[WiLT] Young People and Alcohol - Comic Relief - 24th July 2009

[WiL Admin]

Young People and Alcohol

1. Background The proportion of young people drinking has decreased in recent
years; but the amount of 'frequent' teenage drinkers has risen sharply. This
increase is widely acknowledged to contribute to social problems such as poor
health, violence and anti-social behaviour.

Some young people, such as those living in deprived areas or leaving care, are
seen as especially vulnerable to drink related problems, and alcohol use at this
age is a significant factor in school exclusion, teenage pregnancy, and youth
offending.

Services for young people who have got into difficulty with drinking are patchy;
and despite the huge cost to society, this sector is poorly funded. So we
continue to run a dedicated alcohol programme with a focus on young people.

2. Aim of the Programme This programme aims to provide support for young people
aged 11-25 who are drinking excessively and meets one or more of the outcomes
listed below.

We will fund services that aim to reduce the levels of young people's drinking,
create greater awareness of the dangers of harmful drinking and provide direct
support to young drinkers at the greatest risk - those drinking excessively and
dangerously. This could include individual or group work sessions, or both.

3. Outcomes The organisations we fund will need to show how their work will help
deliver one or more of the following outcomes:
* A reduction in alcohol consumption by young people
* A reduction in harm and increased access to help for young people who have
alcohol problems
* Closer working relationships between alcohol and young people's services
* An increase in relevant skills to deliver services targeted at young people
who have alcohol problems.

4. Who will we fund? We welcome applications from voluntary and community
organisations working with young people with alcohol problems aged between 11
and 25.

We particularly welcome applications from agencies working with those who are
vulnerable and at high risk of heavy drinking. We are also interested in funding
services that target particular groups such as those from Black and minority
ethnic communities and young women, as these groups find it especially hard to
access services. We also welcome applications for work supporting training that
equips staff with specialist skills in working with young people with alcohol
problems.

We particularly want to encourage joint applications from young people's
agencies and alcohol agencies where expertise can be shared, innovative
approaches developed and where the added value of working together can be shown.

We also recognise that some organisations will work with people around a variety
of substances. In these circumstances we specifically want to support the
alcohol element of the work and our funding is likely to reflect this.

5. Other important information This programme targets young people who are
drinking excessively and need help. We are also interested in how we can help
prevent high levels of drinking amongst young people. Over the next year we will
work with others to establish a funding programme led by young people using
their personal experience to create innovative education, prevention, and
awareness resources. As the programme develops and is open to applications,
details will be available here.


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