Care Together was a place-based, co-produced programme to support older adults to live happily for longer in the community they call home. It ran for over three years and ended in March 2026.
One of the ways Care Together helped shape the market and support our Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector and other partners, was to offer grant-funding. This took different forms, but was always focused on locally identified needs. It supported projects which are co-produced with older adults and community partners.
Seed funding
Seed-funding is designed to kick-start new initiatives or support existing successful activities expand into new areas. It supports ideas and activities that bring older adults together . This can be through organised groups, social or themed activities in their community. It often includes an opportunity for physical activity too. For some people, attending such groups combats loneliness and social isolation.
Some examples of previously seed-funded activity include:
- Community hubs
- Lunch clubs
- Community transport
- Good neighbour schemes
- Physical activity and exercise
The Care Together seed-funding grants helped to empower communities to identify local needs and co-produce innovative solutions. It had the endorsement from both Health (Integrated Neighbourhoods) and City/District Councils.
In 2026, Locality UK was commissioned by Cambridgeshire County Council's Public Health & Adult Social Care Commissioning Teams to undertake an independent assessment of the impact of seed-funding under Care Together and the recommendations for continuing with this place-based approach to supporting local community groups who support adults after the end of the programme. You can read the final report and case studies on the Cambridgeshire Insight website.
Grants
Older Adults Social Inclusion Grants 2024-27
Other funding opportunities
There are lots of organisations which offer grants, funding and financial assistance in Cambridgeshire. Each will have different eligibility criteria.
Organisations which offer grants and funding in Cambridgeshire
