London Million Hearts & Minds (MHM) Programme Community Voice Grant – Invitation to Apply
The Million Hearts and Minds (MHM) Programme is a London-wide initiative focused on improving cardiovascular health and preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD) through partnership, innovation, and community-led approaches. A core principle of the programme is that communities most affected by health inequalities must play an active and influential role in shaping solutions.
To support this ambition, MHM is inviting applications for a Community Voice Grant to enable meaningful, credible, and sustained community representation within the programme over a 12-month period.
Download MMH Community Voice Grant Invitation and Requirements document here
Purpose of the Community Voice Grant
The Community Voice Grant is designed to support an individual or organisation to act as a trusted community partner to the MHM Programme, ensuring that community insight, lived experience, and grassroots perspectives meaningfully inform programme governance, engagement approaches, and decision-making. Rather than prescribing a fixed role or set of activities, MHM is seeking proposals that set out how applicants would use the funding to provide a strong, credible community voice to a London-wide CVD prevention programme. This may include (but is not limited to):
- Supporting inclusive and representative engagement with communities across London
- Advising on and strengthening community engagement approaches and processes
- Contributing community insight to programme strategy, design, and delivery
- Supporting the development and effectiveness of the MHM Community Advisory Group (CAG)
- Attending and contributing to key programme meetings to ensure community perspectives shape decisions
This grant reflects the programme’s commitment to valuing community expertise and ensuring community voice is embedded at the heart of MHM, rather than consulted in isolation.
Scope and Expectations
Successful applicants will act as a core community partner to the Million Hearts and Minds (MHM) Programme, working closely with the MHM Engine Room, Community Advisory Group (CAG), and wider programme partners to embed authentic community voice across programme governance and delivery.
MHM anticipates a minimum level of input equivalent to 4–5 days per month, although applicants are encouraged to propose how this time would be used most effectively to deliver the aims of the Community Voice Grant.
As part of this grant, the successful applicant will be expected to undertake key governance and coordination functions, including:
- Co-chairing the MHM Community Advisory Group (CAG) alongside an MHM representative
- The CAG meets at least quarterly, with additional sub-committees or task- and-finish groups convened as required
- Supporting inclusive and effective participation of CAG members
- Providing a community-focused secretariat function for the CAG, which may include:
- Supporting agenda setting, meeting preparation and follow-up
- Ensuring community perspectives and recommendations are clearly captured and fed into programme decision-making
- Supporting communication between the CAG, Engine Room and wider programme partners
Beyond formal governance responsibilities, applicants are encouraged to outline how they would:
- Strengthen representation of diverse community voices across London
- Advise on community engagement approaches and processes
- Contribute community insight to programme strategy, design, and delivery
- Support the ongoing development, effectiveness, and influence of the CAG
Funding Available
Grant value: Approximately £1,000 per month
Total value: £10,000 - £15,000 over 12 months
Duration: 12 months
Start date: March or April 2026 (subject to grant and contracting arrangements)
Funding will be awarded as a grant (not employment) and may be held by an individual or an organisation. Applicants should clearly outline how the funding will be used to deliver the proposed activities and governance support.
Who Can Apply
Applications are welcomed from:
- Community organisations
- Voluntary, faith, or grassroots groups
- Individual community leaders or practitioners with strong London-wide community links
- Applicants must demonstrate strong connections to communities affected by cardiovascular health inequalities in London.
What Applications Should Include
Applications should clearly set out in up to FOUR pages of A4 or FOUR PowerPoint slides:
1. Your proposed approach
- How you would provide a strong and credible community voice to a London- wide CVD prevention programme
- How you would undertake the co-chairing and community-focused secretariat functions of the Community Advisory Group (CAG), including supporting effective governance, participation, and follow-up
2. Relevant experience
- Experience of working with communities in health, prevention, or related fields in London, especially in addressing health or wider inequalities
- Evidence of supporting or leading advisory groups, boards, or community governance structures
- Examples of involvement in prevention, transformation, or system-change programmes (health or other sectors), in London or regional level
3. Community reach and networks
- How you currently work with communities across London
- The populations, geographies, or networks you are connected to
4. Use of funding
- How you would use the grant funding to deliver the proposed activity over 12 months
- Indicative time commitment and/or breakdown of activities
5. References
- Contact details for two referees who can comment on your experience of working with communities and/or supporting strategic, advisory, or transformation programmes
- At least one reference should, where possible, relate to work undertaken within health, prevention, or system-change contexts
Application Process and Timeline
- Applications open: 28 January 2026
- Application deadline: 4 March 2026, 12:00pm (Applications will be promoted at the MHM Summit on 25 February 2026)
- Shortlisting: 5–12 March 2026
- Interviews:
- Week commencing 17 March 2026
- Shortlisted applicants will be invited to give a brief presentation, followed by questions from a panel
- Applicants will receive at least five working days’ notice
- Interviews will be held in person
- Decision announced: w/c 24 March 2026
- Grant start date: April or May 2026, depending on contracting requirements
- Application submission: Applications should be submitted to rf-tr.admin.londonmillionhearts@nhs.net with the Subject Header: “Million Hearts and Minds Community Voice”