£450k dished out to voluntary health groups covering Uttlesford district

Health charities covering the Uttlesford area have been awarded grants totalling nearly half a million pounds.

The funding was awarded to voluntary sector projects that scored highly on being able to deliver care services to vulnerable adults, frail older people, children, families and carers.

Sightloss charity Support 4 Sight, based in Saffron Walden, was one of 13 voluntary organisations to receive a share of the £448,000 dished out by the West Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (WECCG) and Essex County Council (ECC).

Carer/hospital liaison service Action for Family Carers, The J’s Hospice, which provide a hospice at home service for children and young people, and West Essex MIND, a mental health peer support programme, were among those that received a grant.

Maggie Pacini, a consultant in public health, who works for both ECC and WECCG, said: “We received many excellent applications and carefully assessed them all against specific criteria.

“I am confident that the organisations and groups that have been awarded a grant will make a real difference to people’s lives.”

Grants were awarded up to a maximum of £50,000 per proposal and were assessed against specific criteria designed to maximise the benefits to the local population.

The charities that received grant funding:

1. Support 4 Sight

2. Action for Family Carers

3. Stroke Association

4. Voluntary Action Epping Forest

5. The ‘J’s Hospice

6. The Prince’s Trust

7. West Essex MIND and Young Concern Trust

8. West Essex MIND

9. Community Service Volunteers (CSV) Essex

10. ACCURO

11. Lambourne End Centre for Outdoor Learning

12. Voluntary Action Epping Forest

13. Deafblind