Comic Relief: Active ageing: creating change in communities

Overview

They anticipate making between 15-25 grants across the UK, and the total amount of funding available is £1.5 million.

What is funded?

This funding programme is specifically targeting older people who don’t usually participate in volunteering or social activities because they are from a disadvantaged community, or face other barriers to participating. Applicants will be asked to provide information to demonstrate they have a good understand of the needs of the older people they’re working with, and a clear plan about how to address the barriers. They are willing to meet the additional costs of supporting people to participate where necessary e.g. by providing accessible transport costs.

Social action is about people coming together to help improve their lives and solve the problems that are important in their communities. This may include activities around campaigning and fundraising as well as volunteering, all of which can create a double benefit for communities and the older person themselves.

For the activities to have positive benefits for the older people involved, they should:

• ·Provide meaningful roles with opportunities for social interaction and leadership.
• ·Ensure that older people are recognised and valued for their contribution.

They are looking for creative, fresh approaches and are unlikely to fund standard lunch clubs, 1:1 befriending models or applications to run community transport schemes. They’re interested in organisations that already coordinate activities by and for older people that can demonstrate a need to engage with a ‘harder to reach’ group of older people. Or you could be an organisation that already works with disadvantaged older people that wants to bring a new twist or approach to your work.

They are interested in supporting spaces and activities which make older people feel valued and enable them to be creative and productive. These might focus wholly on older people, or use a broader community or intergenerational approach. They understand that putting on events isn’t enough to get marginalised or disadvantaged older people through the door. Applicants will need to convince us that they really understand the needs of their community, the role that older people can play in catalysing social change and make the case that they can deliver.

The primary outcomes of the work should focus on the benefits to the older people, though they will also be interested in capturing the wider benefits to the community. Applications will need to meet at least one of the following outcomes:

• Older people improve their mental health and wellbeing;
• Older people increase the quality and quantity of their social connections;
• Older people develop an enhanced sense of purpose and empowerment.

Eligibility

Proposals are welcome for between £40,000 and £80,000 for up to three years for work in the UK.

They are keen to receive applications from organisations based in the community in which they are working. The focus of the applicant organisation must be in the local community, although it may choose to work with national or regional partners. They will also welcome application from partnerships.

Applicants should also check their grant making policies (links below) which explain their eligibility criteria for all organisations applying to Comic Relief for funding.