Ten local organisations already tackling local health inequalities have received a cash boost to deepen their impact.

Each group has received £5,000 through the Ealing Roots and Wings grant programme to support projects that improve health and wellbeing for Black and minoritised communities in the borough.

Alongside the funding, senior leaders from each organisation are receiving peer research training to better understand their communities’ health needs and influence local decision-making .

This comes after the Ealing Race Equality Commission found that Black residents in the borough experience significantly poorer health outcomes, highlighting the urgent need for targeted action.

The Ealing Roots and Wings grant programme is backed by NHS North West London and delivered in partnership with Ealing Council, Ealing and Hounslow Community and Voluntary Service (EHCVS), and charity Voices of Colour.

The ten funded organisations are:

• RollaDome All Skate
• Descendants
• the Voices for SEND Network
• Zebra Sports
• Came Women and Girls Development Organisation
• Westside Radio
• Holistic Special Educational Needs Alliance (HSENA)
• Ealing Somali Welfare and Cultural Association
• Communicate Inclusively CIC
• Barwaqa Relief Organisation

Councillor Polly Knewstub, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for healthy equal lives, said: “We’re proud to be supporting the organisations funded through the Ealing Roots and Wings grant programme. This initiative directly responds to the Ealing Race Equality Commission’s recommendations to give communities a stronger voice in shaping health services. It recognises the vital role that smaller, local organisations play in improving the health and wellbeing of our residents—and we’re committed to helping them thrive.”

Supporting families of children with SEND

Voices for SEND Support Network (VSN), based in Southall and Acton, supports families of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In some communities, stigma and a lack of understanding around conditions like autism mean children are kept at home for years without diagnosis or support.

With the Ealing Roots and Wings funding, VSN is running workshops, support groups and outreach sessions to help parents understand their rights, access services and connect with others in similar situations. A key focus is supporting fathers, who are often overlooked but play a vital role in their children’s wellbeing.

Dr Ahmed Herzi, peer researcher at VSN, said: “We are deeply grateful for this funding, which will be strategically used to deliver a focused and culturally responsive programme aimed at improving the health, well-being and inclusion of SEND families.”

VSN is also carrying out a research project to better understand the mental health needs of multi-ethnic fathers of children with SEND and how to support them more effectively.

Rolling forward into better health

Meanwhile, RollaDome All Skate, based in Acton Gardens, is using roller sports to promote physical activity, mental wellbeing and social connection, especially for young people and Black women.

With the funding, it is running sessions that combine skating with mentoring, leadership training and wellbeing education, helping participants build confidence and stay active.

Anne-Marie Waugh, founder and CEO of RollaDome All Skate, said: “We applied to shine a light on the lived experiences of black women leaders in the borough and to use peer research as a platform for healing, visibility and structural change.”

While RollaDome’s core work is about fun, fitness and community, the research will add a deeper layer, exploring how leadership in unfair systems can affect the health and wellbeing of local people.

Participants will be sharing learning and insights from the programme at a showcase event which will be held on Thursday 23 October. Further details to be provided closer to the time.