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We are investing £1 million in communities across Malvern Hills to support health, wellbeing, and resilience.

The Investing in our Communities’ Wellbeing Fund builds on over five years of successful investment in community projects, infrastructure and support services across the district. It reflects our continued commitment to helping residents live healthier, safer and more connected lives.

The fund aims to:

• Improve physical, mental and financial wellbeing
• Reduce inequalities
• Prevent crisis through early intervention
• Strengthen community resilience and capacity

Community Mental Wellbeing (£250,000) – Open Now

We are inviting local organisations to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for projects that improve mental wellbeing through prevention, early intervention, and community-based support.

The scheme will fund projects running between September 2026 and March 2028, with grants available from £5,001 to £50,000.

We are looking for projects that:

• Support mental health in community settings
• Focus on prevention and early help
• Address wider issues such as housing, safety and inclusion

The grant will support projects that improve mental wellbeing, including staff costs, volunteer training, community activities, venue hire, outreach, and small essential equipment.

Read the Expression of Interest guidance form.

Deadline for applications is 5 June 2026.

Community Hubs for Wellbeing (£250,000) – Opening June 2026

Funding to support trusted, accessible spaces that bring communities together and promote wellbeing.

Funding may support:

• Community wellbeing activities and services
• Volunteer coordination and development
• Access and active travel improvements
• Small capital works (e.g. energy efficiency)

Further details and application process coming soon.

Ward Member Budgets (£250,000) – Launching soon

Local councillors will have funding to support small-scale, community-led projects.

This funding will:

• Support grassroots initiatives
• Respond quickly to local needs
• Enable collaboration across wards

Speak to your local ward member for more information.

Community Infrastructure and Capacity (£160,000)

This funding is allocated to Community Action Malvern & District (CAMD) to support delivery of core community wellbeing services.

• £160,000 over four years (2026–2030)
• Supports community transport, volunteering and inclusion
• Helps vulnerable residents access services and remain independent

Community Arts and Culture (£90,000)

This funding will be delivered through Severn Arts to support community-led arts and cultural activity.

This will:

• Promote wellbeing and inclusion
• Support local creative activity
• Build on previous investment
• Contribute to ambitions such as UK Town of Culture 2028

Our Investment Journey

Since 2021, we have invested significantly in our communities:

• £500,000 Connected Communities Fund (2021)
  Supporting local places, people and the social sector
• £1 million UK Shared Prosperity Fund (2022–2026)
  Supporting cost-of-living initiatives, community roles, active travel, and arts
• £4 million Community Infrastructure Investment Plan (2025–2028)
  Including £1.9 million in capital grants to improve community hubs and facilities

This approach has been recognised nationally as good practice.

Contact Us

If you would like to discuss a project or find out more: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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The Malvern Food Action Network is a group of organisations working together to strengthen and coordinate the local food system. 

We aim to address:

• Food insecurity,
• Access to healthy, affordable food, and
• Reduction of food waste.

Our principles:

Connect: We bring together diverse food initiatives to collaborate and share resources.

Community-Centred: We support locally driven solutions that meet real community needs.

Create Change: We turn ideas into action through, effective collaboration.

We welcome projects from across the district to join us, if you would like to be part of the network, complete this form:

Join our Network

If you have any queries, contact Sarah McCarten-Williams Community Officer (Financial Wellbeing) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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The Connected Communities Celebration is about shining a light on the valuable contributions made by individuals, teams, organisations and businesses across the Malvern Hills District.

Do you know an individual, team or business in the Malvern Hills district that makes a difference to their community and the lives of those around them?

We want to celebrate these wonderful people, who give their time for free, and we are asking residents to come forward and nominate your local stars.

Perhaps you know a young person who is caring for a family member, a neighbour who regularly litter picks in your street, a fantastic team or group that come together to provide support to their local area, or a company whose business initiatives and outlook makes a difference to their local community.

Please come forward and nominate them to get the recognition they deserve. 

Every nominee will receive a letter of thanks, a certificate and a special pin badge from Malvern Hills District Council’s Chairperson. They can also be entered into a prize draw to win a pair of tickets to a special Community Celebration event, taking place in June.

Nominations open on Monday, 5 January 2026.

You can submit a nomination below or you can request a word or pdf version of this nomination form by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., by contacting 01684 862250 or picking up a copy at our Reception (Council House, Avenue Road, WR14 3AF – open 9am-3pm Mon-Fri).

If you would like some assistance in completing the nomination form, please call us on 01684 862250.

Submit a nomination

Deadline for Nominations: 5pm on Sunday 22 March 2026

Criteria:

• The individual or group you are nominating should have been volunteering or giving their time to others (for free) for a minimum of 6 months (this excludes the Young Person and Community Business categories).
• This scheme is to recognise the contributions of people and businesses within the Malvern Hills District Council area.
• We are looking for people that are going above and beyond, that are making a significant impact on people's lives and wellbeing in Malvern Hills District. This could be through supporting one individual or many.
• Nominees might contribute any number of hours per week.
• Nominated community groups/teams must be from not for profit organisations.
• Self-nominations will not be accepted.
• You must be 18 years old or over to nominate – if you are under 18, please ask your parent/guardian to nominate on your behalf.

Categories:

• Individual – we know that sometimes you want to celebrate an individual but cannot find a category that fits. This category is for any individual who has given their time (for free) or volunteered somewhere in the district area and has made a difference. If they have been contributing to their community for more than 6 months, tell us more about them.
• Young Person (25 years or under) – do you know a young person who cares for a family member, has volunteered through the Duke of Edinburgh scheme or perhaps has a more permanent or informal volunteering role. Whether it is a young person providing support to one person or many, we want to celebrate them.
• Lifetime Achievement – this category is aimed at shining a light on those individuals in the community who have been giving their time, to support their community, for many years. They may have taken on various volunteering roles in that time, or perhaps are always the first to organise the annual street party event or provide opportunities to bring their neighbourhood together.
• Team / Group - two or more volunteers or a board of trustees (not for profit organisations only). Do you know of a fantastic team or group that come together for the better of their community? Perhaps they have created a community garden space, regularly litter pick your area, provide a range of support to their local community, come together as trustees to provide crucial support to a charity and deserve to be celebrated, as a collective.
• Community Business - this recognises a company or sole trader whose dedication to supporting community groups or local communities has a positive impact on others. It honours businesses that understand their social responsibility and who are committed to creating meaningful change through their Corporate Social Responsibility programmes or day-to-day business activities. If you know of a business that demonstrates a genuine commitment to making a difference, we want to celebrate the positive work they do.

Read our Privacy Notice for Connected Communities Celebration