Well Together
Well Together is a place-based programme that brings people, communities, and organisations together to strengthen wellbeing from the ground up.
Over the past two years, the programme has supported grassroots groups, local charities and community organisations across 10 Priority Areas in Oxfordshire, distributing £1.3 million to strengthen community-led health and wellbeing activity.
The Well Together team worked alongside communities to build confidence, connection, and mutual support, ensuring that funding was accessible and part of a wider support programme. They helped organisations to gather stories and collect impact data, reach a wider audience, develop ongoing collaboration, and find further networks and support.
Beyond supporting groups, Well Together has contributed to a wider and increasingly influential conversation across the system: that health inequalities are everyone’s business. The programme has helped shift the dialogue away from health being solely the responsibility of Public Health teams or the NHS, and towards a shared endeavour spanning communities, the voluntary and community sector, local government and wider partners; wellbeing isn’t something delivered to people, but something created collectively. The learning from Well Together makes a strong case for place-based, community-led approaches as essential to tackling entrenched inequalities.
The programme is funded by the NHS BOB Integrated Care Board based on an understanding of the essential role that community, voluntary, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations play in addressing health inequalities at a local level.
The diverse work carried out by community groups across the county and the change they are making is showcased in case studies, stories, and reports produced by the programme team. You can explore these, alongside a report on the Well Together programme itself below:
Recent updates
As of 1st April, we moved into the next phase of the programme; our focus is on bringing together and sharing the learning, insights and impact generated over the past two and a half years. We are keen to ensure that the experiences of Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) organisations shape what comes next.
Looking ahead, we are hopeful about the opportunities to strengthen a collective voice across the sector, support ongoing advocacy, and, most importantly, continue championing the role of communities as leaders in their own health and wellbeing. There is an important role for this learning in informing emerging neighbourhood health approaches and the changes that local government reorganisation will bring.
While the future of Well Together as a funded programme remains uncertain, the learning is not. It is already clear that the vision for Neighbourhood Health and the embedding of the Marmot principles cannot be realised without strong, well-supported communities at its heart. Community leadership, trust, and locally-driven action are fundamental to sustainable, equitable health and wellbeing. Our commitment to working alongside you continues. Community First Oxfordshire and Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action remain to support local organisations, and our doors are open as we move forward together.
Funded projects
Well Together has supported 128 projects and activities provided by new and existing groups and organisations in Oxfordshire. There are 10 priority areas – Abingdon Caldecott, Banbury Neithrop, Banbury Grimsbury, Banbury Ruscote, Barton, Blackbird Leys, Central Oxford, Greater Leys, Littlemore, and Rose Hill.
Funding is used to expand the reach and impact of current projects, or to establish new ones. As well as supporting immediate health and wellbeing needs, the programme aims to address the root causes of preventable health conditions.
Which health inequalities are addressed?
Well Together addressed inequalities identified by the NHS. These include:
- Ongoing maternity care, especially for Black, Asian, and ethnic minority communities
- Mental health support for children, young people, and adults
- Early cancer diagnosis
- Preventing health concerns (such as chronic respiratory disease and high blood pressure) by increasing physical activity and promoting healthy eating
- Tackling obesity and encouraging healthy weight loss
- Encouraging people to look after themselves and stay healthier for longer
- Supporting people to stop smoking
- Reducing harmful drinking or drug behaviours
- Helping children to access dental healthcare
The above areas have been selected as having the biggest impact on avoidable mortality, helping to narrow health inequalities.
Working in Partnership
Throughout the programme, we worked with the Community Health Development Officers and Community Insight Profiles in 10 priority areas across Oxfordshire.
In addition to the Well Together funding, Community Insight profile grant funding was made available from Oxfordshire County Council Public Health to the District Councils, to take forward activities based on the outcomes as detailed in the Community Insight reports.
Well Together is delivered in partnership by OCVA and Community First Oxfordshire. The Programme is funded by the NHS Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board.