Wandsworth Care Alliance

Healthwatch Wandsworth Assembly recap: Accessing healthcare, changes and how to manage your health.

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We are so thankful to those who were able to attend our Healthwatch Wandsworth Assembly on the 27th of March at STORM Family Centre. We want to also say thank you again to Marie from STORM for letting us use their venue and to all the organisations who came to speak to attendees about great work they do.

The Assembly allowed for conversations around the subject of Accessing Care – changes and how to manage your health which has been a frequent and important topic of discussion we have had with residents over the last year. 

You can find the full set of presentation slides at the bottom of this page and below are some links to more information about topics covered at the Assembly.

We are also attaching some slides on potential priorities we at Healthwatch Wandsworth may focus on in 2025/2026. These are a result of conversations we have had with our members, residents, and voluntary and statutory organisations over the last 6 months.

We would love to hear from you on these emerging priorities so please feel free to give your feedback by emailing us at information@healthwatchwandsworth.co.uk

HWW 27th March 2025 Assembly Presentation SlidesDownload
HWW Emerging priorities for 2025Download

NHS RM Partners Technology and Healthcare Survey

On the subject of changes around accessing your care we’d like to share a survey being run by NHS RM Partners which is looking to understand how technology can support patients throughout their cancer journey.

Click here 

Thank you again to all those who attended and we hope to see you at our next event in the near future! You can stay up to date with our work and be informed of future events by signing up to become a Healthwatch Wandsworth member below! We’ll also publish a webpage soon with copies of presentations from the day and other bits of information you can use and share with people you know.

Click here to become a Healthwatch Wandsworth member for free

Voluntary Sector Forum Meeting highlights

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We hosted our Voluntary Forum Sector meeting on Wednesday 2nd April 2025, where we were joined by fantastic guest speakers from Wandsworth Council, Need2Succeed, The Wandsworth Provider Alliance, Free2be and Share and care Homeshare.

The forum provided Voluntary Sector Organisations to discuss, network and share with each other and allowed everyone to discover what was happening in the sector and listen to our guest speakers on what they’re working on and find out what’s upcoming in the borough. Updates were also heard from ourselves, Wandsworth Older Peoples Forum and from the Health and Wellbeing Board. All the presentations that were shared at the forum can be found at the bottom of this page.

Wandsworth Care Alliance Updates

If you would like to be notified of all upcoming Health and Wellbeing Board Engagement group meetings, please send us an email to let us know on communications@wandcareall.org.uk.

Wandsworth Council Updates

The Council’s Community & Partnerships Team leads on community engagement for the Council, manages local grant funding opportunities including the Wandsworth Grant Fund, and coordinates and supports collaboration with partner organisations locally, across a range of activities and different sectors. The team are always happy to hear ideas and support with connecting our VCS with other partners – please contact partnerships@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk.

The Wandsworth Grant Fund provides small grants for VCS organisations in the borough to run activities for up to 12 months. Next deadline is 7 July 2025. More information on this can be found here: Wandsworth Grant Fund – Wandsworth Borough Council

Warm welcome to our new VCS Strategy and Partnership Manager, Dianne Jones. Dianne will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of the strategy working alongside the council, VCS organisations and wider partners.  Dianne is keen to meet with as many VCS groups and organisations across the borough, so if you would like a visit or a conversation please get in touch Dianne.Jones@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk.

The Council is committed to working in close partnership with the voluntary and community sector in a way that amplifies and celebrates its contribution and impact. To achieve this, the Council has developed new Voluntary and Community Strategy 2025-2030. Wandsworth Voluntary Sector Strategy

Invitation to join upcoming Wandsworth Voluntary and Community Network meeting which is happening online on 6th of May 11am-12pm. Please register your interest here. 

This network is supported by Wandsworth Council and will provide a regular space for the council, the local voluntary and community sector and wider partners operating in Wandsworth to come together, network, share updates, discuss and collaborate on key policy, strategic and service areas; with the aim to build an even stronger community network across Wandsworth. Please also email voluntarysectorteam@wandsworth.gov.uk if you have an agenda item you would like added.

