This year, 116 south west London voluntary organisations have received Winter Engagement Fund small grants to run welcoming events that get people winter-ready and boost spirits. Around 320 events will take place between now and February 2025, reaching more than 13,000 residents.
Successful organisations include Wandsworth’s Baked Bean Charity, which is hosting Zumba sessions for adults with learning disabilities. Togetherness Community Centre’s Caribbean Social Club in Merton also received a grant to fund hot lunches for the over 65s.
As well as getting people out of the house to beat isolation, the activities are a chance to talk about accessing NHS care, staying well and being up to date with seasonal vaccinations. There is information about the services on offer at community pharmacies, including when to use the Pharmacy First scheme to get treatment for seven common conditions.
Each session is an opportunity for the NHS to hear residents’ views about their experience of accessing healthcare, to help improve services for local people.
Those attending can also have conversations about vaccinations for Covid-19 and flu, and installing and using the NHS App. By helping people protect themselves against winter viruses and get the right care at the right time, the fund supports health services as demand increases during the colder months.
We’ve seen the Winter Engagement Fund go from strength to strength over the past two years. It’s a great example of the NHS working with grassroots organisations to talk directly to local communities”
The grants of up to £500 are aimed at organisations whose members are more likely to experience unequal access to healthcare – and poorer health – as a result of their life circumstances.
Some activities offer hot meals and the chance to spend time in warm spaces. However, this year’s events also include opportunities to get out and about in nature. There are plenty of active sessions too, including Zumba and yoga.
All events have been designed by the groups, based on their knowledge of what will interest people and maximise attendance.
NHS South West London launched the Winter Engagement Fund two years ago and has subsequently developed the programme alongside voluntary sector partners in all six boroughs: Croydon Voluntary Action, Kingston Voluntary Action, Merton Connected, Richmond CVS, Community Action Sutton and Wandsworth Care Alliance.
Events like this can have a transformational impact on people’s lives and allow us to speak and listen to people in the community.”
Croydon Voluntary Action worked with the NHS to distribute funds across the borough. Director of communities, Sarah Burns said: “We’ve seen the Winter Engagement Fund go from strength to strength over the past two years. It’s a great example of the NHS working with grassroots organisations to talk directly to local communities – while bringing people together to beat winter loneliness.”
Autistic-led social enterprise A Collective received a grant for the first time to host a half day event with Queer Croydon. A Collective co-director Jill Finch explained: “We plan to host a safe, welcoming afternoon of alternative celebration, conversation and community joy that provides respite from the neuronormative and heteronormative pressures of Christmas. We will share information and invite discussions on health and care services informally alongside creative activities including zine-making and seasonal song parodies.”
Kingston charity RBKares will run a wellbeing event with the Cambridge Road Estate Tuesday Group foodbank with information about vaccinations and mental health services as well as blood pressure checks. As Kate Kenyon, founder and chair, explained: “Events like this can have a transformational impact on people’s lives and allow us to speak and listen to people in the community. These events bring a wonderful positivity and cost-effective way of supporting the clients.”
Sandra Copeland from Togetherness Community in Merton said:“We encourage people to talk to each other about their own experiences of having vaccines, so it can demystify things going on in their head and challenge scaremongering information. We say it’s your choice to share, we’re not imposing that. And they do share, they’re quite open in that arena because they feel safe with each other.”
Information about health and care will be shared at each Winter Engagement Fund event.
This year they include:
Croydon
- CareDogs will run two group walks with volunteers and their dogs in one of Croydon’s green spaces, harnessing the mental health benefits of nature and canine companions.
- Cinema Connecting Community will hold a screening of a classic Bollywood film followed by a winter health information session.
- Go Wild With Us will run a woodland wellness day, complete with cooking round the campfire, storytelling and green crafts.
Kingston
- Korean Culture and Arts will hold craft classes in the run up to Christmas with hot soup and the chance to chat.
- Voices of Hope choir will host a Sisterhood Sanctury with sessions for women.
- Nanoom UK will hold tech teach-ins to help people get to grips with their smartphones and the NHS App.
Merton
- Frog Learning is inviting over 65s to join horticultural activities with a seasonal homegrown lunch prepared by its cafe group of young adults with special educational needs.
- Martin Way Methodist Church is offering a winter night shelter for people who are homeless with meals, toiletry packs and one to one support around the NHS App and health services.
- The Togetherness Community Centre will be providing free lunches and weekly wellbeing talks at the Caribbean Social Club for people over 65.
Richmond
- Park Lane Stables will hold activities for people with learning disabilities to benefit from animal therapy.
- Ellray Hall Social and Community Centre will dance the January blues away with a line dancing event.
- Makers United will host craft workshops making cosy hot water bottles covers and winter blankets.
Sutton
- Sutton Vision will run an event for blind and partially sighted people including advice about warm homes and lower energy costs.
- Sutton Hongkonger group will organise a Lunar New Year celebration with food to share and singing and dancing.
- Age UK Sutton will hold an advice session on staying well and entitlement to pension credit and winter fuel allowance.
Wandsworth
- Women of Wandsworth are organising a karate championship for children.
- Five Aside Theatre will use one of its People’s Writes workshops to talk about winter health.
- The Baked Bean charity is offering free Zumba sessions for adults with learning disabilities.