North East Essex Health And Wellbeing Alliance

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: Variable (program-dependent)
• Grant Range: £250 - £10,000+
• Geographic Focus: North East Essex (Colchester and Tendring districts)
• Application Method: Rolling/program-specific through partner organizations
• Structure: Partnership body administering funds through member organizations

Contact Details

Primary Administrator: Community360

• Website: www.community360.org.uk
• Email: funding@community360.org.uk
• Phone: 01206 505250
• Address: Winsley's House, High Street, Colchester, CO1 1UG

Alliance Information

• Email: information@community360.org.uk

Overview

The North East Essex Health and Wellbeing Alliance is a strategic partnership established to transform health and wellbeing services across North East Essex. The Alliance brings together NHS bodies, local authorities (Colchester Borough Council, Tendring District Council, Essex County Council), and voluntary sector organizations including Community360 and CVS Tendring. Rather than operating as a traditional grant-making charity, the Alliance functions as a governance and coordination structure that administers time-limited grant programs funded by health partners, primarily through the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care System (ICB). The Alliance has distributed significant funding through programs including the North East Essex Hyperlocal Fund (£370,000+), Feel Well Funding (£485,000), and various health inequalities initiatives. These programs are administered through partner organizations, particularly Community360 for Colchester and CVS Tendring for Tendring district.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Alliance administers various time-limited funding programs through its partner organizations. Recent programs have included:

North East Essex Hyperlocal Fund

• Amount: £1,000 - £10,000 (projects exceeding £10,000 considered)
• Total Distributed: £252,018 to Colchester groups + additional funding to Tendring
• Focus: Building resilient local neighborhoods that improve health and wellbeing
• Administration: Community360 (for One Colchester) and CVS Tendring (for Tendring Together)
• Achievement: 38 community organizations funded, with 40% being first-time applicants

Feel Well Funding

• Amount: Variable (total £485,000 available)
• Distribution: £242,500 for Colchester, £242,500 for Tendring
• Focus: Mental health and wellbeing priorities
• Administration: Community360 and CVS Tendring

Age Well and Feel Well Domain Funding

• Additional matched funding of £19,845 (Age Well) and £10,994.45 (Feel Well) alongside Hyperlocal Fund

Cultural Events Health and Wellbeing Grants

• Amount: £250 - £1,500
• Total: £30,000 distributed
• Focus: Cultural projects demonstrating health and wellbeing benefits, with priority for older people

Health Inequalities Microgrants Fund (through Community360)

• Amount: £500 - £1,500
• Source: Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System
• Focus: Addressing health inequalities and wider determinants of health

Priority Areas

The Alliance organizes its work around lifecycle priorities:

Start Well

• Giving children the best start in life
• Early years health and development

Stay Well

• Supporting adults to maintain healthy, productive lives
• Access to preventative health support
• Mental health and wellbeing services

Age Well

• Supporting older people's independence
• Tackling isolation in older age groups

Die Well

• End of life care choices
• Dignified care for those approaching end of life

Cross-cutting priorities:

• Reducing health inequalities and deprivation
• Tackling loneliness and social isolation
• Improving mental health outcomes
• Suicide prevention
• Supporting people with complex mental health needs
• Hyperlocal, neighborhood-based interventions

What They Don't Fund

As a partnership administering specific health-focused programs, funding is restricted to:

• Projects outside North East Essex (Colchester and Tendring districts)
• Activities not demonstrably linked to health and wellbeing outcomes
• Individual beneficiaries (funding is for organizations delivering services)
• Projects not aligned with current program priorities

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Governance and Leadership

The Alliance operates as a partnership governance structure rather than a traditional charity board.

Partner Organizations Include:

• Anglian Community Enterprise
• Community360 (C360)
• Community Voluntary Services Tendring (CVS Tendring)
• Colchester Borough Council
• Tendring District Council
• Essex County Council
• Colchester Hospital University NHS Trust
• East of England Ambulance Service
• Essex Partnership University NHS Trust
• Primary Care Networks
• Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB)

Administrative Structure:

• Community360 administers programs on behalf of “One Colchester” (the strategic partnership for Colchester)
• CVS Tendring administers programs on behalf of “Tendring Together”
• Funding decisions are made collaboratively through partnership structures
• The Alliance receives funding from NHS/ICB partners which it then distributes to community organizations

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Alliance does not maintain a single ongoing application process. Instead, funding opportunities are announced periodically through specific programs administered by partner organizations.

General Application Route:

• Colchester projects: Community360
• Tendring projects: CVS Tendring

Application Submission:

• Email: funding@community360.org.uk
• Post: Community360, Winsley's House, High Street, Colchester, CO1 1UG

Eligibility:

• Not-for-profit organizations
• Local community networks
• Public sector partnerships
• Organizations working in North East Essex
• First-time applicants are welcomed and supported

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines vary by program. Past programs have operated on:

• Rolling basis: Some funds accepted applications on a rolling basis until funds depleted
• Fixed deadlines: Other programs had specific closing dates
• First-come-first-served elements: Some programs noted that they would close when funds were fully allocated

Community360 provides fundraising support services to help organizations prepare applications, suggesting that pre-application support may reduce overall timeline.

