Health charity to support healthier places with new funding

The King's Fund has published a new strategy for the next five years. The strategy focuses on three strategic priorities: building healthier places and communities; tackling the worst health outcomes; and supporting people and leaders working in health and care.

The new strategy marks a shift in how The King's Fund will work, with a stronger focus on improving health and care services for people who currently have the poorest health outcomes. It also signals a renewed emphasis on collaborating with partners, including the voluntary and community sector.

Following publication of its strategy, The King's Fund has also announced a major new partnership with The National Lottery Community Fund that will see up to £3 million of funding available to help voluntary and community organisations boost the health and wellbeing of their communities.

The Healthy communities together programme, which is due to launch in the coming weeks, will give charities funding and development support to build partnerships with the NHS and local authorities in their area. It will combine the health, care and leadership expertise of The King’s Fund with grant funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.

Applications for the programme are due to open in coming months. 

Many voluntary and community organisations are thinly stretched and unable to dedicate time to sharing their knowledge of the community in order to shape local health and care plans. Charities can also face difficulties navigating complex NHS and local authority contracting rules and the financial challenge of chasing short-term funding from national and local government.

Richard Murray, Chief Executive of The King's Fund, said: 'The Healthy communities together programme will provide the much-needed funding and leadership support to build long-lasting partnerships between local charities, community groups and public sector organisations. By working together hand-in-glove, voluntary sector, NHS and local authority organisations will be able to have a bigger impact on the health of their communities.'