Decision

The Director of Public Health has decided to
approve the allocation of £200,000 of grant funding from the
Public Health Grant to Wirral CVS (charity number 1196584) (for the
period 1 November 2025 – 31 October 2026) to administer
grants of up to £10,000 each to support organisations in the
Community, Voluntary and Faith Sector who provide programmes to
improve the health and wellbeing of Wirral residents which support
delivery of Wirral Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

This is in line with the spend plan agreed by ASC&PH committee
April 2024.

Reasons for the decision

The Community, Voluntary and Faith (CVF)
sector plays a vital role in delivering our Health and Wellbeing
Strategy. A strong and resilient CVF sector is essential,
particularly given the ongoing impact of the pandemic and the
cost-of-living crisis, which continue to place significant pressure
on both the sector and the communities it serves.
These grants represent the second year of funding through the
Step-Up Grants Programme, which has already demonstrated positive
outcomes for residents and strengthened the CVF sector. The funding
supports targeted activity aligned with the priority areas of the
Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
There have been excellent examples of local CVF organisations that
have grown into strong, more sustainable organisations with initial
seed funding from public sector partners. This early investment
often enables organisations to draw down additional funding from
other sources, many of which require match funding.
Investment will continue to focus on organisations that can
evidence measurable outcomes and deliver a positive impact on
residents’ health and wellbeing.

Alternative options considered

Various options were explored including
different financial models for investment and the option of not
providing any additional investment. These options, although
considered, are not recommended as this would risk delivery of
local strategic priorities