This is why Northamptonshire Community Foundation has contributed to a new report by UK Community Foundations and Place Matters, Preventative Power: Community Foundations Partnering with Health, showing the impact that the NHS and community foundations can have when they work together with communities. It demonstrates work that has helped communities to reduce loneliness, improve mental health and improve health and wellbeing.

• The NHS and community foundations are already working in partnership through grant programmes to reduce inequalities, improve mental health and reduce isolation at a neighbourhood level.
• Our partnerships show that communities are active contributors and integral to improving their own health, and the wellbeing of their neighbourhoods.
• Community foundations are helping the NHS to make sure that people and grassroots charities receive the services and resources they need – when and where it is needed most
• We are also building capacity in communities through our grant making, sharing learning and scaling game changing ideas to improve health and wellbeing across the UK

Action will be needed at scale to deliver the aspirations of the 10-year health plan, and longer-term solutions will need to be led by communities.  Community foundations can make sure that people and grassroots charities receive the financial resources they need – when and where it is needed most. This new report shows that we can also build capacity in communities, share learning and scale game changing ideas to improve health and wellbeing across the UK.