[WiLT] Mental Health - Comic Relief - 24th July 2009

[WiL Admin]

Mental Health

1. Background Mental health problems affect one in four people at some point in
their lives.
    As well as dealing with the impact of living with mental ill-health, many
people also have to cope with stigma, discrimination and social exclusion, and
can find it hard to get their voices heard in the decisions which affect their
lives.
    Too many people continue to have little say in their treatment or the
services they need. Comic Relief has had a long history of helping people get
their voices heard and promote a fairer society, and since 2005 mental health
has become a key focus of our work.

2. Aim of the Programme This programme aims to promote the rights and support
the recovery of people who have mental health problems, and to help them feel
more included in society. It also aims to reduce the stigma and discrimination
faced by people with mental health problems.

We believe that change will be most effective and sustainable if organisations
working in this field are led by those with direct experience of mental ill
health. We recognise that some groups may not currently be user led, but we will
want to see organisations moving towards this over the lifetime of their grant.

Within this user led ethos, we want to support work which helps people get the
services they need and their voices heard. This might be through individual or
collective advocacy, user groups, peer support or campaigning for example. We
also want to support work which aims to reduce stigma and discrimination.

3. Outcomes The organisations we fund will need to show how their work will help
deliver one or more of the following outcomes:
    Greater involvement of people who have mental health problems in decisions
that affect their lives
    A reduction in stigma and discrimination, and a positive change in people's
attitudes towards mental health
    More inclusive and accessible mental health services and organisations, in
particular for people from black and minority ethnic communities

4. Who will we fund This programme has a strong user-led ethos. By this, we mean
that projects will need to show how people with direct experience of mental ill
health are actively and meaningfully involved in and leading the work. In most
cases, we will look for a majority of people with direct experience to make up
the trustee board or governing body. Where this is not the case, we will seek a
firm commitment to involving users in the running of the project and where
appropriate, want to see a move towards becoming a user-led organisation.

We encourage applications using a variety of approaches including advocacy, the
development of social enterprises, user or peer support groups and campaigning
activities - although these are examples only and we will consider any work
which meets the aims and outcomes above.

We are especially keen to support work which addresses the needs and rights of
people from communities who are often overlooked, such as those from Black and
minority ethnic communities or older people.

5. Other Important Information The focus of this programme is to ensure people
get access to the services they need, their rights are recognised and their
voices heard. It also aims to reduce stigma and discrimination. We will
therefore not usually fund core service delivery, such as therapeutic
interventions. In addition, we will only fund other types of projects such as
employment initiatives if they are run by people with direct experience of
mental health problems.

Apply for a UK Grant

What we look for in applications We have developed a set of grant making
principles to help guide our decision making. When we come to consider your
application, in detail, we will look at the extent to which you work within
these principles, and so we recommend you download and read these before you
complete an application.

Decision-making timetable The deadlines for the first three grant making cycles
are:

Cycle 1 - 24 July 2009
Cycle 2 - 13 November 2009
Cycle 3 - 5 March 2010

We are usually able to let you know the outcome of your application within four
months of the cycle deadline to which you applied.

The deadlines for subsequent cycles will be posted on our website in the
beginning of 2010.

Monitoring and evaluation Our involvement doesn't end with awarding a grant. We
need regular reports on your work and will want to see evidence that you are
monitoring and evaluating your progress. From the start of your grant, we will
help you set clear targets on how to deliver against your outcomes, and you will
need to send us regular progress reports. We may also visit you during the life
of your grant and may ask you to work with our media and communication teams to
help us show the impact of our funding to other organisations, funders and the
public.

Download
* the Grant Making Principles
* an application form
from http://www.comicrelief.com/apply_for_a_grant/uk/how_to_apply

Further InformationPlease contact us if you have any other queries about the
application process:

UK Grants Team
Comic Relief
5th Floor
89 Albert Embankment
London
SE1 7TP

Phone: 020 7820 5555
E-mail: ukgrants at comicrelief.com