Wandsworth Care Alliance (WCA) is working with NHS South West London to offer grants of up to £1000 to local Wandsworth organisations.

Through the Neighbourhood Engagement Fund, Wandsworth Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations can apply for grants to run activities to hold conversations and gather community insight about people’s experiences of accessing support in the local area.

As part of this we’d also like organisations to identify what support and assets exist locally, as well as any gaps or unmet needs in each neighbourhood.

We’ll provide a conversation guide to support this based on:
– helping us understand community groups, organisations, places or services in your area that you go to for help or support with health or everyday life
– to identify which services they already use and what makes it difficult to access these services
– what people would like to improve in the area
– we would also invite residents to tell us anything else they think is important to them or that they would like to tell us?

Share what you’ve heard:

– Provide a report on the insight you’ve gathered, based on the conversation guide photography, detailed information about your conversations and quotes from participants. (an online form, including demographic monitoring questions, to make this easy).  
– Tell us who you’ve spoken to, how many and what activities you delivered.
– Tell us about the local organisations, groups, places or people that are already supporting residents in your neighbourhood.

Timeline:

• Applications are open now and close on 16th February.
• Notification of outcome/distribution of funds W/C 23rd February
• Compulsory attendance to share your insight in-person at the Healthwatch Wandsworth Assembly on 24th March 16:00 – 18:00. Your engagement activity should be underway or completed so you can share some emerging findings.
• All funded activities must be delivered and reported by Tuesday 31 March 2026.

Background:

The NHS10-Year Plan sets out an ambition to transform how health and care services are delivered through Neighbourhood Health and Care, bringing care closer to home, supporting people to live healthier and more independent lives, and offering greater choice in how support is accessed. Neighbourhood Health and Care is central to delivering the three core shifts of the NHS: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.

Built around where people live, work, learn and connect, neighbourhood models are intended to be locally led rather than one-size-fits-all, supporting people across the life course and addressing health inequalities through proactive, personalised and preventative approaches. Achieving this ambition requires a renewed commitment to partnership working across health, local authorities and communities with neighbourhood needs placed firmly at the centre of how services are planned and delivered.

You can read more about the plans here: NHS England » Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England

What will we need to do?

To apply:

Complete the following short application form here outlining your proposed activity, who you plan to engage, what the funding will support with and how you will to gather insight. The activity can be something you already have planned, but must achieve the requirements of the fund.

The activity needs to meet the following criteria:
– Are strong community links demonstrated in the neighbourhood they are proposing to work.
– Audience – local residents in neighbourhoods with a specific focus on those with at most risk of needing a lot of local of health and care support and those at risk of health inequalities.
– Does the applicant outline how they will engage with communities and feedback?
– Budget clearly aligning to the fund

Grant funding available: Up to £1,000 is available. If you have additional accessibility-related costs, please include these in your application and we will review them through our accessibility budget.

Deadline: Monday, 16th February, we’ll let you know the outcome shortly after the deadline.

Questions: For any questions, please contact WCA at communications@wandcareall.org.uk

Visit our Neighbourhood Health Services page for more related information.

Many organisations across the health and wellbeing sector are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit volunteers. If you’re facing similar challenges, the NHS Volunteering Service could be the solution you need.

This free, national platform is designed to help you widen your reach, raise your profile, and connect with volunteers who are genuinely motivated to make a difference in healthcare.

Why this matters now

In today’s challenging recruitment landscape, every opportunity to reach potential volunteers counts. NHS Volunteering complements your existing recruitment channels, providing an additional avenue to attract a broader and more diverse pool of candidates – people who are actively seeking healthcare-related opportunities.

Is your organisation eligible?

You may be able to use the NHS Volunteering service if your volunteer roles support:

• Promoting healthier lives
• Preventing premature death
• Supporting people with long-term conditions
• Aiding recovery from ill health
• Improving access to healthcare

Simple to get started

Getting set up is straightforward. You can link your existing application process directly to the platform with no complicated changes needed. You maintain full control of your recruitment whilst expanding your visibility to thousands of potential volunteers.

Find out more

Learn more about NHS Volunteering in just two minutes by looking at  What is NHS Volunteering?

Join an online introduction session for more details about the service, eligibility and how to apply for an account.  The next ones are:

• 28^th January 3-3.45pm
• 11^th February 11-11.45am
• 12^th March 2-2.45pm

To request your invitation, contact nhsvolunteeringsupport@nhsbsa.nhs.uk with your preferred date and quote ‘Wandsworth Care Alliance’

Don’t let great volunteer opportunities go unfilled. Discover how the NHS Volunteering service can work for your organisation.

The South West London CVS network has joined together to connect local groups with funding opportunities and information.

This special interactive one-day event is a fantastic chance to meet funders in-person, build relationships, ask questions, explore new trends, and strengthen your skills in securing funding.

The day will offer presentations, panel discussion, one-to-one conversations and practical workshops – all designed to support South West London organisations at every stage of their fundraising journey.

With a wide range of funders and local grant givers, whether you’re just starting out, or looking to scale up your impact, this event will help you build confidence, develop your funding approach, and make valuable connections to take your project ideas forward.

