Sovereign Health Care, the Bradford-based health care cash plan provider, is inviting local health and wellbeing causes to apply to its 2026 Community Programme fund. The call for applications comes after Sovereign donated £500,000 last year to 97 beneficiaries across Bradford and the wider West Yorkshire region, including charities, community groups, hospices, food banks and NHS Trusts.
As well as supporting a large number of smaller charities and groups, Sovereign made larger donations to organisations including: Bradford City of Culture; Yorkshire Air Ambulance; Wakefield, Overgate and The Prince of Wales Hospices; Bradford & Craven Mind; Children’s Heart Surgery Fund; Woodroyd Nursery & Children’s Centre; and Vision Care for Homeless People. These donations helped to fund vital services, new equipment and facilities including mobile cancer care units, physiotherapy services and 1:1 mental health spaces for children and young people, improving support and care across the region
Ruth Davany, CEO, Children’s Heart Surgery Fund, said: “Sovereign Health Care’s donation helped fund four flexible MRI coils, used to provide essential scans for high-risk young patients treated at the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit in Leeds Children’s Hospital. Thanks to Sovereign’s funding, these patients are the first in Europe to undergo MRI scans of their hearts using these new coils. They wrap around young patients like a blanket, capture the highest quality images of their hearts, and support them in their treatment to have the best outcomes.”
Marianne Haworth, Grants and Philanthropy Manager, Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said: “Sovereign’s funding helps cover the everyday costs of running Yorkshire Air Ambulance, from keeping our helicopters operational to ensuring our crews have the equipment and training they need to deliver critical care at the scene. Having been supported by Sovereign for more than 20 years, we know how vital this kind of long-term commitment is in helping us be there for patients across Yorkshire, whenever and wherever we are needed.”
The Community Programme also supports NHS Trusts across Yorkshire, including staff training and development grants, staff awards sponsorship, and one-off larger donations towards essential capital equipment to improve diagnostics and treatment for patients. Sovereign has donated more than £3 million to the NHS in Yorkshire.
Sovereign’s Chief Executive Neil McCallum said: “We believe better health is for everyone and this is a driving principle for the support we provide to those working tirelessly to improve health and wellbeing of people across our region. In 2025, we were proud to help fund delivery of vital care, tackle inequalities and provide support where it is most needed. We are now inviting charities to apply for 2026 Community Programme funding so we can continue helping local people live healthier, happier lives.”
Applying for 2026 funding
The Community Programme is open to registered charities and not‑for‑profit organisations supporting health and wellbeing in Bradford and the wider West Yorkshire region. Full details, guidelines and information on how to apply are available at Community Programme | Sovereign Health Care.
Sovereign, a not-for-profit company, is one of the longest-established health care cash plan providers in the UK and remains Yorkshire-based. Sovereign has more than 65,000 customers, and works with both businesses and individuals.
For more information about Sovereign Health Care, visit About Us | Sovereign Health Care