Community groups can apply for up to £9,999 to run a service, activity, or event which support residents' health and wellbeing and increase health equity. Groups can apply for funding for projects to run for up to 9 months.

Applications are accepted from any constituted voluntary, community, or recreational group working within Waltham Forest for bids tackling at least one of these priorities:

  • cost of living emergency;
  • mental wellbeing and loneliness;
  • digital exclusion;
  • learning disabilities; and
  • increasing community access to health services and health information.

The application window is from 17 July to 3 September 2023. Applicants will hear if their project was successful on 29 September 2023. Successful projects will be delivered between 15 October 2023 and 15 July 2024.

What is Community Chest?

Community Chest is a grant programme running for the second time in 2023. It funds small to medium sized community groups to offer ‘social prescribing’ types of services and activities. This is with the aim to support the health and wellbeing of Waltham Forest residents.

We work closely with the Waltham Forest Place-Based Partnership, a partnership of health, care, community, and voluntary sector organisations. The partnership delivers activities and services for residents around specific needs. These needs are directly linked to health inequalities that have been identified across the borough.

Apply for a Community Chest Grant Read the full Community Chest Grant guidance

We especially encourage partnership bids between groups.

Support with your application

If you would like to discuss your ideas for a Community Chest application, we will be hosting drop-in sessions to respond to questions. These will be held online on:

More Information

To apply, please submit the application form by 11:59pm on Sunday 3 September.

If you require a printed application or have any other accessibility requirements regarding submitting an application, please email social.prescribing@walthamforest.gov.uk.