Summary
The Wellbeing Fund was created to help police forces test small scale initiatives aimed at improving physical and psychological wellbeing. From 2015 to 2020, 111 projects were funded across 42 forces, with awards of up to £3,000 per project. This evaluation draws together five years of activity to understand what was delivered, how projects were used, and what difference they made.
Overall, the fund generated high levels of engagement and positive personal feedback, but the evidence of measurable, sustained impact was limited. Police Care UK subsequently made the decision to close the programme, redirecting resources towards services with clearer outcomes and stronger value for beneficiaries.
Why is this important?
During the period of funding, many policing teams reported barriers to accessing wellbeing support, alongside stigma around psychological injuries and inconsistent in-force provision. The Wellbeing Fund was designed to allow forces to introduce practical, local and low-cost solutions to support wellbeing.
Evaluating the programme helps Police Care UK understand which approaches were most valued, which lacked evidence of impact, and how to focus future investment where it achieves the greatest benefit for officers, staff and volunteers.
Focus of research
- Understand the types of wellbeing initiatives forces prioritised when funding was available
- Assess the scale of delivery across forces
- Explore perceived impact on wellbeing, morale and workplace culture
- Identify limitations in measurement and outcomes
- Inform future decisions on funding models and service design
Background
The fund originated from the legacy National Police Fund and was further shaped by Police Care UK’s Injury on Duty research, which identified high levels of psychological harm linked to policing roles. Forces expressed interest in practical ways to support wellbeing, and the fund provided flexible support for locally designed initiatives.
Because needs varied across teams and stations, the fund encouraged experimentation to build a picture of what wellbeing interventions officers found helpful.
How research is/was conducted
- Review of all 111 grant applications and allocations
- Thematic analysis of funded project types
- Collation of evaluation reports, photos and beneficiary feedback
- Review of cost data and the overall cost per beneficiary
- Assessment of evidence quality, including whether projects demonstrated sustained or measurable impact
Partners and funding
Funded and managed by Police Care UK in partnership with 42 police forces and several police sports associations.
Timeline
- April 2015: Fund launched
- 2015–2020: Quarterly application cycles
- March 2020: Programme closed
- 2021: Five-year service evaluation completed
Results
What was funded
Over £277,000 was awarded to 111 projects across 42 forces. The most common initiatives were:
- Wellbeing rooms (£52,000 across 26 applications)
- Gyms and fitness equipment (£38,000 across 16 applications)
- Mental health, resilience and suicide awareness training (six projects each)
- Employee health checks (£16,200)
Engagement
Demand grew year on year, making the fund one of the charity’s most requested support streams during this period. Forces frequently reapplied for similar types of initiatives, particularly wellbeing rooms and fitness projects.
Impact on individuals
Feedback highlighted personal benefits such as increased morale, improved awareness of mental health, and safe spaces for short breaks during difficult shifts. Officers reported that wellbeing rooms, gyms and health checks helped them make small but meaningful changes to daily routines or coping strategies.
This feedback demonstrates that the initiatives were valued on an individual level.
Limitations
- Across five years, most evidence of impact was anecdotal.
- Evaluation reports rarely demonstrated measurable change in outcomes such as reduced sickness absence, increased help seeking, or improved wellbeing scores.
- Many projects benefited only small numbers of people relative to cost, and several relied on repeated funding to maintain momentum.
- These factors made it difficult to evidence value for money at scale.
Programme closure
Given the limited measurable impact, the cost per beneficiary, and the increasing duplication of applications, Police Care UK decided to close the wellbeing grants programme after the evaluation period.
The charity now focuses on services with clearer evidence of effectiveness and greater reach for those harmed through policing.
Additional resources linked to this research
- Injury on Duty research summary
- Police Care Rooms evaluation
