Connect Northamptonshire’s Alliances Manager, Claire Neilson, has been invited today to attend the service of celebration at Westminster Abbey to represent Northamptonshire’s voluntary and community sector, on the NHS 75^th birthday.  The National Lottery funded Connect Northamptonshire project brings funding into our county to support the development of local community involvement in designing preventative and early intervention solutions to meet local health needs.   Claire says “it’s a real honour and privilege to be able to attend the service today as an ambassador of all the amazing work that our voluntary and community groups do throughout Northamptonshire that support some of our most vulnerable people.  The Connect Northamptonshire project, funded through the Lottery’s Health Equalities Grant, awarded to only 14 geographical areas, gives an exciting opportunity for our residents to really get involved in what matters most to them to support a healthier lifestyle as part of our Integrated Care System.  Integrated Care systems are partnerships that bring together NHS organisations, local authorities and others, including the voluntary & community sector to take collective responsibility for planning services, improving health and reducing inequalities across geographical areas.