Huntingdonshire Community Health and Wealth Building Strategy

About the Community Health and Wealth Building Strategy and Delivery Fund

The Community Health and Wealth Building Strategy is Huntingdonshire District Council’s (HDC) long-term commitment to improving quality of life for local people by addressing the root causes of poor health and economic inequality.

By adopting a Community Wealth Building approach, the strategy ensures that public sector investment and decision-making deliver direct benefits for local communities.

It supports HDC's Corporate Plan [PDF, 2.5MB] and the Huntingdonshire Futures partnership’s shared focus on prevention and wellbeing.

The strategy focuses on creating the conditions for residents to thrive by strengthening:

economic resilience
social connection
physical and mental wellbeing
access to local opportunities

The Community Health and Wealth Building Delivery Fund

Building on the success of the pilot phase, the Community Health and Wealth Building Delivery Fund has been established as a £750,000 investment over three years.

The fund supports community-led projects that improve health, wellbeing and economic resilience across Huntingdonshire.

Up to £700,000 is being allocated through the main fund over the three year programme, with funding awarded in phases to support projects that:

improve physical and mental health, including through increased physical activity
strengthen economic resilience, focusing on employment, skills and reducing barriers
increase social connection and a sense of community across Huntingdonshire.

The council’s long-term ambition is to build on this investment by attracting additional funding and support over time, including through partnership with businesses and other organisations, to help sustain and grow the programme.

The Delivery Fund is a dedicated resource to support the delivery of the Community Health and Wealth Building Strategy.

It is designed to empower local communities, organisations and partners to lead initiatives that address the root causes of inequality and poor health.

Who is eligible?

Eligible organisations

The following organisations are eligible to apply:

voluntary and community sector organisations based in Huntingdonshire
organisations delivering projects in Huntingdonshire that benefit Huntingdonshire residents
organisations with a dedicated organisational bank account.

Not eligible

The following are not eligible to apply:

precepting authorities
private individuals
commercial organisations.

Criteria

Projects should:

contribute to one or more of the three strategy priorities:
- improving physical and mental health
- supporting economic resilience
- strengthening social connection and sense of community
include a clear focus on prevention
demonstrate match funding, including in-kind contributions (for example, room hire, equipment use, staff time)
for existing projects, show how funding will grow or expand the offer
include a plan to sustain any core costs beyond the initial funding period
be ready to begin within a reasonable timeframe following a funding decision.

Applicants should read the full CHaWS Fund criteria [PDF, 0.1MB] before submitting an Expression of Interest, as this provides important guidance on eligibility, priorities and how EOIs and full applications will be assessed.

Apply for the Community Health and Wealth Building Delivery Fund

How the application process works

The Community Health and Wealth Building (CHaWS) Delivery Fund operates a two-stage application process designed to ensure that projects align with strategic priorities and demonstrate deliverability and sustainability.

Stage 1 – Expressions of Interest (EOI)

Expressions of Interest are currently on hold.

When open, EOI are reviewed through quarterly reviews and considered against the priorities of the CHaWS Delivery Fund. Organisations with successful proposals at this stage will be invited to progress to Stage 2 and submit a full application.

Future cut-off dates and panel timelines will be published on this page.

Stage 2 – Full application (by invitation only)

Organisations invited to submit a full application will be required to provide more detailed information, including:

delivery plans
project budget
intended outcomes and impact
long-term sustainability

Applicants will be given a defined timeframe to complete and submit their full application following invitation.

Full applications will be assessed by the CHaWS Delivery Fund Panel in line with the relevant quarterly panel cycle.

Progress so far

HDC launched a Community Health and Wealth Building Pilot Fund as the first phase of the wider Delivery Fund.

The pilot ran from 1 to 31 August 2025 and was designed to test and refine the council’s approach to supporting community-led projects that enhance health, wellbeing and economic resilience.

The pilot phase provided valuable learning to shape the full Delivery Fund and helped to strengthen local partnerships across the district.

Since then, the Delivery Fund has continued to build on this learning. The programme is now approaching its third panel (including the pilot), with a further five projects offered funding, subject to final confirmation.

A Grant Panel is convened for each funding round, bringing together representatives from different sectors alongside local residents. This ensures that funding decisions reflect the priorities, values and lived experience of Huntingdonshire communities.

Projects funded so far

The Community Health and Wealth Building Delivery Fund is supporting a growing number of projects across Huntingdonshire.

The initial phase funded pilot projects to test the approach. Since then, further projects have been recommended for funding through the Delivery Fund as additional panels have taken place.

View Successful Projects

This page includes information on each funded project, including what they offer, who they support and how to get involved. New projects will be added as funding decisions are confirmed.

Working with partners and communities

The Community Health and Wealth Building approach is based on partnership. The council works with local organisations, businesses, public services and residents so that funding decisions and wider activity are informed by local need, shared knowledge and community experience.

As part of this approach, local support is available at different stages of the CHaWS Delivery Fund:

organisations invited to submit a full application can access one-to-one guidance from Support Cambridgeshire to help develop a clear and deliverable proposal
successful applicants may choose to access marketing and engagement support from Keystone Marketing to help promote their project, communicate their impact and reach the communities who may benefit.

There are also wider opportunities to get involved.

Businesses, partners and residents can support the strategy in a range of ways, including through expertise, funding, resources, sponsorship, volunteering or by helping to shape future decision-making.

Get involved

Businesses, partners and residents can also support the strategy in a range of ways, including through expertise, funding, resources, sponsorship, volunteering or by helping to shape future decision-making.

If you are interested in getting involved, working in partnership or exploring opportunities to support the fund, you can register your interest here

Get in touch to explore ideas

Need further help?

If you are unsure if your group or project is eligible, or if it aligns with the aims of the Community Health and Wealth Building Strategy, please email HDC's Community Development Team

For additional support, including bid development, contact Support Cambridgeshire

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People & Communities