VCS Hub Invitation

Wandsworth Voluntary and Community Sector Hub is a modern, affordable workspace in Wandsworth Town Hall designed to support local organisations. The VCS Hub offers 24 workstations, three meeting rooms, and a flexible, supportive environment. The hub is free to use for the first three months and provides flexible working, allowing organisations to book desks and meeting rooms to suit their needs.

Register to access the VCS Hub and share this opportunity with your networks to help build a stronger and connected community.

View our short VCS Hub Launch Video.

For more details, visit VCS Hub – Wandsworth Borough Council.

Climate Action Microgrants. For community groups, schools, individuals or non-profits to run events and activities that promote positive behaviours in the community around climate change and sustainability. Up to £500. Deadline – 30 May.

Information about the newly formed Wandsworth Provider Alliance can be found here.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Voluntary Sector Forum meeting.

VSF 02042025 – Ravi slidesDownload
Wandsworth CouncilDownload
RobertoDownload

Winter Engagement Fund 2024/5

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Between September 2024 and March 2025, Wandsworth Care Alliance (WCA) have managed the Winter Engagement Fund on behalf of NHS South-West London Integrated Care Board (SWL ICB). Grants of up to £550 were awarded to community or voluntary organisations in Wandsworth to support people to stay well during the Winter. This grant was intended to fund activities and events to engage local people with information about winter topics such as: vaccinations, places to find support, using local pharmacies and the NHS App. Wandsworth organisations held a total of 60 events for the Winter Engagement Fund 2024/25. Information was shared to 703 people in 11 languages.

South West London ICS partnered with local organisations to engage 10,000 residents through 115 grants, funding 350 community activities from Oct 2024–Feb 2025. Learn more here.

Read our full report on the Winter Engagement fund here.

NHS South West London – Wandsworth Spring Grant Fund 2025 – Empowering communities to shape health and care services

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  • Are you a community leader of a voluntary organisation in south west London?
  • Do you know what matters most to the people you support?  Do you have knowledge about the health and care needs of the communities you work with?
  • Can you run an engaging activity and share what you have heard to shape the future of health and care?

The NHS in south west London is offering funding to support community-led activities and discussions that gather valuable insights. Wandsworth Care Alliance will be administering this grant on behalf of the NHS.

What funding is available?

Fund 1 & 2 – grants up to £550

Fund 3 – grants up to £2,000

Healthy Communities grant (Fund 1) and Digital & Health grant (Fund 2) – up to £550 available

What’s involved?

  • Host an activity and have conversations about health and care topics.
  • Use your knowledge and skills to share what you have heard with us
  • Join a short NHS training session – covering how to record feedback and insight from your community.
  • Share what you heard – take part in an interview after your activity with a local project lead and complete a short feedback form.
  • Join a listening event with NHS leaders – date to be confirmed soon!

This fund is flexible, and its focus is to hear from our most disadvantaged and marginalised communities. It is up to you to decide how and when you collect insight, this could be during your event or in the lead up to your activity. 

The NHS is funding you as a community leader to help us understand the experiences and views of the people you reach and support.

We simply ask that you have these conversations in a way that works for you, then share feedback and insight. You’ll need to complete a short form to help us capture themes along with an interview with a local project lead from Wandsworth Care Alliance. 

What can you apply for?

We would like to understand the views of people and communities on the following topics:  

  • Fund 1: Healthy communities fund – understand what helps people living in Wandsworth to stay healthy and what stops people from seeking support and preventing illness.
  • Fund 2: Digital and health fund – understand how technology can improve access to care and what digital barriers do people face.

Who we’d like to reach?

We’re particularly keen to hear from communities who often face barriers to healthcare.

