NHS projects in Dorset will receive a bumper grant of hundreds of thousands of pounds to help communities impacted by the pandemic address health inequalities.

NHS Charities Together has confirmed that Dorset will receive £355,000 project funding from their Community Partnerships grant programme. The Dorset grants programme will support a range of NHS and voluntary sector partnership projects.

NHS Charities Together is the national charity caring for the NHS. It is the independent national charity partner of the NHS and an umbrella organisation made up of 240 NHS member charities based within hospitals, mental health trusts, ambulance trusts, community health trusts and health boards across the UK.

In 2020 hundreds of thousands of people got behind NHS Charities Together’s Covid-19 appeal. Famously, Captain Sir Tom Moore raised nearly £40 million, and thousands of other supporters made personal sacrifices to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds in their own ways – from walking or running to sky diving, dancing or baking.

NHS Charities Together launched its Community Partnership Grants Programme in September 2020 in recognition of the vital work that voluntary and community groups do to support the work of the NHS. These groups have helped the NHS by supporting the health of communities affected by Covid-19. This funding seeks to support effective partnerships between the NHS and its community partners.

Dorset County Hospital Charity, in partnership with Dorset Community Foundation, coordinated the Dorset bid to NHS Charities Together. Simon Pearson, Head of Dorset County Hospital Charity said: "This funding is tremendous news and provides a significant opportunity for the NHS to work in partnership with local charities and voluntary organisations to support communities across Dorset to recover from the impact of the pandemic."

Grant Robson, Director of Dorset Community Foundation said: "We are very proud to be a partner for Dorset County Hospital Charity in the bid for this money so that it can support grass roots charities and groups who are working hard to improve Dorset’s health and wellbeing. We are sure the money will make a tremendous difference to overcoming some health inequalities at a very challenging time.

"We are very thankful to NHS Charities Together and see this programme as a tremendous vote of confidence in the expertise, innovation and dedication of Dorset’s voluntary sector."

The grant will fund a range of initiatives, from major projects led by NHS Trusts, including Dorset County Hospital’s ‘Active Hospitals’ project, University Hospitals Dorset’s ‘Prevention at Dorset Health Village’ and Dorset HealthCare University Foundation Trust’s ‘League of Friends Network’, working with community organisations; to grassroots projects working with the NHS such as dementia support; addressing rural isolation and loneliness and supporting young children with complex needs. All projects will be focused on supporting the health and well-being of local people and communities across Dorset.