At the centre of the programme are Community Champions – local people who know their communities, understand the issues that matter to residents, and are already part of the places where people live, work and connect.

This is a tried and tested model across West Yorkshire, so Nova is looking to use the programme as the starting point for a long-term Community Champion project in Wakefield District that will:

• Help more residents to access support with their health
• Build long-term trusting relationships with champions
• Bring opportunities to local VCSE organisations

Vaccine Champions is the first of these opportunities. Funded by NHS England, the programme launches this month with the support of West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) and the five local authorities across the region – Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield. Delivery will be led by five Local Infrastructure Organisations(LIOs), including Nova here in Wakefield District, bringing established community networks and trusted local relationships into the heart of the work.

Listening as well as sharing

Champions will help raise awareness of vaccinations, share trusted information, answer questions, offer support and connect people with the services available to them. They will also support people to access and use the NHS App, helping ensure communities can make informed choices about their health.

A key part of the programme is listening. Champions will create space for people to share their experiences, questions and concerns about vaccination, enabling open and honest conversations in familiar settings and make information more accessible, inclusive and relevant to everyday life.

The insight gathered will help partners across West Yorkshire better understand the real-world barriers that influence vaccine decisions, from practical challenges to confidence, trust and past experiences. We will work closely with Healthwatch Kirklees & Calderdale who will support us to analyse the findings and turn the data into meaningful, community-focused insight. This learning will help shape future work and support wider efforts to reduce health inequalities.

Opportunity to get involved

Grants are available throughthe Community Investment Gateway to fund Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations interested in being part of the programme. Here are some key details:

• Grants available: £5,000
• To support: VCSE organisations to recruit and manage Vaccine Champions
• Organisations will receive training and be supported throughout the programme by Nova
• Information session: recording will be available
• Closing date: Tuesday 17 November

Find out more: https://www.ci-gateway.org/open-funding

This is a brilliant opportunity for organisations to upskill their staff and/or volunteers, and be involved at the start of plans for a long-term Community Champion programme in Wakefield.

A partnership rooted in local communities

The programme brings together the five LIOs across West Yorkshire: Voluntary Action Leeds (VAL), Voluntary & Community (VAC), VCS Alliance, Third Sector Leaders (TSL) Kirklees and Nova. Together, we bring decades of experiencesupporting communities, with deep local knowledge and trusted relationships that make them ideally placed to lead this work. TSL Kirklees will be coordinating delivery across the five local authority areas, working alongside the LIO network and VCSE organisations and partners.

This approach recognises the vital contribution of the VCSE sector and the important role trusted local organisations play in reaching communities who may not always engage with traditional health pathways. It also strengthens relationships between the NHS, local authorities and the VCSE sector, bringing different strengths and expertise together around a shared goal of improving health and wellbeing.

Helen Orlic from Nova said:

“We know that people are often more likely to engage with information when it comes from someone they know and trust. That’s why the VCSE sector is so important. Community organisations have strong relationships, deep local knowledge and trusted voices that can open up meaningful conversations. This means they are not only well placed to share information, but also to hear people’s questions, concerns and experiences.’

David Smith, NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) Chief Pharmacist, said:

“Vaccination is the most important thing we can do to protect ourselves and our children against ill health, and vaccines prevent millions of deaths worldwide every year. Having real conversations with members of our diverse communities across West Yorkshire about their attitudes and experiences is crucial. Our trusted community organisations have the valuable insight and relationships to allow them to listen to people close to where they live. Through these conversations they can improve people’s awareness, confidence in and access to vaccines, ultimately improving the lives of families across West Yorkshire.”

Find out more

For further information, please contact Elsie Heslam who is coordinating the Vaccine Champions programme in Wakefield District: elsie.heslam@nova-wd.org.uk

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