Wandsworth Care Alliance

Funding Focus 2026 – South West London Funding Conference

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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.

Healthwatch Wandsworth Assembly – Your Community, Your Health – Help to develop neighbourhood health services that keep us well

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Tuesday 24th March 2026, 4-6pm at Wimbledon Common Care Home – Avery Collection

Health care leaders in South West London are looking to help people live well in local areas and reduce the need for care in hospitals. They aim to achieve this by improving the way services are delivered in every London neighbourhood, putting people and communities at the heart of care.

Join us for nibbles and drinks and to share your thoughts, raise your questions, meet with local organisations, hear what the community has told Healthwatch Wandsworth, and help us make sure the voice community is at the heart of new neighbourhood health services.

For people living and/or working in Wandsworth.

Secure your space here

Any access (including transport) or dietary requirements please email us at information@healthwatchwandsworth.co.uk

Please note we will be taking photographs at the event to use in our communications, if you do not wish to be photographed let us know at the event, thank you.

Sorry if you can’t make it this time, but sign up to be a member to hear about what happened at the event and to hear about the next one.

Full address for the venue:
Wimbledon Common Care Home – Avery Collection, 6 Victoria Dr, SW19 6AB, London.

MMRV Grant information

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MMRV Grant Specification

Small Grants Programme: Community Engagement on the MMRV Vaccine

Amount: £600 or £800

Deadline: Monday, 2nd 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 19th 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: 2nd February 2026

Applications close: 2nd March 2026

Events to be delivered by: 31st 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.

Thrive LDN’s Great Mental Health Day 2026

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Thrive LDN is a public mental health partnership dedicated to helping all Londoners live happier, healthier lives by promoting wellbeing, reducing stigma around mental health, and connecting communities with support and resources. It brings together a range of partners to coordinate campaigns, training, suicide prevention initiatives, and free wellbeing resources across the capital.

One of Thrive LDN’s initiatives is Great Mental Health Day which is an annual awareness day that aims to get Londoners talking about mental health, celebrate support services available across the city, and challenge the stigma of reaching out for help. This year the day falls on Friday, 30th January, marking the fifth year the event has taken place.

Everyday Spaces

For 2026, Thrive LDN has chosen the theme of everyday spaces, informal, trusted locations where connection and support naturally happen. These could be community kitchens, local craft groups, sports pitches, neighbourhood parks or any welcoming space where people feel they belong. The idea is to highlight that support doesn’t always start in clinical settings; it often begins in the familiar corners of our everyday lives.

Get involved and share

Great Mental Health Day encourages Londoners to take part in events and activities across the city, either by attending local gatherings, hosting inclusive and free events, or using the hashtag #GreatMentalHealth on social media. Thrive LDN provides a supporter’s pack which you can access here. They provide an interactive map of local activities, and free training and webinars to help individuals and organisations get involved and support wellbeing in their communities.

Feedback from previous years highlights how the day has helped people start meaningful conversations, feel supported, and discover local services they hadn’t known about before emphasising the power of connection and shared experience in promoting mental health.

Upcoming wellbeing events

Wandsworth Borough Council has put together a list of Week of Wellbeing events taking place across the borough next week. The programme offers residents opportunities to take part in activities that support mental health, encourage connection, and promote positive wellbeing from workshops and walks to creative and community-based sessions.

Discover the events here.

Where to find support

If you or someone you know might need professional mental health help, there are several accessible services available. It is important to reach out and get help if you are experiencing feelings of anxiety, loneliness or depression. Support is available for whatever you are going through.

This link shares services that are available to residents in Wandsworth: https://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/public-health/your-health/mental-health/mental-health-services-in-wandsworth/

Urgent Support (Not Life-Threatening)

  • NHS 111: Call 111 or use their online service for urgent mental health advice.
  • Shout (Text): Text SHOUT to 85258 for free, confidential support anytime.
  • Samaritans: Call 116 123 (24/7, free) to talk to someone.
  • Crisis Resolution & Home Treatment Teams (CRHT): These NHS teams provide urgent care in the community.

