[WiLT] Young People with Mental Health Problems - Comic Relief - 24th July 2009

[WiL Admin]

Young People with Mental Health Problems

1. Background For many young people adolescence is a confusing time of change;
for those who experience additional difficulties with their mental health, this
can be a frightening and isolating time.

Over the last twenty-five years rates of anxiety and depression amongst young
people have increased by 70%.

Young people are often reluctant to seek help from mental health services for
fear of being stigmatised, and despite the greater focus on children's and young
people's well-being, the availability of support both within and outside mental
health settings is still patchy. If left unsupported, the impact of ill health
and stigma can be devastating, but with the right help at the right time, young
people with mental health problems can make great improvements to their well
being. We have a long history of supporting young people with mental health
problems and we are committed to continuing to grow this area.

2. Aim of the Programme This programme aims to provide support to young people
with mental health problems aged 11-25. We will fund work which meets the aim
above and one or both of the outcomes below.

There are two strands to the programme:

Services for young people
We are keen to fund a range of services and approaches to help young people
experiencing mental health make positive changes in their lives. This could
include individual counselling, group work or peer support. We especially
welcome applications where support is provided in settings in which young people
feel comfortable, and do not fear being labelled or stigmatised.

Training
We will also fund work that ensures those working with young people with mental
health problems, especially in general youth work settings, have access to good
quality training to improve their skill base and confidence levels.

3. Outcomes The organisations we fund will need to show how their work will help
deliver one or more of the following outcomes:
* Increased access to appropriate services for young people with mental health
problems, resulting in improved mental health.
* A greater understanding and specialist skill base amongst practitioners
working with young people with mental health needs.

4. Who will we fund? We encourage applications from organisations working with
young people aged 11-25 providing general counselling and therapeutic
interventions, as well as specialist projects focused on particular issues such
as eating disorders or bi-polar conditions.

We also welcome applications from organisations targeting particular sections of
the community such as young homeless people or asylum seekers. We are keen to
look at innovative ways of supporting young people with mental health problems
such as peer support and other young people-led approaches.

We are happy to support work taking place in general youth work settings as well
as within specialist services. All work however must target young people with
mental health problems. We will also fund specialist mental health training for
staff working with this group of young people.

5. Other Important Information We recognise the importance of strong local
partnerships between voluntary and statutory agencies in delivering effective
services to young people with mental health problems. We know that, in practice,
this means that agencies from these different sectors may be sharing resources
and working together on specific projects. We are interested in hearing how you
work within the local strategies on young people and mental health and how our
funds can help you achieve the best possible outcomes in this complex funding
environment.

Please note, we cannot support work seeking to improve young people's general
well-being in this programme, as we target our funds towards those with
recognised mental health problems with a need for specialist support.


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