The Health and Wellbeing Board of Merton Council met on Tuesday 13 January 2026. The Board received updates on the Annual Public Health Report, progress on various actions within the Strong Communities priority, and the Civic Pride and Community Climate Action Funds.

Annual Public Health Report 2026-27: Merton on the Move

The Board reviewed the Annual Public Health Report 2026-27, titled 'Merton on the Move'. The report focuses on the significant impact of physical inactivity on health and wellbeing, highlighting its links to an increased risk of various cancers, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and poorer mental health, with an estimated annual cost to the UK of £7.4 billion. The report makes recommendations across four chapters: Physical Inactivity and the Environment, Children and Young People, Working Age Adults, and Older People. These recommendations aim to embed physical activity into daily life, improve environments to encourage movement, and ensure tailored support for different age groups and those at higher risk of inactivity. The Board noted that the implementation of these recommendations would be managed within existing resources and through current cross-council and partnership actions.

Strong Communities Updates

The Board received updates on several actions within the 'Strong Communities' priority of the Merton Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025-30.

• Action 1: Mapping Engagement Mechanisms: Work is underway to map current mechanisms for engagement between the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS), seldom-heard voices, people with lived experience, and decision-makers. A template for desk-based research will be shared with Merton Connected and health partners by early February 2026, followed by themed focus groups convened by Merton Connected to identify gaps and overlaps in services.
• Action 2: Building VCS Capacity: The Council is exploring the use of the 'Plinth' impact reporting system to support VCS partners in evaluating and using data to build a robust evidence base for health and wellbeing outcomes. Future priorities include borough-wide engagement to understand capacity needs within the VCS, particularly for smaller organisations, and exploring opportunities for VCS organisations to report data linked to the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA).
• Action 3: Aligning VCS Grant Funding: A council-wide grants review is in progress, with a Funding Officers Group established to share best practice and ensure alignment of VCS funding with strategic priorities. The Civic Pride Fund, which supports neighbourhoods and VCS organisations, has been recommissioned, with a new round of small grants offering more flexible funding periods.
• Action 5: Exploring Longer-Term Funding: As part of the review of Merton's approach to VCS grant funding, opportunities for longer-term funding are being considered to establish community trust and maximise influence. The Council's Interim Volunteering Strategy also aligns with this, aiming to increase young volunteers and map existing volunteering efforts.
• Action 6: Annual Health and Wellbeing Board Celebration: Planning is underway for the first annual celebration, which will be incorporated into the Merton Partnership Summit in Summer 2026. Decisions will need to be made regarding the format and timing of future celebrations in years without a summit.

Civic Pride and Community Climate Action Funds

The Board received an update on the approach and progress on Action 4 of the 'Strong Communities' priority, which focuses on supporting community-led initiatives through the Civic Pride Investing in Neighbourhoods Fund and the Community Climate Action Fund. These funds have supported numerous projects aimed at upskilling residents, such as the 'Merton Garden Streets' initiative, 'Friends of Mostyn Gardens', and 'The Preloved Studio' for textile reuse. The report highlighted that the final round of Community Climate Action funding is due to be allocated in February 2026, with allocations for the 2025 bidding round for both funds to be presented to Cabinet.

Other Discussions

The Board also received updates on the Merton Better Care Fund Q3 Report, Healthy Places Actions, Joined-Up Services, and the Health and Wellbeing Strategy Year 2 Actions. The Healthy Places update included discussions on reducing hospital admissions, improving active travel infrastructure, and investing in public sports facilities. The Joined-Up Services update focused on the design of integrated neighbourhood teams, and the Health and Wellbeing Strategy update outlined plans for reviewing Year 1 actions and preparing Year 2 plans. The Board was informed of potential changes to its functionality, with a likelihood of it becoming a decision-making board for neighbourhood health plans.