£2m Innovation Fund Launched Across NHS Tayside
The Community Innovation Fund aims to help community groups to develop local improvement projects that will benefit the health and wellbeing in their area.
A £2 million pound fund has been launched to help communities across the NHS Tayside region improve health and wellbeing.
The Community Innovation Fund, which builds on the work of the former cash4communities fund, aims to help community groups to develop local improvement projects that will benefit the health and wellbeing in their local population.
The Fund is financed through the Tayside Health Fund, the charity for NHS Tayside.
Mr Sandy Watson, chairman of NHS Tayside, said: “I am delighted to be launching this Fund which can really go to the heart of a community to make a difference.
“The Fund will play a vital role in supporting local people to make decisions about the changes they want to see to help them improve the health, wellbeing and resilience of their own communities.
“NHS Tayside is committed to helping communities make changes for themselves. The Community Innovation Fund hopes to support new, innovative projects which will work in partnership with communities in disadvantaged areas, promoting quality of life, overall health and wellbeing and creating a stronger sense of community and social relationships.”
Speaking at the launch, Raymond Jamieson, Young Carers Service Coordinator with PKAVS charity in Perth & Kinross, said: “We received £14,000 from the Fund which allowed PKAVS young carers service to introduce a new respite group that helped support young carers.
“Without the funding, it wouldn’t have been possible to deliver this group which gave the young carers a smaller and more relaxed respite group allowing them to talk more freely about the individual challenges they each faced in their caring role.”
Richard McIntosh, Community Capacity Building Officer with NHS Tayside and first point of contact for enquiries about the fund said: “Our strong belief is that local communities are best at tackling many problems themselves – often they just need a little support and funding to get started. Together we can build stronger, happier and healthier communities.”
Community groups can apply for any amount between £500 and £35,000 on an annual basis to establish new and innovative projects.
Anyone interested in applying or finding out more information should visit the website www.communityinnovationfundtayside.scot.nhs.uk