Decision

The Director of Public
Health has approved total grant allocation of £400,000 from
the Public Health Grant to Wirral CVS (charity number 1196584) (for
the period 1 February 2026 – 31st January 2028) to
deliver a borough wide Asset Based Community Development (ABCD)
programme that strengthens community infrastructure, leadership and
resident led action across all wards in Wirral, targeting
investment in areas of greatest need.

Reasons for the decision

This funding decision is
driven by Wirral’s 13-year track record of delivering ABCD
and the need to protect and strengthen this established approach at
a time of increasing inequality, pressure on statutory services and
variable community capacity across the local Community, Voluntary
and Faith Sector. Evidence on a national and local level shows that
community-led preventative approaches improve wellbeing, reduce
social isolation and help manage demand on public services through
early intervention. Despite strong progress, underinvestment and
short-term funding threaten the sustainability of community
anchors, leadership development and resident led activity, risking
the loss of trusted local organisations. This funding enables the
Council to invest strategically in community capacity, ensure more
equitable support across community and embed prevention, resilience
and co-production as core elements of the Health and Wellbeing
Strategy.

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.