and cooking workshops.
- Yoga4all Group CIC: to deliver children’s yoga classes in Basildon.
- Let's Get Out C.I.C: to create the Every Acorn Project Forest School, which will utilise the therapeutic benefits of nature to improve mental wellbeing.
- Barnardo's Essex Child & Family Wellbeing Service: to work with Thurstable School to offer young people suffering anxiety up to age 19 two blocks of six-week yoga sessions.
- Ferriers Barn: to provide two fitness classes weekly at Ferriers Barn, a day centre for adults with disabilities, and a weekly sound gong session.
- Canvey Island Youth Project (Yellow Door): to employ a sessional counsellor specialising in supporting young people who are neurodiverse or who present as younger than their years.
- Ace Music Therapy CIC: to host two inclusive 12-week music workshops for adults and children, as well as a community performance at the end of the programme.
Councillor John Spence, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Social Care and ICS Integration, said:
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to impactful public health interventions, and I’m really pleased to such a diverse range of projects and organisations benefit from the first PHAB small grants.
Small grants from the programme are still available, and I would urge other organisations across the county to consider submitting a bid – the money you could receive can make a real difference.
The £7.5 million Public Health Accelerator Bids (PHAB) programme offers organisations the opportunity to bid for funding across two grant funding streams. These are: small grants under £15,000 and major grants over £15,000.
Applications for the small grants scheme can be made on a rolling basis.
Find out more about our PHAB programme.