If applying for a Healthy Communities grant (Fund 1), we’d like to hear from:

  • People from our most deprived areas – see application form for more details
  • People who experience issues or barriers in accessing health and care.
  • People who have lived experience of mental health services or support  
  • Groups supporting social connection, such as outdoor activities and events
  • People from our health inclusion groups – including migrants and refugees, people who are homeless, people facing social exclusion

If applying for a Digital & Health grant (Fund 2) we’d like to hear from:

  • People who face barriers using technology
  • People from our most deprived areas – see application form for more details
  • People from our health inclusion groups – including migrants and refugees, people who are homeless, people facing social exclusion.

Oral health community grant fund (Fund 3) – In-depth focus groups and community research – grants of up to £2,000 available

We are looking for community leaders and organisations to carry out in-depth focus groups and one-to-one discussions about oral health.

Your activity should focus on healthy mouths and teeth, gathering detailed insights from your community to help improve local services.

For more information and to support your application, please download this information pack on oral health grants for Wandsworth: Spring Engagement Grants – Google Drive

What’s involved?

  • Run structured focus groups and one-to-one interviews with:
    • People from our most deprived areas – see application form for more details
    • People from our health inclusion groups – for example people who are homeless or living in temporary accommodation, refugees, migrants, Gypsy, Roma & Traveller communities
    • Children and young people, their parents and carers
    • Older people over the age of 60
  • Join an NHS training session – covering how to record feedback and insight from the communities you work with and reach. 
  • Capture views, experiences and insights using key questions (provided by the NHS).
  • Submit a detailed report summarising your findings. Don’t worry we will help you plan for your report and provide lots of tips and guidance.
  • Join a listening event with NHS leaders – date coming soon!

Who we’d like to hear from:

  • Community leaders and organisations with strong connections to these communities and groups.
  • Those with the capacity to dedicate time to running structured discussions and reporting insights.

What could your funding support?

  • Focus groups and community research
  • Facilitator time for running in-depth discussions
  • Costs related to community engagement and participation.

How will applications be assessed?

You can apply for more than one grant, but applications will be assessed based on:

  • Reach and inclusion – how well you connect with the communities the NHS would like to reach. More information for each grant above.
  • Engagement approach – how you plan to capture insights and feedback from your communities.
  • Commitment to training and feedback – willingness to attend training and a follow-up interview.

Why your voice matters

As a community leader, you have the trust, connections, and insight to reach people in ways others can’t. By getting involved, you’ll help shape health and care services to better reflect the needs of Wandsworth residents.

Key information

  • Application deadline: 19 March 2025 at 17:00 
  • Funding available:
    • Fund 1 & 2: Up to £550
    • Fund 3: Up to £2,000
  • Who can apply: Community and voluntary organisations in Wandsworth.
  • To find out more – join our information session on Thursday 27 February at 1pm, please register sign up here!

How to apply?

Got questions?
Speak to a member of the team at Wandsworth Care Alliance:
Contact: Jessica on Jessica@wandcareall.org.uk.
 

Unlock free training & workforce development opportunities for your staff in 2025

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We want to introduce you to Roberto from Need 2 Succeed. His organisation is delivering a programme on behalf, the South West London VCSE Alliance, which is about VCSE organisations across SWL utilising the unspent NHS levy to pay for training/workforce development opportunities for any of your existing members of staff through apprenticeships.

There are lots of relevant courses that your staff could take advantage of (and completely covered by the donation, anything from master’s degree level to Level 2 or 3 courses). Roberto can guide you on how to receive the donation, choose the right courses and enrol employees on a one to one basis after the workshop on the 26th February. The online workshop is taking place on Wednesday 26th February, from 11am – 1pm.

Given how tight budgets are at present, we thought it might be a great way to be able to offer training and a progression pathway to employees. You can attend the workshop and Need 2 Succeed can also provide one to one support after that. 

Book your space here.

If you’d like more information before the workshop please contact Roberto from Need 2 Succeed at roberto@need2succeed.co.uk.

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