Worcestershire County Council announces 1000 community grants to improve health and wellbeing

Worcestershire County Council’s Public Health team has invested £3 million in communities to help residents improve their own wellbeing and create healthier, stronger communities.

Since launching in 2023, the Community Wellbeing Grant Programme has awarded 1000 grants to communities across Worcestershire, helping local people turn ideas into action and create healthier, happier, and more connected places to live.

By awarding grants directly to communities, the programme has empowered residents to improve their own wellbeing by supporting them to identify local needs, develop solutions and lead initiatives that matter to them.

Over the last three years, grants have supported a wide range of activities from sports clubs and active travel initiatives to sensory spaces, creative arts programmes, community gardens, social groups and activities that bring people together and reduce loneliness.

The impact of the programme continues to grow. In 2025/26 alone, more than £1.4 million was invested into community wellbeing initiatives across Worcestershire, with more than 30 per cent of funding supporting projects in high priority neighbourhoods, helping ensure resources reach communities facing the greatest challenges. The programme is also increasingly reaching diverse communities, with projects supporting carers, people with learning disabilities, ethnic minority communities, LGBTQ+ residents and many other groups.

The work has gained national recognition. In 2025, Worcestershire Public Health was awarded the Local Government Chronicle Public Health Team of the Year Award for its work with communities, including its innovative and community-led approach to improving health and wellbeing across the county.