Community Grants Fund

Ashford Place: Fit and Well

A programme providing weekly weight loss, fitness and foot-health sessions, plus an older people’s group, supporting 130 disadvantaged Brent residents facing poor health and isolation.

Black Girls Do Run UK

Inclusive running activities helping Black women of all abilities, become active, build confidence and connect with others while improving physical and mental wellbeing.

Brent Youth Sports and Culture CIC: Friday Night Health Moves

A project at Roundwood Youth Club delivering weekly sessions combining sport, martial arts, creative activities and short practical health mini-huddles.

Charteris Community Sports Centre: Sport for Kilburn

A project extending basketball opportunities for those facing economic or gender barriers, with coached sessions developing individual and team skills.

Divine Purpose: Making Waves

Free, inclusive swimming lessons for local young people, promoting fitness, water safety and long-term wellbeing, with a focus on those from underrepresented backgrounds.

EchoVibe HUB: Healthy Families, Active Futures

A six-month programme combining health education and physical wellbeing activities to help children and families make informed health choices and stay active.

Mandhata Youth and Community Association: Healthy Indian Thali Days

Twice-monthly cooking workshops and yoga sessions for 55 older residents, promoting healthier versions of traditional Indian meals with less oil and salt and more fibre and protein.

NOV Way CIC: Moving Brent Forward

Run and outdoor activities for diverse and under-represented adults and young people, delivered in a safe environment with professional coaching and science-led techniques.

Parents and Staff Association of Preston Park Primary School: Healthy Young Lives

A project promoting a healthy start in life through fitness sessions, self-defence classes, a summer sports camp and coffee mornings for parents on children’s health.

Silver Jubilee Park Charitable Foundation: SJP Healthy Kicks programme

Free football coaching for children from low-income families, identified by local headteachers and delivered by qualified coaches at Silver Jubilee Park Stadium.

SweetScience Foundation: Non-Contact Boxing and Mentoring

Non-contact boxing and mentoring sessions in schools, using the discipline and focus of boxing to build resilience, self-control and confidence.

The Rachel Yankey Foundation: Active Girls in Brent

football project supporting girls from predominantly BAME backgrounds to increase physical activity, improve healthy eating knowledge and promote positive mental health.

Track Academy: Strive & Thrive

athletics sessions for young women, alongside 10 life skills workshops covering nutrition, oral hygiene and vaccinations.

Wembley Football: Brent Kicks

Free football and mental health workshops for girls aged 8–16, providing a safe, girls-only space to build confidence, resilience and friendships.

Breathe Arts Health Research: Breathe Sing

Group singing sessions on adult wards at Park Royal Centre for Mental Health, delivered with the Occupational Therapy team to support residents experiencing mental health challenges.

Brent Centre for Young People: Wellbeing and Support for Young Travellers

Free, culturally informed support for young Irish Travellers in Harlesden, offering therapy, advice and guidance to help families navigate challenges, access services and build resilience.

Higher Potential CIO: Wellness for All

A safe, supportive space for residents to improve mental and physical health, reduce isolation and build community connections through mindfulness, movement and shared experiences.

Home-Start Barnet: Calm Connections

Supports autistic parents in Brent through pregnancy and early parenthood with tailored support to improve mental health, reduce isolation and access health and care services.

Kinspiration CIC: Power of YOU

A creative arts and crafts project supporting the mental wellbeing of children and families in Brent, especially those from disadvantaged, marginalised or neurodivergent backgrounds.

Rumi's Cave: Canvas & Chords

A six-month programme of music and art therapy for children and teenagers in Harlesden, promoting emotional wellbeing, creativity and community connection.

St Luke's Hospice Harrow and Brent Ltd: One Step at a Time

A bereavement support programme for Brent residents, supporting 160+ people through a team of 10 - 12 trained volunteers.

The Flourish Group CIC: M.O.M Club (Mentally Overloaded Mum)

A creative wellbeing programme supporting mothers and female caregivers through art-based workshops such as mindful painting, journaling and creative expression.

The Middlesex Association for the Blind: Improving Mental and Physical Wellbeing for People with Visual Impairment in Brent

A programme supporting people with visual impairments to improve health outcomes through the Rapid Response Counselling Service and monthly VIP Club coffee mornings.

BAPS Charities UK: Wellness for Children

A programme promoting nutrition, exercise, stress management and healthy sleep habits, using a holistic, family-based approach to help children build lifelong healthy habits.

Brent Mencap Ltd: BRAD (Brent Residents Artistic Dreams)

Weekly creative sessions helping more than 40 people with learning disabilities develop their creative talents, boost confidence, happiness and health

Career Camp CIC: Brent Health Ambassadors' project

A recognised development programme helping young people raise awareness of mental health and health inequalities.

Filmscope CIC: A Breath of Fresh Air project

A creative health project raising awareness of asthma and respiratory wellbeing among children and families in Brent through after-school animation clubs in three local schools.

Kidwise Group CIC: Kidwise and Shade 7

VR workshops teaching children aged 7–11 about kidney health, healthy eating and Type 2 diabetes prevention.

Kilburn State of Mind: Creative Families Lab programme

Creative workshops for Kilburn families in drama, music, art, circus skills and cooking, building confidence, wellbeing, healthy habits and community connections.

