Winter Engagement Fund 2023/24 – Insight and Learnings

Executive Summary

This report explains the activities and events funded through the South West London Winter Engagement Fund 2023/24. The fund gave grants of up to £500 to local community organisations to help people stay healthy and get the right information about NHS services during winter. The organisations also asked people for feedback to help improve future winter planning.

What we aimed to deliver:

The main goals of the programme were:

• Promote winter health messages, such as getting vaccinations, using the NHS App, accessing mental health services, and going to pharmacies.
• Support communities that are most at risk due to health inequalities, focusing on areas with the highest need.
• Reach key groups, including parents with young children, people aged 65 and older, and those at higher risk of health problems.

What we did

• Funding and reach: We gave money to 90 community organisations across six areas: Croydon, Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton, and Wandsworth.
• When activities happened: The organisations ran their activities from December 2023 to February 2024, a time when winter health issues can cause more pressure on the NHS.
• Targeting the right areas: We gave money to the areas that needed it most, using data to decide where to focus support.
• Community support: Local organisations and trusted groups helped share messages and made sure everyone knew about the services available.
• Making information accessible: We made sure that information was available in multiple languages and in easy-read formats to help people who might have difficulty reading.

What we learnt and the impact

• Nearly 7,000 people took part in events and activities across the 90 funded organisations. These events reached people from 53 different ethnic backgrounds and covered all ages.
• We focused on reaching people who are often left out, including older adults (65+), parents of young children, and people who may need extra support.

What people said they will do differently

• After attending the events or activities, people said they would:
  • Get a vaccination.
  • Use NHS services like NHS 111 or go to a pharmacy for help.
  • Access mental health services.
  • Share information with their families and friends.
  • Feel more confident using local health services.
  • Find out more about mental health services.
  • Use the NHS App to access services.

Building relationships

• We worked our community and voluntary sector organisations in South West London, strengthening our partnerships with trusted organisations in the area.
• By asking people for feedback, we gathered valuable insights to help improve future winter health campaigns and improve our future rolling grants programme.

Helping people to talk about health services

• We encouraged people to share information with their friends and families, helping to share messages and spread the word (the snowball effect).
• We provided translated materials and easy-read versions to help people who don’t speak English as a first language or who have disabilities.

Conclusion

The Winter Engagement Fund helped people understand how to stay healthy during the winter months and where to get the help they needed from the NHS. It also raised awareness about using services like pharmacies, NHS 111, and the NHS App, which can help take the pressure off NHS services. The information and feedback we gathered from this programme will help us plan future campaigns and improve our future rolling grants programme.

By working together with local community organisations, we were able to reach people who may not have known about important NHS services, building trust and helping them take care of their health.