Community Chest
VCFSE-led participatory grantmaking to improve health
Community Chest is a participatory grant fund that brought together local VCFSE organisations, the NHS and local authority partners to improve health and wellbeing in Barking and Dagenham.
What makes it different is that the fund was designed and overseen by the people working in local community organisations, alongside public sector partners, creating a more collaborative and equitable approach to funding.
It was the first fund managed within BD Collective that was entirely led by members.
How it works
BD Collective convened a steering group of five active voluntary groups who took on the planning of the fund; Barking and Dagenham Youth Dance, Green Shoes Arts, Thames Life, Radiant Ambitions, and Tots n Tunes worked alongside NHS and Council colleagues to design the fund, agree priorities and shape the decision-making process.
The aim was to create a funding programme that was fair, accessible and grounded in the realities of community organisations. Rather than competing for resources behind closed doors, local organisations worked together to develop the fund and influence how resources were distributed. Organisations were invited to pitch their project and vote together on what they thought would benefit the community the most.
This meant:
- Grassroots expertise was recognised as central to improving health and wellbeing, not simply consulted.
- Local leaders were trusted to make funding decisions for their communities.
- Funding met local needs and community priorities; the majority of funding went to small, Global Majority-led organisations, many of whom had never been involved in a grant making process or been awarded funds before.
Why it’s important
Barking and Dagenham experiences significant health inequalities, alongside growing pressures on its health and care services.
Many of the factors that affect people’s health, such as social isolation and access to support are best addressed by the trusted local organisations embedded within communities.
Community Chest recognised that grassroots organisations are experts in their communities and have valuable insight into what works locally. By involving the VCFSE sector directly in the design of the fund, Community Chest created stronger relationships between community organisations, the NHS and the Council, helping to build a more collaborative approach to prevention and wellbeing.
What we’re learning
Community Chest generated valuable learning about participatory grantmaking and cross-sector collaboration.
Key lessons include:
- Better outcomes emerge when community organisations are trusted to shape funding, rather than simply apply for it.
- Collaboration can reduce competition and encourage organisations to work towards shared goals.
- Community organisations should be recognised and compensated for the time, expertise and lived experience they contribute.
- Participatory approaches help public sector partners better understand the realities facing local communities.
- Sharing power creates stronger decisions, but requires openness, patience and a willingness to work differently.
Read the full evaluation report here.
What’s next?
The learning from Community Chest helped to influence conversations about neighbourhood health, social prescribing and community-led prevention. It was the precursor to the Health Connectors and a strong example of how successful the VCFSE can be at helping address local needs when it has the right tools and access.