Our projects
Hospital Discharge – Social Prescriptions Grant Programme

Hospital Discharge – Social Prescriptions Grant Programme

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new grant funding opportunity for voluntary and community organisations. With a maximum of £5,000 available per application, this funding aims to support activities that help patients, who are discharged from hospital, transition back to life at home following extended hospital stays.

Returning home after a prolonged hospital stay can be a challenging time for patients, both physically and emotionally. Research shows that social isolation and loneliness can significantly hinder recovery from illness or surgery, increasing the likelihood of patients being readmitted to hospital.

For example, findings from Nottingham Trent University’s School of Social Sciences reveal that increasing a patient’s group memberships through Social Prescribing initiatives can reduce healthcare use by 25%. This highlights the power of social connection in improving health outcomes and reducing the strain on healthcare services.

By embedding Social Prescribing and social support into the hospital discharge process, this funding seeks to improve patients’ quality of life in the short term, support their recovery and well-being in the medium term, and reduce hospital readmissions in the long term.

These are some examples of projects we are looking to fund:

• Low-impact exercise, such as chair-based mobility programmes or other focused interventions to aid physical recovery
• Befriending services, both in person and via telephone
• Transport support, including appointment buddies, hospital pickups, and accompaniment to classes or groups
• Counselling support

Additionally, a number of gaps have been identified in current service provisions, and we are keen to support activities that cater to, for example, the following groups/needs:

• Males aged 18–30
• Adults aged 25–50
• Evening and weekend opportunities
• People with ADHD
• People with low level mental health needs

We aim to more closely align the work of Social Prescribing and the hospital discharge process, ensuring that patients leave hospital not only with their physical needs met but also with the expectation that their isolation and loneliness will be addressed.

We invite groups, who are providing creative and compassionate initiatives that address these challenges, to apply for funding. By participating in this project, your organisation can play a key role in improving recovery outcomes, enhancing well-being, and helping to build a more connected and resilient community.

Applications should clearly outline how your proposed activity meets the needs of patients who are being discharged from hospital, the anticipated outcomes, and how you will deliver the project effectively.

To be eligible:

• You will be a voluntary organisation with a community bank account in your organisation’s name
• Your proposed project
  • must be based in Wolverhampton and support Wolverhampton residents
  • must be completed, with the grant spent by 20th December 2025 at the latest
  • must complete and submit monitoring information, including case studies and a final report to WVCA within one month of your project ending or earlier if requested by WVCA
  • must focus on supporting the needs of people recently discharged from hospital and welcome referrals from the Social Prescribing service
  • should support people affected by loneliness and social isolation and help to build resilience.

Your application will be assessed by a panel that consists of staff who are involved in the Hospital Discharge Social Prescriptions Project.

Your answers will be scored as follows:

1 – Unacceptable: proposal is not credible or robust, and does not demonstrate how programme outcomes will be met

2 – Poor: proposal lacks some credibility and robustness, and does not clearly demonstrate how programme outcomes will be met

3 – Satisfactory: proposal is reasonably credible and robust, and reasonably demonstrates how programme outcomes will be met

4 – Good: proposal is credible and robust, and clearly demonstrates how programme outcomes will be met

5 – Excellent: proposal is highly credible and robust, and very clearly demonstrates how programme outcomes will be met

• To be successful you must score at least 3 on each question.
• The strength of your application will be considered alongside other applications we receive.
• We will also think about the range and balance of different projects we are supporting.
• We want the projects we fund to cover a broad range of activities, applicants, and geographical areas.

This grant programme opens on the 28th March 2025 and is a rolling programme and panel process. We aim to process applications and make a decision within 5 weeks of receiving your application. Projects must be completed, with the grant spent by 20th December 2025 at the latest. The programme will close once all of the funding available has been allocated.

The decision of the panel will be final and will be communicated to applicants. Unfortunately, there is no capacity to give detailed feedback on applications that have not been successful.

You can apply for staff time, volunteer expenses, or resources involved in delivering the proposed activities. We can provide funding for applications up to a maximum of £5,000.

If you meet the criteria and wish to apply for a grant, what next?

Please use the application form below, to make your application for funding.

Completing the Application

Please tell us using the form below about the project or activity you want to deliver, the impact it will have on beneficiaries and what you will spend the money on. Please be as clear as possible in your answers so the panel will fully understand what you are proposing and why. Once completed please return the form to: applications@wvca.org.uk