Comic Relief: Older people

Overview

The numbers of older people are set to rise significantly (there are now more people aged 65+ than children under 16) and many will continue to enjoy healthier, happier lives for longer. But as the numbers grow, there will be increasing demands on services. This, together with the impact of age discrimination, poverty and isolation, will mean that the needs of many older people may go unmet. Many will find they will have little say in decisions which affect their lives and little opportunity to participate in the communities in which they live.

Comic Relief believe that older people themselves are uniquely placed to help tackle these challenges. With firsthand knowledge of the issues affecting them, older people can be supported to develop and deliver projects to bring about real change at the local, regional and national level. Whilst they recognise that older people are a diverse group and have different lifestyles, abilities and needs, they believe that the one thing they have in common is a wealth of experience that can enrich the communities in which they live.

Comic Relief has a long standing commitment to working with older people. Our focus has been on ensuring the needs of older people are met, their rights upheld and their views respected.

Comic Relief believe that change will be most effective and sustainable if it is led by older people, as they are best placed to identify their own needs and propose solutions to address those needs.

Projects must therefore be able to demonstrate the active engagement of older people in the development and delivery of the work.

They have funded some excellent work where older people are clearly running organisations and making decisions. This commitment to involve older people is still the key to the thinking behind their new programmes.

They particularly welcome applications from voluntary and community groups which are run by older people. Where this may not be possible, they will want to see evidence that organisations are consulting and involving the older people they work with as much as possible. They will give priority to groups working with people aged 75 and over. They encourage applications using a variety of approaches including the development of social enterprises, forums for older people, local community activities and campaigning; although we will consider any work which meets the aims and outcomes of the programme.

Examples of the types of projects we will fund include:

• bringing the generations together to learn from each other through, for example, the creative arts or IT
• older people acting as a resource to other older people and supporting those who may be less physically and mentally able
• projects that are engaging hard to reach groups such as Black and minority ethnic elders
• activities which generate profits to further social or environmental goals, such as community cafes run by older people.

You will need to show how your work will achieve one or both of the following outcomes.

• 1. An increase in the participation of older people to effect positive change.
• 2. An increase in the involvement of older people who are the most excluded.
• 3. A decrease in older people’s feelings of isolation.

They will fund projects targeted at the 65+ age group and particularly welcome applications from older people which address the needs of those who experience the greatest levels of isolation and exclusion such as Black and minority ethnic elders, frail older people, older people with mental health needs, older carers and those on lower incomes.

How to apply

The programme is intended to support older people becoming a force for change. The extent to which this is demonstrated will be considered when we assess an application.

They expect most awards to be between £15,000 and £40,000 per year depending on the size and nature of the project for which you are applying. Grants may be for up to 3 years. If you have an idea which meets the criteria but costs more than £40,000, then please call us to discuss your proposal before you submit your application.

You can contact the organisation by emial or telephone if necessary.

How to apply: When you apply to the Older People’s Programme, you should email a letter of interest and then, if invited, a full proposal.

The letter of interest should be no more than 2 sides of A4 (minimum font size Arial 11 pt. or equivalent) and should cover:

• Name and address of the project
• Contact details (name, role, address, telephone number and email address)
• A description of the project including:
  • The issue you are seeking to address (why is there a need for this work?)
  • How older people have been involved in the development and will be involved in the delivery of the project
  • The activities you will run
  • The location/s where the project activity will take place
  • A brief overview of your budget, income sources and costings for the project