Health Education
Through this programme The Foundation has been supporting organisations that work to raise awareness of specific medical conditions, provide vital information resources, and strengthen healthcare professional training nationwide.
Between 2005 and 2025, the programme has distributed £2.18 million across 249 grants to 148 different organisations. This sustained investment has enabled charities to develop educational materials, deliver training programmes, organise professional conferences, establish helplines, and create awareness campaigns that have reached millions of people affected by various health conditions.
Through this programme, our grants have supported charities to develop trusted information and advice – in print and online – reaching millions of people.
We have helped establish and sustain helplines, supported the training of thousands of healthcare professionals, and backed life‑saving awareness campaigns focused on prevention and earlier diagnosis.
This support has encompassed a wide spectrum of charitable activity – from small, specialist organisations focused on very rare conditions, to larger charities working with people of all ages affected by more common illnesses – reflecting both the complexity of need and the importance of accessible, high‑quality support across this field.
SINCE 2005
2005-25
249
Grants awarded
£2.18m
Awarded to charitable organisations
148
Organisations supported
Theme: Supporting faster diagnoses
Under this category, our grants have supported charities working to reduce delays in identifying serious and often life‑threatening conditions. Funding has enabled the development of professional education programmes, clinical guidance, awareness initiatives and specialist resources designed to support earlier recognition, clearer referral pathways and more timely investigation.
We have contributed to work aimed at both healthcare professionals and the public, spanning rare and complex conditions as well as more common diseases, where missed or late diagnosis can have profound consequences. Collectively, these grants reflect the critical role of knowledge, training and system‑wide awareness in enabling prompt treatment, improving outcomes and delivering better experiences of care for patients and families.
Theme: Awareness raising & Patient information and support
Across this theme, our grants have supported charities to raise awareness of health conditions while also providing clear, trusted information and practical support to those affected. Funding has enabled the development of accessible resources in print and online, the delivery of outreach and education initiatives, and the provision of helplines, events and structured support services.
Theme: Upskilling care in the community
Our funding in this category has supported charities to strengthen the skills, confidence and capacity of those delivering care in communities and frontline settings. Funding has enabled specialist training, professional development, shared learning and the creation of practical tools and resources for healthcare professionals, carers and volunteers.
This work has ranged from highly specialised clinical education to broader programmes supporting coordinated, compassionate care across services.
Collectively, these grants reflect our belief that investing in people – and in the quality of care they are able to provide – is essential to improving outcomes, building resilience within health systems, and ensuring individuals receive timely, skilled and person‑centred support.
HEALTH EDUCATION
What we have learnt and how this funding programme has evolved
The scope of the Health Education programme has enabled us to support a wide range of organisations and activities, working with charities of different sizes and specialties to strengthen knowledge, skills and understanding across the health sector.
Through targeted funding for defined projects, we have developed a clearer understanding of what underpins effective health education – including strong organisational focus, sustainable delivery and high‑quality, accessible information. Increasingly, we place particular value on recognised standards that demonstrate trust and accountability, with PIF Tick certification and Helplines Partnership Standard accreditation seen as important indicators of organisations providing safe, evidence‑based information and support.
When we reviewed our funding priorities for our third decade, we acknowledged the significant overlap between the Health Education and Relief of Sickness programmes. We have therefore brought these programmes together under a single, merged framework. Going forward, funding will be delivered through two complementary strands – Physical Health and Mental Health – combining clearer priorities with greater flexibility to respond to evolving need.