The Angels Initiative Ltd: Rising Above - A Cheer and Wellbeing Hub project

Weekly cheerleading, dance and wellbeing sessions supporting girls and young people to improve their physical and mental health.

Unique Community Charity: Unique Youth Theatre

A free, inclusive performing arts programme for local children and young people, supported by a dedicated wellbeing officer.

Asma Community Group: Improving Health and Wellbeing for Somali-Heritage Families in South Kilburn

Culturally responsive health education and wellbeing activities for Somali-heritage families, covering diabetes, high blood pressure, mental health and healthy eating.

Brent Chinese Association: Routes to Giving: Together

Health and wellbeing activities and events for communities that are often under-served due to language and cultural barriers.

Brent Indian Association: Aspiring Brent Community Health

Physical and mental wellbeing activities that encourage healthier lifestyles and raise health awareness, particularly among disadvantaged communities.

Cancer Black Care: Breaking Barriers in Cancer Support

Community-led awareness sessions, workshops and events supporting Brent residents affected by cancer.

Gujarati Arya Association London (GAAL): Health and Wellbeing Programme

Aims to raise health awareness and encourage healthy lifestyle habits and activities promoting physical activity and better management of anxiety and stress among children and young adults.

The Royal Association for Deaf people: Deaf Health Matters

Health information workshops delivered in British Sign Language and tailored to Deaf Brent residents.

Zest of Mind: Wellbeing Warriors

A Brent school-based programme training young people to become peer wellbeing champions and reduce stigma around mental health.

Brent Punjabi Association: Mental and Physical Health Wellbeing

Activities supporting older residents who are isolated or living with physical or mental health challenges, helping them connect with others.

Clube dos Brasileirinhos Heritage and Cultural Centre CIC: Healthy Families in Brent

More than 17 sessions covering first aid and EpiPen training, nutrition, psychological support, NHS guidance and family exercise activities.

Granville Community Kitchen: Good Food is Healing Food

Supplying weekly bags of seasonal organic fruit and vegetables for low-income patients identified by GPs through social prescribing.

Laurence's Larder: Healthy Living Programme for Older People

Weekly fitness sessions, nutrition workshops and shared healthy lunches helping older residents, many from BAME backgrounds, stay active, independent and connected.

Lindsay Park Baptist Church: Increasing Wholeness

Counselling, English as second language classes and life skills support helping people build confidence, improve their health and live more independently.

Oshwal Association of the UK: Friendship Hub

A 12-week community-focused initiative designed to bring people of all ages together through creativity, movement and meaningful connection.

The 2023 to 2024 grant fund awarded £433,000 to 46 local projects. The examples below show how organisations have used Brent Health Matters funding to support the health and wellbeing of Brent residents.

Citizens Advice Brent

Citizens Advice Brent received £10,000 to help Brent residents access free, confidential and impartial information and advice.

“The Brent Health Matters (BHM) Grant has made a significant and tangible difference to our service and the community we support,” said Chief Executive Officer, Raj Kapoor. “It allowed us to recruit and train seven full-time Information Assistant and Advice volunteers, which has greatly increased our capacity to respond to growing demand”.

“Thanks to this additional resource, we’ve been able to assist many more residents in accessing vital support — from energy grants and Warm Home Discounts to discretionary local authority funds, cost-of-living payments, and charitable applications for essential household items and school clothing. This has had a real, immediate impact on the lives of local people facing financial hardship.

“We’re extremely grateful for this opportunity from BHM, which has helped us deliver meaningful, lasting outcomes for those most in need. BHM staff have been a joy to work with.”

In 2022/23, Urban Growth received a £5,410 grant to deliver workshops in a newly created garden and sensory space for residents at Tudor Gardens, Kingsbury, a specialist accommodation for adults with learning difficulties.

Anna Godefroy, Managing Director of Urban Growth, said, “The project brought people together, building social bonds and reducing isolation.”

Following the work to create the garden, Urban Growth received the King’s Award for Enterprise, which celebrates the success of innovative businesses.

Awarded by King Charles III, the award recognised and praised Urban Growth’s approach to community engagement, sustainability, health and wellbeing.

“We are so proud to win this award, and the Brent Health Matters support was a big milestone for our work,” said Anna.

In 2021/22 Brent Irish Advisory Service (BIAS) was awarded £19,435 to run its Digi-Pals project, supporting older Irish residents in Brent to develop digital skills and access information, services and support online. 

“We recognised that a lot of people are excluded from the help they need simply because they aren’t great with technology,” explained Ellen Stafford from BIAS.

“Lockdown highlighted that so much information and support is online and that not being good with phones and computers was a huge problem amongst older Irish people.”

The BIAS Digi-Pals project included regular ‘drop-in’ sessions at hubs in Cricklewood and Harlesden. “We ran around 300 one-to-one sessions with over 150 older people living in Brent throughout the year,” said Ellen.

Margaret Carroll, 71, from Harlesden was a regular at the Clocher Court hub. She said, “It’s been wonderful. I now order my repeat prescriptions through my phone and I’m using online banking. I’m also using WhatsApp and Facetime to speak to my sister in America and my five grandchildren in Ireland. It’s brilliant.”