Community Public Health Programme

The Community Public Health Programme

The Community Public Health Programme is a Council initiative to help local people live healthier lives. The Council has invested £2.35 million over three years (2024 to 2027) to support 27 local voluntary and community organisations across the borough.

This funding will help improve access to health and wellbeing services, with a focus on heart health, lung health and mental wellbeing. The aim is to help residents stay healthier for longer and to reduce the health gaps between different communities in Kensington & Chelsea.

Through this programme, residents can take part in a wide range of free or low cost activities, including:

  • exercise and fitness classes
  • healthy cooking workshops
  • one to one health mentoring
  • counselling and group therapy
  • health checks and assessments
  • information and advice on staying well

Why it's needed

Overall, people in Kensington & Chelsea are healthier than average. In fact, more residents here report being in very good health than anywhere else in England.

However, not everyone benefits equally. There are still big differences in health between areas of the borough. For example, while life expectancy is among the highest in the country, people living in some neighbourhoods can expect to live much shorter lives than those in others – a gap of up to 18 years for men and 17 years for women.

This programme helps tackle these differences by supporting people in ways that fit into their everyday lives. It encourages activities people enjoy, while also offering chances to talk about things like health checks, vaccinations and mental wellbeing.

Together, this can help prevent illness and support better health for everyone.

Why we are working with voluntary and community organisations

Local voluntary and community organisations know their communities well. They understand the challenges people face and are trusted by the residents they support. This makes them well placed to deliver health and wellbeing activities in a way that feels welcoming and relevant.

By working closely with these organisations, we can bring health support closer to where people live. We also want to help strengthen these organisations by building their skills, knowledge and confidence to promote healthy habits in ways that make sense locally.

We have also created a Healthy Communities Network where organisations can:

  • share ideas and learning
  • access training and development
  • help encourage residents to use local health services
  • feed back what communities need to live healthier lives
  • This network helps us listen to residents and adapt services so they better meet local needs.

Which organisations are the beneficiaries of the fund

The Council provided funding for 27 projects across Kensington & Chelsea, supporting a range of groups to help residents of all ages and backgrounds live healthier, more connected lives.

Organisations include:

Lead Partners What
Age UK Al-Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre

People: Muslim community (50+)

Place: Golborne

Priority: Heart Health

Interventions: Exercise classes, cooking workshops

BME Health Forum

Al-Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre

Ethiopian Women’s Empowerment Group

Midaye Somali Development Network

Sudanese Nubian Association

Neighbourhood Doulas

People: Arab, East and North African, Bangladeshi and Muslim communities

Place: All wards

Priority: Heart health, mental health

Interventions: Behaviour change, health promotion, classes and routine health checks

Equal People Mencap Disability Sports Coach

People: Individuals with learning or physical disabilities

Place: Notting Dale

Priority: Heart health, mental health

Interventions: Physical activities, drop-in club sessions and monthly health checks

Dalgarno Trust Fit for Life Youth

People: BAME communities (focus on those in social housing)

Place: Dalgarno, Notting Dale

Priority: Heart Health

Interventions: Mentors/buddies for residents. Physical activities

Meanwhile Gardens Community Association
Golborne Medical

People: Black Caribbean, North and East African, Arab and Muslim communities. Physical disabilities and neurodiverse needs

Place: Golborne, Dalgarno

Priority: Heart health, lung health

Interventions: 1-2-1 and group peer support and health coaching. Physical activities, cooking closes and smoking cessation

Open Age

Pepper Pot Centre

Fifty Plus Aged Eritrean Welfare Association

Women’s Association for Networking & Development (WAND)

People: Black Caribbean, North and East African communities' Muslim community (50+)

Place: All wards

Priority: Lung Health

Interventions: Culturally relevant Healthy eating classes and health checks

Groundswell 240 Project

People: Rough sleepers, those experiencing homelessness

Place: Notting Dale

Priority: Lung health, mental health

Interventions: Health promotion, peer advocacy, cooking workshops, counselling and group therapy

Chelsea Big Local

Chelsea Theatre

Response Community Projects

People: BAME communities

Place: Chelsea Riverside

Priority: Mental Health

Interventions: 1-1 Counselling, health checks, befriending and health cooking workshops

Baraka Community Organisation

Mo1 Youths

The SPACE

People: BAME communities, physical disabilities and neurodiverse needs

Place: All wards

Priority: Heart health

Interventions: Health assessments, health education, physical activities and cooking classes

The Reflection Project  

People: All Muslim communities

Place: Golborne, Chelsea Riverside

Priority: Mental health

Interventions: Faith based psychotherapy and workshops in multiple languages

Last updated: 14 May 2026