GSK Community Health Programme 2026 funding recipients announced
Howard Lake | 22 January 2026 | News
Ten health and care charities have been selected to join the GSK Community Health programme supporting very small charities tackling health inequalities, delivered in partnership with The King’s Fund.
The programme will provide funding and support to community-based organisations working to improve the health of some of the most disadvantaged communities in the UK.
The successful charities, all with an annual income of between £20,000 and £150,000, were selected from almost 230 applications. They will each receive £10,000 in unrestricted funding from GSK, plus a place on the popular leadership programme worth an additional £5,000, delivered by health and care charity The King’s Fund.
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GSK Community Health programme
The GSK Community Health programme is now in its second year, building on GSK’s nearly 30-year partnership with The King’s Fund. Together, they also deliver the GSK IMPACT Awards which recognises small and medium-sized charities working to improve people’s health and wellbeing across the UK.
Small charities tackling health inequalities
Health inequalities are avoidable and systematic differences that include access to health care, quality and experience of care, life expectancy, and wider factors such as environment and housing. There are stark gaps in health between the least and most deprived areas in the UK, with the cost-of-living squeeze and rising poverty also impacting many people’s health.
A considerable amount of the work to tackle health inequalities is carried out by very small charities working with their communities. These organisations can find it hard to access unrestricted funding and support for their leaders, particularly in the current economic climate, which has resulted in huge pressures on funding.
10 charities
The 10 successful charities are:
- Been There – providing free mental health mentoring to adults in England and Wales with body image issues, including disordered eating
- Disability Sport Yorkshire – supporting disabled people to improve their physical and mental health by creating accessible sport, activity programmes and opportunities for skills development and volunteering
- Headway Ayrshire – supporting people affected by an acquired brain injury/traumatic head injury across Ayrshire
- Lunch Club – tackling food poverty and social isolation in Streatham, South London
- Nottingham Children Young People and their Families Project – providing tailored support to people facing complex barriers in under resourced areas of Nottingham
- Plushealth – providing free, UK-wide online peer support to improve emotional and physical wellbeing for those living with or affected by HIV, empowering them to lead active, healthy lives without stigma or prejudice
- Rainbow Parents Carers Forum – a parent-led charity providing peer support, advice and information and inclusive activities for families with children who have special educational needs and disabilities in Greater Nottinghamshire and surrounding areas
- The Spring Charity – working to improve wellbeing and school readiness and reduce disadvantage for families with children under five in the Northampton area
- STAMP Revisited (Mental Health Advocacy Services) – providing an advocacy service in Middlesborough and the surrounding areas to people who have experienced mental health challenges and face multiple disadvantages
- Windmill Trust – providing creative therapeutic services for children and young people at risk of long-term mental health issues.
Lisa Weaks, Senior Associate at The King’s Fund, said:
“Despite facing an incredibly challenging financial climate and increasing pressure to do more with less, local charity leaders and their teams continue to deliver life-changing services that improve health and wellbeing for some of the most vulnerable people in their communities, tackling deep-rooted health inequalities. With access to funding and leadership support often limited, offering these charities a place on our leadership programme is a chance to invest in their aspirations, helping leaders build the skills and confidence they need to grow their impact. We’re excited to work alongside them and learn from their experiences.’”
Commenting on the programme, Stephanie Dean, Director of Programmes, Charitable Investments at GSK, said that their collaboration with The King’s Fund reflects their core commitment to work alongside communities to understand and tackle health inequalities. She added:
“By offering both vital funding and leadership development, we empower these small, yet highly impactful charities to continue their essential work. It’s a privilege to support their efforts in bringing about real, positive change for the health and wellbeing of communities in some of the UK’s most deprived areas.”
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.