Spotlight on Bright Path Unity Village CIC: Empowering Young People and Families in Wandsworth

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Bright Path Unity Village CIC is a new, community-rooted organisation based in Wandsworth, dedicated to empowering young people, young parents and families to build stable, healthy and fulfilling lives.

Bright Path exists to uplift voices that are often unheard and to create safe, inclusive spaces where people feel valued, supported and able to thrive. Through mentoring, wellbeing support, life skills development and culturally responsive community programmes, the organisation works alongside residents facing barriers related to education, housing, mental health, parenting, employment and navigating local systems.

Their mission

Bright Path Unity Village CIC’s mission is to support young people and young parents in Wandsworth through practical guidance, emotional support and advocacy. Their work is rooted in early intervention, prevention and long-term empowerment helping individuals build confidence, resilience and positive futures.

Their approach blends one-to-one mentoring with creative, youth-led group activities and community-based programmes that promote wellbeing, leadership and connection.

Current projects

Bright Path delivers a range of targeted projects designed to meet the needs of different groups within the community:

  • Empowering young girls – Empowering young women to rise, build confidence and thrive.
  • Next Generation – Supporting young men to challenge harmful stereotypes and develop strength through respect, purpose and accountability.
  • Rebuild – Helping young ex-offenders rebuild confidence, direction and a sense of belonging within the community.
  • Bright guides – A peer mentorship trainee programme that equips young people to lead and support others with compassion and confidence.
  • Bright futures – Supporting young parents to maintain stable family networks and grow in confidence, skills and wellbeing.

Bright Path’s work spans several key areas:

  • Mentoring & Coaching – One-to-one and group mentoring to help young people set goals, navigate challenges and access opportunities.
  • Life skills workshops – Sessions covering financial literacy, employability, digital skills, leadership and personal planning.
  • Wellbeing – Activities such as meditation, journaling, emotional regulation and confidence-building.
  • Young parent support – Peer support groups, parenting workshops, family activities and signposting to services.
  • Advocacy – Accompanying young people to statutory meetings, housing appointments, court hearings and interactions with services.
  • Inclusive practice – Occupational therapy-informed adaptations to ensure activities are accessible for disabled young people and parents.
  • Community events – Youth forums, cultural celebrations and inter-generational activities that strengthen community connections.

What the Community thinks

The impact of Bright Path’s work is reflected in the experiences of those they support:

“Bright Path helped me rebuild my confidence after leaving school. The mentoring sessions showed me I’m capable of more than I thought.” — Young person, 17

“As a young dad, I didn’t know where to start. The parenting group gave me support, practical help and a space where I didn’t feel judged.” — Young parent, 20

“Having someone sit with me in my housing meeting made a huge difference. I finally felt like somebody was on my side.” — Young person, 18

“The workshops helped me manage my anxiety and learn new life skills. I feel more in control of my future now.” — Young woman, 22

Get involved

Bright Path Unity Village CIC relies on community support to keep services accessible and expand their reach. There are many ways residents, professionals and organisations can help:

  • Volunteer as a mentor or peer supporter
  • Deliver skills-based workshops (e.g. CV writing, digital skills, creative arts, wellbeing)
  • Partner with Bright Path on referrals, joint programmes or events
  • Refer young people who may benefit from mentoring, wellbeing support or advocacy
  • Support inclusive practice through SEND or disability expertise
  • Donate or sponsor resources, including space, equipment or materials
  • Attend or support community events

Get in touch with them and learn more!

Bright Path Unity Village CIC
CIC Number: 16739333
Email: brightpath.village@gmail.com
Phone: 07415 958598
Instagram: @Bright_pathcic

Bright Path Unity Village CIC is building a future where young people and families feel supported, heard and empowered, and they’re inviting the Wandsworth community to be part of that journey.

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