The third and final round of Health Messaging Small Grants Funding is now open.
Some areas have only a small amount a funding available, but we’re particularly looking for applications to work in Central Bradford, Bingley, and Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven.
Background
The health messaging model was trialled with A&E Winter Pressures funding (using Choose Well only) in specific hot spots with the aim to reduce inappropriate presentation at A&E. The pilot scheme evaluated with a considerable measure of success and therefore we are now in a position to extend this model across the Bradford City, Bradford Districts, and Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven areas, to adapt/change/expand the messages to cover other key health messages.
The aim
This project will equip and empower local community groups to spread simplified and locality or culturally-focussed versions of self-care messages including but not limited to:
- The ‘Choose Well’ message within their local neighbourhoods, cultural groups, and within specific targeted groups.
- Flu vaccinations
- Mental Health
Activity
A series of small grants will be allocated to specific community groups to enable these groups to be able to disseminate awareness and self-care messages in the most appropriate approach for their target audience. This will be accompanied by briefing materials to ensure a consistent message. This work will also support communities to build resilience by supporting healthier lifestyles, in their broadest sense.
Outcomes
- Improved health literacy in frontline workers of small/medium-sized charities working in areas of deprivation
- Improved health literacy of local communities
- Self-reported understanding of messages (case studies)
Outputs
- Number of grants provided
- Number of campaigns promoted
- Number of communities reached
- Equality Act data for the communities reached
Project Description
This fund will enable local community groups, as trusted intermediaries, to deliver these messages into their communities themselves. We will equip them with the relevant information in a simple and accessible format, and then empower them to develop the solutions themselves to communicate this information in the most appropriate way for their own communities.
Bradford VCS Alliance has created simple postcards with the NHS for local community groups to distribute. The postcards are printed on one side with this design, allowing the groups to put their own information, translation or images on the other using a sticker (Avery J8169 or equivalent). Groups should consider the best approaches to use to tailor the messages to their target audience. Below is an example of one of the materials;
Messaging guidance documents have been produced for organisations to ensure a consistent message is delivered. These will be disseminated to successful organisations, along with copies of the postcards.
As local priority areas emerge throughout the winter period, successful organisations may be approached by Bradford VCS Alliance to target health messaging activity into specific targeted areas or population groups.
Application Process
There is a simple application process using a simple and accessible form.
Applications will be assessed by Bradford VCS Alliance. The assessment will be based on how the group is planning to communicate the key message to their target group, and the numbers of people they expect to reach.
The aim of this project is to reach as many different groups and communities as possible. If more than one application seeks to work with the same group of people in the same area, then preference will be given to the group considered to have proposed the project which will deliver the best quality results.
The deadline for this second round of applications is Monday 21st January 2019 at 12pm.
Funding Available
Local community groups will be able to apply for £250 — £750 to support their own approaches to delivering this important information to their own communities. Organisations can apply for more than one grant if they have access to a number of different community groups. This could be running community meal or events to help promote appropriate choices for accessing health care, or to support and resource individuals to promote the message at existing events that their community may already deliver e.g. a lunch club for the elderly, or a Parent and Toddler Group for parents of young children. The key focus is for local community groups to have an ownership of the opportunity.
Budgets for each Community Partnership area have been allocated to ensure a spread of activity across the region.
The project will run until the end of March 2019.
Outcomes and Monitoring
Successful applicants will be required to report the following information about those they reach with their messaging:
- How their project went
- The number of people
- Their self-reported gender
- Their self-reported age ranges (0–10, 11–18, 19–30, 31–50, 51–65, 65+)
- Their self-reported understanding of how to appropriately access different types of health care.
They can be as creative as they like, providing that the outcomes are clearly stated e.g. photos, video, include a report from the local media, write a report etc.
