Volunteering for Health - Test, Learn and Innovate Programme
Deadline: 12/06/2025
Location: Northamptonshire
Grant Amount: £10,000
Project Type: Health and wellbeing
The Volunteering for Health: Test, Learn and Innovate Programme supports Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations—particularly smaller charities and under-represented groups—to pilot innovative, sustainable volunteering models that improve health outcomes.
This fund aims to:
- Increase volunteer diversity
- Support community-led solutions
- Test new ideas that can be scaled and shared
- Improve health and wellbeing in local populations
Grant Awards available: We are looking at funding projects between £7,500 to £10,000
Key Objectives
- Enhance the inclusivity and reach of volunteer programmes in health settings
- Support pilots that align with local Integrated Care Board (ICB) priorities
- Develop sustainable and replicable models
- Capture data, learning, and feedback for continuous improvement
What We’re Looking For
Projects that:
- Are community-driven and rooted in lived experience
- Test a new or adapted volunteer model
- Are able to gather data and reflect on what works (and what doesn’t)
- Align with health and wellbeing priorities identified by Northamptonshire ICB: https://www.icnorthamptonshire.org.uk/icb-plan/
Deadline to apply - Thursday 12th June 2025
Follow this link to make an application: Volunteering for Health - Test, Learn and Innovate Programme
Is my group eligible?
- Your group must be a small, locally managed VCSE organisation such as a charity, constituted community group, social enterprise such as a Community Interest Company (CIC), or a company limited by guarantee with charitable aims. Please note that as a general exclusion we do not fund social enterprises that have a single person with overall significant control (PSC).
- Your organisation must be based in Northamptonshire.
- You must have a set of written rules or constitution that your group adheres to, and this must contain a dissolution clause specific to Northamptonshire. We can help advise you on how to do this especially if you are a new group.
- You must take care to ensure that young people or vulnerable people taking part in your activity do not come to any harm whilst in your care. To this end, you must have written procedures for keeping young people and/or vulnerable people safe, otherwise known as a Child Protection or Vulnerable Adults’ policy. This will be needed as a condition of funding. If you do not have such a policy, visit our Help for Groups section of the website.
- You must have an Equality or Equity and Diversity policy.
For more information about eligibility and information on supporting documents please visit our Help for Groups section.
Please read the guidance notes and download the reference form and supporting documents checklist at the bottom of the page before applying.
Northamptonshire Community Foundation can provide advice and guidance during the application process as well as viewing draft applications prior to submission. Call the grants team on 01604 230033 for more information.
Please click here to view our Diversity Statement applicable to our grant awards.