A positive campaign to tackle anti-vaxxer propaganda and encourage Covid vaccine take-up across the borough has been launched this week.

Community and voluntary organisations across Welwyn Hatfield can now apply for funding from the Innovation Fund grant for initiatives that engage with residents, delivering positive messages to understand barriers, increase awareness and promote the benefits of the Covid-19 vaccine.

The council is accepting applications from now through to the end May. Early applications are encouraged to increase the chance of securing the maximum award of £2,000. The available funding is capped, and applications received after the amount is fully allocated will not be considered. Initiatives are expected to be delivered by July 31.

The council is encouraging innovative and diverse applications, which will meet the following priorities:

  • Tackling misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines;
  • Increasing trust around vaccine safety;
  • Promoting the benefits of the vaccine, such as long-term health protection and social contact;
  • Overcoming barriers to vaccine access including language, location and transport;
  • Improving outreach of public health messages deeper into communities.

Applications are welcomed from a wide range of voluntary, charitable and statutory agencies, including parish/town councils and educational bodies.

WHBC chief executive Ka Ng said: “We are committed to addressing the low uptake of the COVID-19 vaccination in some of our wards. It has become apparent that there are disparities occurring at a local level, with a wide range of causes. The Innovation Fund grant aims to address this by providing funding to community and voluntary organisations who are often the best people to deliver public health messages in their communities.

“It is one of a range of measures we are introducing to tackle this issue following funding we received from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. We’ll be letting people know more about what else that work entails as soon as our plans are finalised.”

Applications for the Innovation Fund can be made immediately.

For further information and to apply see the Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council funds page on the council’s website at welhat.gov.uk/community-grants/innovation-fund-grant