The Volunteering for Health: Test, Learn and Innovate Programme supports Voluntary, Community, Faith-based and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) organisations—particularly smaller charities and under-represented groups—to pilot innovative, sustainable volunteering models that improve health outcomes. This is the second and final year of the programme.
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 (service users and volunteers)
Grant Awards available: We are looking at funding projects between £7,500 to £10,000
Key Objectives
Health Inequalities
Projects should look to support one or more of the following population groups through volunteering in health & care:
- People in the most deprived communities
- Global Majority communities
- Older adults
- People with long-term health conditions or a terminal illness
- People with severe mental illness or learning disabilities
- Homeless individuals and rough sleepers
- People with substance misuse issues
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
Organisations must:
- Have a track record or clear ambition to work with volunteers in health contexts
- Be based in and serve communities within Northamptonshire
Priority will be given to:
- Smaller, place-based grassroots organisations with an annual income of less than £1 million
- Projects led by or serving under-represented or marginalised communities
Data requirements
Organisations will be required to gather and report data, both quantitative and qualitative, which will be used as evidence of the Programme’s activities and alignment to its aims and objectives. Support will be given to organisations where needed and relevant. Funded organisations will need to provide quarterly demographic data about volunteers and take part in a Peer Network group.
We strongly suggest utilising the Volunteering for Health Good Practice Volunteer Management Toolkit and Volunteer Charter as a guideline for your project governance.
Timeline
The grants panel will take place in June, so we would ask that projects begin in July 2026. Funded projects will need to be completed by 19th March 2027 and End of Grant Reports submitted by the 16th April 2027.