# New funding to improve health and wellbeing in Suffolk and Essex - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/04/26/new-funding-to-improve-health-and-wellbeing-in-suffolk-and-essex/ - Published: 2019-04-26T11:42:01+01:00 - Author: Howard Lake **The Suffolk and Essex Community Foundations have been awarded a £2 million contract from the ‘Realising Ambition’ initiative. ** The initiative brings together primary care, social services and the voluntary sector to improve health services identified by three local alliances (East Suffolk, West Suffolk and North East Essex). Essex Community Foundation will be launching the new funding initiative in May and grants will be awarded in North East Essex. Improving mental health, reducing suicides, tackling obesity, improving end of life care and combating loneliness are key priorities for the Integrated Care System ( ICS). ## Advertisement ICS leaders say that the distribution of the money across the three areas * Ipswich and East Suffolk * North East Essex * West Suffolk will be based on a number of factors, including local levels of deprivation. > Pleased to announce a new funding initiative that will bring together public sector > partners with the voluntary sector, helping to improve health and well-being in > local communities. Read more: [https://t.co/I93tIY65JJ](https://t.co/I93tIY65JJ) > [#RealisingAmbitions](https://twitter.com/hashtag/RealisingAmbitions?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#CanDoHealthandCare](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CanDoHealthandCare?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [pic.twitter.com/3CxA7huHGT](https://t.co/3CxA7huHGT) > — Essex Community Foundation (@Essex_CF) [April 18, 2019](https://twitter.com/Essex_CF/status/1118880897523167234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) ## Social prescribing Dr John Hague, Mental Health Lead for the Suffolk and North East Essex Shadow ICS and GP in Ipswich, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity which will bring health, care, volunteers and the public together to bring about real improvements for local people and communities. We have been working with the community foundations and voluntary sector in setting up social prescribing – a scheme which links patients needing GP or primary care with sources of support within the community. With ‘Realising Ambition’, we will be building on this way of working and expanding it to include other priorities for our system.”   > A new and exciting example of [#Suffolk](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Suffolk?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > and beyond working together to change local lives > [https://t.co/bIPcwYHIDy](https://t.co/bIPcwYHIDy) > 💜[#RealisingAmbitions](https://twitter.com/hashtag/RealisingAmbitions?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#WorkinginPartnership](https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorkinginPartnership?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#Health](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Health?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [#CanDoHealthandCare](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CanDoHealthandCare?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [pic.twitter.com/48f4WWc6Ls](https://t.co/48f4WWc6Ls) > — Suffolk Community Foundation (@suffolkgiving) [April 17, 2019](https://twitter.com/suffolkgiving/status/1118435188432867328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) ICS Programme Director, Susannah Howard, said: “We know that making a difference to complex population outcomes is very difficult. We are therefore asking leaders within each of the three main areas to determine their local priorities… Voluntary and community organisations will… be invited by the Suffolk and Essex Community Foundation’s to submit proposals for projects where they believe a broader contribution could be made towards achieving the system’s higher ambitions.” Caroline Taylor, chief executive of Essex Community Foundation, said: “Empowering communities with resources to tackle the issues impacting local people, is at the heart of what we do. This new initiative brings together public sector partners with the voluntary sector and vital funding so that we can improve health and well- being in our local communities.” You can follow Essex Community Foundation on Twitter [@Essex_CF](http://www.twitter.com/Essex_CF) or on [Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/EssexFoundation) to keep up-to-date on the launch. * **[Internet fundraising talk in Colchester](https://fundraising.co.uk/2004/03/09/internet-fundraising-talk-colchester/)**( 9 March 2004) * **[Norwich elephants generate £203,000 at auction](https://fundraising.co.uk/2008/09/26/norwich-elephants-generate-203000-auction/)**( 26 September 2008) * **[Inspiring fundraisers in the East of England](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/04/28/inspiring-fundraisers-east-england-256/)**( 28 April 2009)