Investing in community leadership to tackle health inequalities

Grassroots organisations play a vital role in improving health and wellbeing. They build trust, strengthen relationships and create lasting change in the communities they serve. That’s why Foundation for Future London is proud to partner with the NHS Race & Health Observatory to deliver a new £400,000 Community Grant Programme Pilot.

The NHS Race & Health Observatory Community Grant Programme Pilot will invest in organisations led by and working alongside racialised communities, supporting community-led action to tackle ethnic and racial health inequalities across England.

Rather than funding one-off projects alone, the programme is designed to strengthen the organisations already making a difference. Grants can support activities, as well as core costs, leadership development, organisational resilience, partnerships, staff and volunteer capacity, and wellbeing—helping organisations build the foundations they need for long-term impact.

Two grant schemes are available:

• Perinatal Mental Health Grants Pilot – £10,000–£15,000 for organisations supporting racialised communities during pregnancy and the early years of parenthood in the English regions of West Midlands, South West, and Yorkshire and Humber.
• Communities Small Grants Pilot – £5,000–£10,000 for community-led organisations improving long-term health and wellbeing in the English regions of East London, the Midlands and the North East.

The programme is looking to support organisations that are rooted in their communities and committed to addressing ethnic and racial inequalities in ways that reflect local needs and lived experience. We hope funding will help create stronger community leadership, improve wellbeing, reduce isolation, strengthen partnerships and increase access to culturally appropriate support.

This is also more than a grant programme. As a pilot, learning is central to everything we do. Funded organisations will work alongside us to explore what helps communities thrive, what creates fairer funding, and how community-led approaches can shape future policy, commissioning and investment. Together, we’ll build evidence that strengthens both organisations and the wider systems that support them.

Register of Interest submissions are due by midnight on Friday 31 July 2026.

The programme is commissioned by the NHS Race & Health Observatory and delivered by Foundation for Future London, with support from an independent Steering Group and regional delivery partners.

Find out more and register your interest via the NHS Race & Health Observatory Community Grant Programme Pilot page.