The ticket price includes a choice of workshops, lunch and refreshments.

Each participating borough has a limited ticket allocation and local organisations are eligible for a 50% discount to apply to the ticket price when booking. Our code is: WCA50.

With limited places and the significant discount for local organisations, don’t delay in booking yours now!

Book here.

MMRV Grant Specification

Small Grants Programme: Community Engagement on the MMRV Vaccine

Amount: £600 or £800

Deadline: Monday, 2^nd March 5pm.

Join the MMRV Grant information session taking place on Thursday 19th Feb from 10am-11am – Register your space here.

Overview

We are offering small grants to local Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations to host community-led activities that explore views, experiences and questions around the MMRV (Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Varicella) vaccine.

We recognise that VCS organisations are trusted spaces within their communities and are best placed to create safe, informal environments where honest conversations can take place. VCS organisations also understand the cultural needs and concerns of the people they work with best, meaning they can design activities that best fit their community.

Through this programme, we encourage organisations to be creative in how they engage their communities. Activities could include:

• Hosting informal coffee mornings or discussion spaces
• Training vaccine ambassadors, including parent or pupil champions
• Helping families get to vaccine appointments (e.g. through transport support)
• Co-producing resources (e.g. leaflets or short videos in community languages)

These examples are not exhaustive, and we welcome innovative ideas that reflect what will work best for your community.

The purpose of this programme is to listen, understand and share accurate information, not to persuade people or influence their decisions.

We are particularly interested in hearing from groups whose voices are less often included in public health conversations, and from communities where childhood vaccination rates are lower or where people may feel more unsure about vaccines.

What is required of VCS organisations?

Successful applicants will be expected to:

1. Take part in training and support
   1. Attend a group training session
   1. Access optional 1:1 support from WCA officers if you would like help planning your activity
2. Plan and deliver a community activity
   1. Organise and run at least one engagement activity focussed on the MMRV vaccination
   1. Activities can take any form that helps start conversations or supports people to access vaccination
3. Tailor the activity to your community
   1. Design your activity based on your community’s concerns, needs, experiences and insights
   1. Make sure the activity is accessible and culturally appropriate
4. Engage community members
   1. Participation must be voluntary.
   1. Plan how to reach and invite community members, especially those who may be less likely to attend
5. Facilitate listening-focused conversations
   1. Encourage conversations, either in a group setting or 1:1
   1. Avoid giving medical advice or trying to persuade people during discussions
   1. Keep discussions respectful and non-judgemental
6. Capture and share insights
   1. Record anonymised feedback from your activity (e.g. number of people reached, key themes, quotes, reflections)
   1. Submit a short feedback summary using the online template provided within two weeks of your activity completion
   1. No personal or identifiable information should be collected or reported
   1. Share at least one anonymous quote from a participant

Wandsworth Council Public Health team and WCA reserve the right to work with you to co-design or further develop activities where it is deemed that additional input or refinement is necessary.

Officers also reserve the right to attend activities delivered by your organisation within this project for monitoring and evaluation purposes.

Depending on what your community needs, your activity should help people:

• Share their thoughts and questions about the MMRV vaccine, including:
  • Awareness and understanding of the vaccine
  • Factors influencing vaccine confidence or hesitancy
  • Barriers to accessing vaccination
  • Trusted sources of information and support
  • What would help people feel more informed or supported
• Feel more informed about vaccines so they can make their own decisions
• Feel more confident discussing vaccines
• Access vaccination more easily (if relevant to your activity)

Events should prioritise listening and discussion, rather than delivering information.

What will be provided by WCA/Wandsworth Council?

• An information session, being run on Thursday 19^th February, 10:00-11:00. This will be on Teams. Please click here to register.
• If successful, a group training session
• 1:1 support/meeting if needed with WCA/Wandsworth Council officers
• A guide on having confident conversations
• Vaccine information, resources and materials
• Potential external evaluation support

Who can apply?

• Local VCS organisations
• Community groups, charities, CIOs, CICs
• Unincorporated organisations

Organisations must be actively working in the Borough of Wandsworth.

Funding

What can funding be used for?	What can funding not be used for?
Venue hireRefreshmentsMaterials and printingVolunteer timeAccessibility costs (e.g. transport, childcare, interpreters)	Medical or clinical activityVaccine deliveryCampaigning or promotional workStaff timePayments to participants for attendance

*The funding for this grant will be paid in two instalments. 50% upon being awarded the grant and 50% upon final completion of agreed upon activities and submission of a satisfactory monitoring form.

Timescale

Applications open: 2^nd February 2026

Applications close: 2^nd March 2026

Events to be delivered by: 31^st July 2026

Monitoring form submitted by: 2 weeks after activity delivery

How will insights be used?

Insights gathered through these events will be combined to:

• Produce a final written report
• Improve understanding of local attitudes and experiences
• Inform future public health engagement and service design
• Ensure community voices shape future work on vaccination

Individual participants will not be identified in any reporting.

How to apply

Please click here for the application form.

Please email Jessica at jessica@wandcareall.org.uk for any questions.