14 Feb 2025

NHS South West London - Merton Spring Grant Fund 2025 has launched!

Empowering communities to shape health and care services

NHS South West London - Merton Spring Grant Fund 2025 – Empowering communities to shape health and care services

  • Are you a community leader of a voluntary organisation in south west London?
  • Do you know what matters most to the people you support?  Do you have knowledge about the health and care needs of the communities you work with?
  • Can you run an engaging activity and share what you have heard to shape the future of health and care?

The NHS in south west London is offering funding to support community-led activities and discussions that gather valuable insights. Merton Connected will be administering this grant on behalf of the NHS.

What funding is available?

Fund 1 & 2 – grants up to £550

Fund 3 – grants up to £2,000

Healthy Communities grant (Fund 1) and Digital & Health grant (Fund 2) - up to £550 available

What’s involved?

  • Host an activity and have conversations about health and care topics.
  • Use your knowledge and skills to share what you have heard with us
  • Join a short NHS training session – covering how to record feedback and insight from your community.
  • Share what you heard – take part in an interview after your activity with a local project lead and complete a short feedback form.
  • Join a listening event with NHS leaders – date to be confirmed soon!

This fund is flexible, and its focus is to hear from our most disadvantaged and marginalised communities. It is up to you to decide how and when you collect insight, this could be during your event or in the lead up to your activity. 

The NHS is funding you as a community leader to help us understand the experiences and views of the people you reach and support.

We simply ask that you have these conversations in a way that works for you, then share feedback and insight. You’ll need to complete a short form to help us capture themes along with an interview with a local project lead from Merton Connected.

What can you apply for?

We would like to understand the views of people and communities on the following topics: 

  • Fund 1: Healthy communities fund – understand what helps people living in Merton to stay healthy and what stops people from seeking support and preventing illness.
  • Fund 2: Digital and health fund – understand how technology can improve access to care and what digital barriers do people face.

Who we’d like to reach?

We’re particularly keen to hear from communities who often face barriers to healthcare.

If applying for a Healthy Communities grant (Fund 1), we’d like to hear from:

  • People from our most deprived areas – see application form for more details
  • People who experience issues or barriers in accessing health and care.
  • People who have lived experience of mental health services or support  
  • Groups supporting social connection, such as outdoor activities and events
  • People from our health inclusion groups – including migrants and refugees, people who are homeless, people facing social exclusion

If applying for a Digital & Health grant (Fund 2) we’d like to hear from:

  • People who face barriers using technology
  • People from our most deprived areas – see application form for more details
  • People from our health inclusion groups – including migrants and refugees, people who are homeless, people facing social exclusion.

Oral health community grant fund (Fund 3) – In-depth focus groups and community research – grants of up to £2,000 available

We are looking for community leaders and organisations to carry out in-depth focus groups and one-to-one discussions about oral health.

Your activity should focus on healthy mouths and teeth, gathering detailed insights from your community to help improve local services.

What’s involved?

  • Run structured focus groups and one-to-one interviews with:
    • People from our most deprived areas – see application form for more details
    • People from our health inclusion groups – for example people who are homeless or living in temporary accommodation, refugees, migrants, Gypsy, Roma & Traveller communities
    • Children and young people, their parents and carers
    • Older people over the age of 60
  • Join an NHS training session – covering how to record feedback and insight from the communities you work with and reach. 
  • Capture views, experiences and insights using key questions (provided by the NHS).
  • Submit a detailed report summarising your findings. Don’t worry we will help you plan for your report and provide lots of tips and guidance.
  • Join a listening event with NHS leaders – date coming soon!

Who we’d like to hear from:

  • Community leaders and organisations with strong connections to these communities and groups.
  • Those with the capacity to dedicate time to running structured discussions and reporting insights.

What could your funding support?

  • Focus groups and community research
  • Facilitator time for running in-depth discussions
  • Costs related to community engagement and participation.

How will applications be assessed?

You can apply for more than one grant, but applications will be assessed based on:

  • Reach and inclusion – how well you connect with the communities the NHS would like to reach. More information for each grant above.
  • Engagement approach – how you plan to capture insights and feedback from your communities.
  • Commitment to training and feedback – willingness to attend training and a follow-up interview.

Why your voice matters

As a community leader, you have the trust, connections, and insight to reach people in ways others can’t. By getting involved, you’ll help shape health and care services to better reflect the needs of Merton residents.

Key information

  • Application deadline: 12 March 2025 at 17:00 
  • Funding available:
    • Fund 1 & 2: Up to £550
    • Fund 3: Up to £2,000
  • Who can apply: Community and voluntary organisations in Merton.
  • To find out more - join our information session on Thursday 27 February at 1pm, please register sign up here!

How to apply