A new shed, a wellbeing triathlon and activities for people with learning difficulties are just three local projects to receive funding from the B&NES Community Wellness Fund grant programme.
Creativity Works received £2,000 for the Writing Space creative writing group | Photo © Morwhenna Woolcock
In total ten community groups will receive grants to improve mental ill health and loneliness across the Bath and North East Somerset area.
Virgin Care is responsible for the grant programme as part of its contract with B&NES Council and the local NHS to bring health and care services together and improve outcomes by allowing local people to stay well and proactively look after their health.
The grant programme is managed by Quartet Community Foundation which runs the application and grant award process as well as tracking outcomes.
The programme is aimed at community groups and charities targeting loneliness and isolation, and delivering projects promoting healthy lifestyles to enable local communities to tackle some of the causes of mental ill health.
Claire Wynne Hughes, Philanthropy Executive for B&NES at Quartet Community Foundation said: “These 10 groups are great examples of the kind of small, local causes Quartet supports on behalf of our fund holder in Bath and North East Somerset.
“We’re delighted that Virgin Care has asked us to manage this grant programme and award these 10 grants on behalf of the Bath and North East Somerset Community Wellness Fund.
“Our Vital Signs research highlighted many of the health and wellbeing challenges faced in the Bath area including high incidence of cancer in Twerton and Whiteway and the fact that three-quarters of local people want more mental health support available.
“I’m pleased these grants will help groups improve local health and wellbeing.”
Kirsty Mathews, Managing Director of Bath and North East Somerset Community Health and Care Services for Virgin Care, said: “This round of grants covers a fantastic number of diverse activities and age ranges across the local communities we serve.
“We appreciate that mental and physical wellbeing is supported by a range of activities and is the foundation for a healthy lifestyle.”
We Get It’s Laura Philips said: “We Get It is a vital forum for anyone affected by cancer. As well as being a means of connecting people who understand the rollercoaster of being diagnosed, the group also works to enable living well with cancer.
“Our Wellness Programme includes yoga workshops, nutrition workshops, and a growing number of fitness groups.
“We are working on an exciting new project, The Wellness Triathlon, which we are hoping to launch soon and which will be a wonderful way of reaching out to the cancer community in Bath.
“The funding from the Bath and North East Somerset Community Wellness Fund through Quartet will enable us to make these important projects happen.”
Philippa Forsey of Creativity Works added: “We are delighted with being awarded a grant through Quartet from the Bath and North East Somerset Community Wellness Fund.
“This means that Writing Space can continue to meet regularly in Bath and support each other.
“The group never fail to inspire with the depth and quality of their writing and we are very much looking forward to the publication of their next Anthology, which will be out this Spring.”
