The Merton Council Health and Wellbeing Board was scheduled to discuss the Annual Public Health Report, focusing on physical inactivity, and receive updates on initiatives aimed at strengthening communities. The meeting was also set to cover progress on various community-led projects and funding streams designed to upskill residents and promote climate action.

Annual Public Health Report 2026-27: Merton on the Move

A significant item on the agenda was the discussion and potential endorsement of the Annual Public Health Report 2026-27, titled 'Merton on the Move'. This report, a statutory duty for the Director of Public Health, focuses on the issue of physical inactivity and its impact on health and wellbeing. The report was scheduled to cover the challenges Merton faces regarding physical inactivity, highlight existing initiatives, and propose recommendations for future action. It was intended to be launched at the meeting and would be available in both printed and digital formats. The report delves into various aspects of physical inactivity, including its relationship with the environment, its effects on children and young people, working-age adults, and older people. It also outlines recommendations for the Council, stakeholders, and partners to address these issues. The report's findings are relevant to several strategic priorities, including the 'Borough of Sport' initiative, building a sustainable future, and nurturing civic pride.

Strong Communities Updates

The Board was scheduled to receive updates on several actions related to the 'Strong Communities' priority of the Merton Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025-30. These included:

• Action 1: Mapping Engagement Mechanisms: This action aims to map current mechanisms for engagement between the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS), seldom-heard groups, people with lived experience, and decision-makers. The goal is to establish a systematic approach for real-time insight to inform decision-making. A template for mapping existing engagement mechanisms was to be devised and shared with partners, followed by themed focus groups to analyse findings and identify gaps.
• Action 2: Building VCS Capacity: This action focuses on exploring opportunities to build capacity within the VCS to support evaluation and use data to create a robust evidence base for health and wellbeing outcomes in Merton. The interim VCS Strategy 2025-2027 is supporting this, with plans to engage with VCS partners to understand their capacity and capability needs, particularly for smaller organisations.
• Action 3: Aligning VCS Grant Funding: The work to ensure all VCS grant funding is aligned with Merton's strategic priorities, particularly those in the Health and Wellbeing Strategy, was to be discussed. This includes ensuring collaborative efforts for targeted interventions to reduce health inequalities. A council-wide grants review is underway, with a Funding Officers Group established to share best practice and ensure alignment. The report detailed the Civic Pride Fund and the Merton Giving Civic Pride Small Grants fund, listing organisations that had received funding.
• Action 5: Exploring Longer-Term Funding: This action considers opportunities for longer-term funding to establish community trust and maximise influence and participation, as part of the review of Merton's approach to VCS grant funding. The recommissioning of the Civic Pride Fund and the flexibility in grant periods for the small grants element were highlighted.
• Action 6: Annual Health and Wellbeing Board Celebration: Planning was underway for the first annual celebration, intended to showcase local action contributing to the Health and Wellbeing Strategy. This event was scheduled to take place during the Merton Partnership Summit in Summer 2026.

Civic Pride and Community Climate Action Funds

An update was scheduled on Action 4 of the 'Strong Communities' priority, focusing on supporting community-led initiatives that upskill residents through the Civic Pride and Community Climate Action Funds. These funds, which have run alongside each other for three years, aim to support projects addressing neighbourhood demands and reducing carbon emissions or building resilience to climate change impacts. The report highlighted several community-led projects that have resulted in residents upskilling, including initiatives focused on gardening, mental health through gardening, sustainability in the Eastern European community, textile reuse, repair cafes, early years education, climate and energy education in schools, and developing social media marketing skills. Lists of projects funded in 2023 and 2024 were to be made available.

Other Scheduled Discussions

The Board was also scheduled to receive verbal updates on the 'Merton Alliance Development', the 'Strong Communities dashboard', and 'Healthwatch'. Additionally, 'Healthy Places highlights' were to be presented in preparation for the next meeting.