Community organisations in Cornwall can now apply for grants of up to £5,000 to fund projects aimed at understanding different factors that affect people’s health and wellbeing.
It follows a successful pilot that has seen 11 organisations undertake projects ranging from an examination of health barriers to diverse women to a survey of experiences of young people arriving at a homeless refuge.
The new round of Community Small Grants funding is part of ongoing work by the Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Cornwall. Hosted by Cornwall Council, the research group is part of the wider National Institute for Health and Care Research.
HDRC Cornwall is working to embed a culture of research in Cornwall, to inform evidence-based decision-making and make a positive impact on people’s wellbeing. The group recognises that factors affecting people’s health and wellbeing — known as ‘health determinants’ — can vary from place to place.
Within Cornwall there is a five and a half-year gap in life expectancy between those in the richest and poorest areas. HDRC Cornwall aims to address this.
“A lot of community groups in Cornwall are already doing great work supporting those impacted by health determinants,” said Thalia Marrington, cabinet member for community safety and public health at Cornwall Council.
“We now want to support more organisations to carry out their own research so they can better understand and support the communities they serve. This will also generate ideas for further research.
“I would encourage all voluntary and community groups to think about how they might be able to help with this ongoing research, and to apply for the funding.”
Find out more about the funding, and how to apply, here.
