Step Up MCR

Neighbourhood Health Fund

Step Up MCR’s Neighbourhood Health Fund has £10,000 available for community groups in Ancoats & Beswick and Clayton & Openshaw addressing Heart Health & Bowel Health.

Step Up MCR

Neighbourhood Health Fund


Step Up MCR’s Neighbourhood Health Fund has £10,000 available for community groups in Ancoats & Beswick and Clayton & Openshaw addressing Heart Health & Bowel Health.

ABOUT THE FUND


The Neighbourhood Health Fund is a Step Up MCR and Manchester Local Care Organisation (MLCO) collaborative fund.


The fund has £10,000 available to support community activities that reduce hypertension (high blood pressure) and bowel cancer.


Applications open Monday 7th May and close at 5pm on Friday 7th June.

WHAT WE CAN FUND

Your application does not need to be clinical to get support.


We are looking to fund new or existing work that improves health at a community level.


You could already be supporting people’s Heart Health and Bowel Health through your current activities.


The Neighbourhood Health Fund could be for you if you’re delivering local activities which:

  • Boost physical activity
  • Reduce stress
  • Bring people together
  • Encourage healthy eating
  • Are for people over the age of 45


Here are just a few examples of eligible projects:

  • Healthy cooking classes
  • Cost of living or employment support
  • Walking, cycling or swimming groups
  • Gardening projects
  • Support with addiction
  • Mindfulness classes or yoga sessions

FUND INFORMATION

  • How much can I apply for?

    There is a total of £10,000 available. 


    You can apply for any amount up to £10,000, however, funding is flexible and will depend on the quantity and quality of applications received. 


    This means we may fund one project at £10,000, or 10 smaller projects of £1,000. 


    If you are applying for the full amount of £10,000, we would like to see that your project addresses BOTH neighbourhood health priorities. 


    Please see below for more information relating to the fund and its priorities.


  • What application support is available?

    Our Neighbourhood Health Fund offers more than project funding. 


    As well as supporting your application from start to finish, our team can provide useful connections, development support, regular check-ins and promotion for your activities. 


    The fund is also linked with neighbourhood health experts and NHS clinical leads who may be able to get involved in your activities (on request and subject to capacity).


    We encourage all applicants to have a conversation with us before submitting.


    Together with MLCO, Step Up MCR can support you to: 

    • Structure your proposal and project budget, 
    • Include the relevant health information,
    • Set out your monitoring & evaluation plans,
    • Involve local health delivery partners in your activities. 

    Please contact the team on hello@stepupmcr.org to arrange a conversation. 


    We can meet you at your location or a nearby community venue, arrange a video call, or you can come along to our space. 

  • How do I submit my application?

    The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 7th June. 


    All information on application form is required, but can be submitted in your preferred format. 


    Formats might include a hand written application, video submission, or a conversation with our team. 


    Please click here to submit your application.


    Please contact hello@stepupmcr.org for any questions or to submit your application in an alternative format.

  • What can't I apply for?

    • Projects out of our neighbourhood wards (Ancoats &Beswick and Clayton & Openshaw) except where you can demonstrate people from these wards are the main beneficiaries.

    • Projects which are for individual benefit or targeting a specific demographic. Where your project does work with one group, we’d like you to let us know how the project will promote community cohesion.

    • Projects promoting politics or religion. Churches or religious bodies may apply as long as the project benefits the wider community. 

    • Companies that can pay profits to directors, shareholders or members.

    • Schools and health bodies may apply but we will not fund statutory activities.

FUND PRIORITIES

The priorities of the Neighbourhood Health Fund are set out by Manchester Local Care Organisation and are based on local health information and research.


The two priorities of this round of funding are Heart Health & Bowel Health.

  • Heart Health

    Hypertension (high blood pressure) has been identified as a leading health risk in Manchester, particularly in Ancoats & Beswick and Clayton & Openshaw.


    Persistent high blood pressure can increase your risk of a number of serious (and potentially life-threatening) health conditions, including heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, and kidney disease.


    What causes high blood pressure? 

    It’s not always clear what causes high blood pressure, but there are some factors which may increase the risk, including: 


    • Being overweight

    • A diet too high in salt and deficient in fruit and vegetables

    • Not enough exercise

    • Drinking too much alcohol or coffee (or other caffeinated drinks)

    • Smoking

    • High stress levels

    • Being over 65 years old

    • Being of black African or Black Caribbean descent 

    • Living in a deprived area

    • Having relatives with high blood pressure


    How do you know if you have high blood pressure? 

    Blood pressure can be recorded using monitors that display two numbers: systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. The systolic pressure (higher number) is the force your heart uses to pump blood around the body. 


    The diastolic pressure (lower number) is the resistance to the blood flow in the blood vessels between heartbeats when blood is pumped around your heart.


    They're both measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg).


    What lifestyle changes can reduce blood pressure?

    The lifestyle changes your project promotes could help prevent and lower high blood pressure. If your activities enable people to: 


    • Reduce the amount of they eat 

    • Introduce more fruit and vegetables to their diet

    • Lose weight 

    • Exercise regularly

    • Cut down on alcohol and caffeine

    • Stop smoking 

    • Manage stress levels


    Our Neighbourhood Health Fund could be for you.


    For more information about Heart Health, please visit the NHS website.


    Find out more

  • Bowel Health

    Bowel cancer is cancer found anywhere in the large bowel, which includes the colon and rectum.


    It's one of the most common types of cancer in the UK and has been identified as a high risk health condition in Ancoats & Beswick and Clayton & Openshaw. 


    What is bowel cancer? 

    • Bowel cancer is cancer that's found anywhere in the large bowel, which includes the colon and rectum.

    • The large bowel is part of your digestive system. It helps absorb water from your food and removes food waste from your body.

    • How serious bowel cancer is depends on how big the cancer is, if the cancer has spread, and your general health.

    • Bowel cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the UK.

    • Bowel cancer screening can pick up bowel cancer early, which may mean it's easier to treat.


    What causes bowel cancer? 

    It's not always known what causes bowel cancer, but it can be caused by genetic changes, lifestyle, and environmental factors.


    Having certain health conditions can also make you more likely to get bowel cancer.


    You may be more likely to get bowel cancer if:

    • You’re over 50

    • You smoke

    • You're overweight

    • A close relative has had bowel cancer

    • You have inflammatory bowel disease, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis

    • You have small growths in your bowel called bowel polyps

    • You have Lynch Syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis


    What lifestyle changes can lower the risk of bowel cancer?

    The lifestyle changes your project promotes could help lower the risk of bowel cancer. 


    If your activities enable people to: 

    • Eat a healthy diet including at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day

    • Stay active and exercise regularly

    • Lose weight (if they are overweight)

    • Quit smoking

    • Drink less alcohol

    • Eat less red and processed meat


    Our Neighbourhood Health Fund could be for you.


    For more information about Bowel Health, please visit the NHS website. 

    Find out more

APPLICATION PROCESS

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 7th June.


We recommend arranging a conversation with the team before submitting.


Please contact hello@stepupmcr.org for any questions or to submit your application in an alternative format.