Health Inequalities
VCSE Grant Fund
The Health Inequalities VCFSE Grant Fund 2025–26 was designed as a pilot to test a different way of funding community approaches to health in Lincolnshire.
LVET played a central role as a convenor and facilitator, bringing together NHS partners and voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations to move away from traditional, competitive grant making. The fund was intentionally designed around a participatory, collaborative approach – focusing on shared challenges, relationships and collective decision‑making.
Rather than asking organisations to compete for funding, the process was intended to:
- focus on the real health inequality challenges facing communities
- support collaboration and joint problem‑solving
- share decisions about how funding should be used
This page sets out the intention behind the fund, the projects supported and the learning emerging so far.
What the fund focused on
The fund invited projects addressing one or more of the following health inequalities priorities:
- Improving digital inclusion
- Supporting people to attend NHS Health Checks (40+)
- Increasing uptake of vaccinations and immunisations
- Supporting people to attend planned hospital appointments
- Supporting people with severe mental illness to access physical health checks
- Supporting people with musculoskeletal conditions who are out of work
The intention was to support practical, community‑led responses to the barriers people face in accessing care.
Funded projects (2025–26)
Four projects were funded through this pilot, with a total investment of £90,506, supporting more than 20 VCFSE organisations working collaboratively across Lincolnshire. All projects were designed as six‑month programmes (October 2025 – March 2026).
Polish Support Initiative CIC – Supporting migrant and deprived communities in Boston through digital inclusion, NHS Health Check promotion and wellbeing support for people with musculoskeletal conditions.
Lincoln City Foundation – Building trust and tackling misinformation through trained Community Champions and targeted local outreach around vaccinations and health checks.
Everyone Active – A prehabilitation programme supporting people with musculoskeletal conditions who are out of work or awaiting surgery to improve wellbeing and readiness for recovery and return to work.
LEAN (Lincoln Embracing All Nations) – Strengthening community confidence in using digital health services through community connectors, learning sessions and feedback into the system.
Early Learnings
What happens next
The funded projects are delivering through to March 2026, with reflection and shared learning continuing alongside delivery.
Learning from this pilot will be brought together through the independent evaluation and shared more widely to help inform future ways of working. LVET will continue to support learning, partnership working and conversations about how funding and collaboration can work differently.
If you’d like to learn more about this work or discuss participatory approaches to funding, please get in touch.
Contact: Emily Ward – emily.ward@lvet.org
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