Hywel Dda Health Charities

Hywel Dda Health Charities is the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, deeply embedded in West Wales to enhance the health, wellbeing, and experience of NHS patients, service users, families, carers, and staff across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, and Pembrokeshire. Its mission focuses on funding projects and amenities beyond statutory NHS provision, driven by core values of compassion, community support, innovation, and equity. Distinctively partnership-led, it prioritizes evidence-based initiatives with lasting impact, such as medical equipment, staff training, welcoming environments, and preventive services addressing chronic illness, mental health, social isolation, and health inequalities.

Funding supports thematic priorities like arts-on-referral programs (e.g., Hywel Dda Arts on Referral Programme - HARP), ecotherapy retreats, bereavement support, staff rest areas, lifelong learning, outreach for minority communities, and innovations reducing primary care pressures. Beneficiaries include all Health Board patients, harder-to-reach groups, families, carers, and NHS staff, emphasizing non-clinical enhancements, wellbeing, and wider health determinants.

Eligibility is strictly limited to internal NHS staff or service leads within the Health Board; it does not accept unsolicited applications from external charities, organizations, or the public. No income or size restrictions apply, but projects must directly benefit the region and align with charitable objectives. Grants range from £2,000 for small enhancements to £150,000 for major capital projects, reviewed quarterly by the Charitable Funds Committee (March, June, September, December) via internal forms and approvals—under £10,000 at directorate level, larger at full committee (2-4 months decision time).

Exclusions cover core NHS expenditures and external/third-sector initiatives; it uniquely complements statutory services through collaborative, preventive, community-rooted projects fostering inclusivity and staff/patient outcomes in this defined NHS footprint.