# £3.3 million fund opens to support mothers & babies from deprived or BAME backgrounds

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/08/25/3-3-million-fund-opens-to-support-mothers-babies-from-deprived-or-bame-backgrounds/
- Published: 2020-08-25T09:02:14+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**The Government has opened a £3.3 million fund for charities in England working
with mothers and babies from deprived or BAME backgrounds.**

 

The money is available through the [Health and Wellbeing Fund](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vcse-health-and-wellbeing-fund-applications-2020-to-2021),
which is now in its third round, and is run by the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance.
This round will pay for three-year projects run by voluntary and community social
enterprises.

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The fund is aimed at helping community projects aimed at improving outcomes for 
mothers and babies in deprived areas or from BAME backgrounds from preconception
to up to 2-and-a-half years of age, such as those aimed at:

 

 * improving perinatal mental health
 * reducing the percentage of babies born with low birthweight
 * increasing babies being breastfed
 * obesity prevention and support
 * reducing smoking or encouraging smoke-free homes
 * improving learning, speech and language development
 * improving immunisation rates and reducing rates of preventable disease

 

Public Health Minister Jo Churchill said:

 

> “Everyone deserves to live a long, healthy life, and we’re determined to reduce
> the inequality that some families face. We’re committed to start this work from
> birth, and the voluntary sector has an enormous role to play in its success. This
> year we have launched the Health and Wellbeing Fund which is centred around starting
> well, to make sure mothers have the help they need to make the right decisions
> to support their health, and the health of their babies.”

 

The £3.3 million is available to support the new schemes in 2020/21, with funding
for schemes planned for a further two years up to 2022/23.

 

Applicants have until Friday 30 October 2020 at midday to apply, and successful 
projects will be announced in December.

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