Comic Relief: Future Lookin' Good Youth (Safe Place to Be)

Overview

What will they fund?

They will only fund proposals that clearly outline how they will support young people to succeed in adulthood. For example, by providing holistic support through mentoring or coaching, building life skills or improving young people’s ability to gain sustainable employment.

Proposals must clearly demonstrate how they will help young people build a positive future; building the skills necessary to live with dignity and be able to access basic housing and create a happy home in which they feel safe and secure. Proposals must also be working with one or more of the following priority groups:

• Young people experiencing homelessness or insecure housing
• Young offenders, ex-offenders and those at risk of offending
• Care leavers - The broad definition of a care leaver (as described by the Care Leavers Association) is “Any adult who spent time in care as a child (i.e. under the age of 18). Such care could be in foster care, residential care (mainly children's homes), or other arrangements outside the immediate or extended family”
• Young carers - The official definition of a young carer is '…a person under 18 who provides or intends to provide care for another person (of any age, except where that care is provided for payment, pursuant to a contract or as voluntary work).' Children and Families Act 2014 Section 96.
• Young parents – defined as young women and men who became or will become parents at 21 years old or younger

Research shows that those in the priority groups listed are much more likely not to be in education, employment or training (NEET), to be living in poverty and/or experiencing homelessness or insecure housing. We aim to help young people to create firm foundations, by addressing their needs through early intervention.

They are happy to fund both project delivery and core costs, but not solely core costs(1).

1. What is a core cost?

• Part-salaries of staff.
• Running costs e.g. premises, utilities, travel costs, insurance and other bills.
• Management and governance development, staff training and development.

NB Common factors for any call:

1. They are a learning led organisation
2. They think strong partnerships can make interventions stronger (partnership working is encouraged but not essential)
3. They like tried and tested and new work – just tell them why you think it will work
4. They care about positive risk taking
5. They value organisations that can demonstrate accountability to the people they seek to help