Success Rates

Based on the Hyperlocal Fund data:

• 38 organizations funded from available funds
• 40% were first-time applicants, demonstrating accessibility to new organizations
• Multiple organizations received grants ranging from £1,000 to £10,000, indicating a good spread of awards

The fact that 40% of recipients had never applied for funding before suggests that the Alliance's programs are accessible and that application support from Community360 is effective in helping new organizations succeed.

Reapplication Policy

The time-limited nature of programs means reapplication policies vary by specific fund. Organizations that have received funding from one Alliance program may be eligible for other programs, as the Alliance has administered multiple separate funds.

Application Success Factors

Funder-Specific Priorities

Clear Health and Wellbeing Outcomes:

The Alliance explicitly requires projects to demonstrate how they will “improve health and wellbeing.” Applications must show clear connections to health outcomes, not just general community benefit.

Neighborhood-Based Approach:

The Hyperlocal Fund specifically supports “asset rich, resilient local Neighbourhoods.” Projects should demonstrate local community connections and address needs at a neighborhood level rather than broad-based approaches.

Addressing Health Inequalities:

The Alliance's work is fundamentally about “reducing inequalities.” Successful projects explicitly address how they reach disadvantaged groups, tackle deprivation, or reduce health inequalities.

First-Time Applicant Support:

With 40% of Hyperlocal Fund recipients being first-time applicants, the Alliance clearly values reaching new organizations. Don't be deterred by lack of previous funding success – the administrators provide support to help organizations develop strong applications.

Alignment with Lifecycle Priorities:

Frame your project within the Alliance's lifecycle model (Start Well, Stay Well, Age Well, Die Well). Use this language to show alignment with their strategic approach.

Cross-Cutting Themes:

Projects addressing loneliness, isolation, mental health, or suicide prevention appear consistently across multiple Alliance programs, suggesting these are priority areas likely to continue.

Collaborative Approaches:

The Alliance values partnership working. Applications demonstrating collaboration between organizations or sectors may be viewed favorably.

Practical Application Tips

Use Available Support:

Community360 offers “comprehensive fundraising support services including identifying potential funders and helping with funding applications.” Contact them at funding@community360.org.uk before applying.

Geographic Specificity:

Be explicit about which area of North East Essex you serve (Colchester or Tendring) and apply through the appropriate administrator.

Evidence of Need:

Projects should be grounded in identified community needs, particularly health-related needs in your specific neighborhood or locality.

Scalability and Sustainability:

While programs provide time-limited funding, consider how your project builds community capacity or creates lasting change beyond the funding period.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Monitor partner organizations closely: Funding opportunities are announced through Community360 and CVS Tendring rather than a central Alliance website – join their mailing lists
• First-time friendly: 40% of Hyperlocal Fund recipients had never applied before – the Alliance actively wants to reach new organizations
• Use pre-application support: Community360 provides funding support services – use them to strengthen your application before submission
• Health outcomes are essential: Every project must demonstrably improve health and wellbeing – generic community projects without health connections won't succeed
• Hyperlocal focus works: Neighborhood-based projects addressing local needs are strongly favored over broad approaches
• Frame within lifecycle priorities: Use the Alliance's Start Well/Stay Well/Age Well/Die Well framework to position your project
• Act quickly when programs open: Some funds operate on a first-come-first-served basis or close when funds are fully allocated
• Geography matters: Be clear whether you're serving Colchester or Tendring and apply through the correct administrator

References

1. Community360 - NE Essex Health & Wellbeing Alliance. https://www.community360.org.uk/who-we-are/ne-essex-health-wellbeing-alliance/

1. UK Fundraising - “North East Essex Hyperlocal Fund offers £370,000 to improve health and wellbeing”. https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/09/02/north-east-essex-hyperlocal-fund-offers-370000-to-improve-health-and-wellbeing/

1. The Essex Alliance - “Feel Well Funding Applications”. https://www.essexalliance.co.uk/feel-well-funding-applications/

1. Colchester City Council - “The North East Essex Health and Wellbeing Alliance”. https://www.colchester.gov.uk/health-alliance/

1. Suffolk & North East Essex Integrated Care System - “North East Essex Alliance”. https://www.sneeics.org.uk/working-together/working-together-in-place-based-alliances/north-east-essex-alliance/

1. Colchester Gazette - “Inclusivity-focused cultural events in Colchester to receive £30k funding boost” (2024). https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/24029966.creative-events-colchester-receive-30-000-funding-boost/

1. Community360 - “Health Inequalities Microgrants Fund now open - grants available from £500-£1500”. https://www.community360.org.uk/blog/health-inequalities-microgrants-fund-now-open-grants-available-from-500-1500/

1. Community360 - "Funding for Community Health & Wellbeing Projects". https://www.community360.org.uk/blog/funding-for-community-health-wellbeing-projects/