Grants awarded to improve wellbeing and tackle health inequalities in Norwich

The essential funding awarded by the Norwich Health and Wellbeing Partnership to a number of city-based projects and organisations aims to derail health inequalities in our communities and encourage wellbeing to flourish.

Thanks to Norwich’s share of £347,250 from the total of £2.3m worth of funding from Norfolk County Council’s public health service, five projects were successful in their bids for a slice of the money as part of its Covid Recovery Fund.

Here in the city, the money will be used to support projects, activities and initiatives aimed at addressing poor health and wellbeing outcomes which were impacted or made worse by Covid 19. The main goals are to reduce health inequalities; improve health behaviour choices and improve mental health and wellbeing. 

Submitted bids were assessed by the recently established Norwich Health and Wellbeing Partnership – a group of colleagues from county and district councils, health services, wider voluntary, community and social enterprise sector organisations and other partners, with the city council playing a key role.

Using locally available data and intelligence, the partnership’s role involved identifying projects which work towards solving health priorities and problems within the city council’s boundary and awarding money accordingly.

Alan Waters, leader of Norwich City Council and chair of the Norwich Health and Wellbeing Partnership said: “The work of this partnership shows the value of bringing together local experts to agree how funding can be used to collectively tackle some of the key health issues affecting people across our city in the wake of the pandemic.

“Like all cities stretching the length and breadth of the UK, Norwich has its challenges. But by targeting our resources we have played a part in helping a number of dedicated groups and organisations to support some of the most vulnerable in our communities. This includes services such as early intervention work in domestic abuse; self-neglect and hoarding; and sport and men’s mental health.”

Grants were awarded as follows:

• The Shoebox 
• Norfolk Community Advice Network (NCAN) 
• Leeway 
• Active Norfolk 
• Interact (Norwich City Council/local CCG) 

The Norwich group will now turn its focus to the longer term sustainability of the partnership and consider possible sources of funding over the next two years.