Groups driving vital health projects to benefit their communities have been given the opportunity to bid for all-important funding to make their own healthy ambitions become a reality.

The Healthy Ambitions Suffolk grants programme currently has around £200,000 available each year until 2012 for both new and existing health projects which will benefit people living and working in the county. Three separate grant schemes are available, with initiatives of all sizes invited to step forward and apply for a share of the funding. The schemes are:

small grants from £250 to £900, for groups looking to run one-off or short-term events or activities, pilot a small project or buy relevant equipment.

healthy living grants of up to £4,000. These are available for groups tackling some of the county’s key health priorities, which include improving mental health and wellbeing in the workplace and among children and young people and promoting healthy living for older people.

large grants of up to £15,000, for researching or introducing larger projects which address new and emerging health issues.

All of the grants are aimed at community and voluntary groups run and led by local people. This could include residents and tenants groups, allotment societies, self-help groups or any organisations working to promote health and wellbeing.

“We are delighted to announce the launch of the Healthy Ambitions Suffolk grants programme, which will offer vital financial help to a whole range of grassroots organisations from around the county,” said Sally Hogg, head of health improvement partnerships at NHS Suffolk.

“We are keen to hear from any projects which show fresh approaches and new ideas for addressing health issues within our communities. This could include a whole range of initiatives, such as new self-help groups, setting up community allotments or projects to improve mental health and wellbeing.

“We want this grants scheme to make a real difference to people’s lives by helping to tackle the county’s health inequalities. As such, we’re especially keen to hear about projects taking place in those areas of greatest need, and would encourage the people driving these initiatives to get in touch to find out more.

“The application process has been designed to be as simple as possible to meet the needs of our grassroots organisations. So if your group has a great idea and needs a cash boost to get things started, please do get in touch and find out more about how Healthy Ambitions Suffolk could help.”

The first awards were decided a few weeks ago. In west Suffolk, funding has been set aside for a specialist trainer who will help partially sighted people to use their sight more effectively so that they can maintain their independence and levels of confidence. A grant has also gone to a youth support group in Felixstowe to help them work with young unemployed people to improve health and wellbeing.

Two projects in Ipswich were also granted funding. One will see a special four-page healthy lifestyle feature included in IP1 magazine, which is aimed at younger people, while the second will fund a 48-week cookery project aimed at those in financial difficulty. It is hoped the initiative will teach people about growing their own food as well as how to cook healthy, quick meals on a budget.

“We are really pleased to have been able to help these vital community projects to get off the ground,” added Mrs Hogg. “We hope that they will bring huge benefits to people across the county, both now and in the future.”

Groups interested in a Healthy Ambitions Suffolk grant should contact The Suffolk Foundation, which is managing the scheme, to discuss their ideas before making an application. Sue Wright, who is coordinating the project, can give further guidance and is available on 01473 734127.

The Healthy Ambitions Suffolk strategy aims to make Suffolk the healthiest county in England by 2028 by cutting the number of preventable deaths and helping people to live a healthier lifestyle. Currently it has three main strands – children and young people, businesses and older people. More strands will be added in the future.

A wide range of partner organisations are working together on the initiative, which is driven by Suffolk Strategic Partnership.