Every Step of the Way: Safe & Supported Beyond Homelessness
Issue focus - Youth Homelessness in the UK
YHUK Cards
PROPOSAL DEADLINE
3pm on Tuesday 7th May 2024
GEOGRAPHICAL PRIORITY AREAS
United Kingdom
LENGTH OF FUNDING
Funding is available for 3 to 5 years
FUNDING AVAILABLE
Core funding up to the value of £200,000
ELIGIBILITY
Organisations that specialise in providing holistic support to young people aged 16-25 in the UK, who are at risk of, or experiencing homelessness. Further criteria are explained in the eligibility questionnaire(opens in new window).
APPLICATION PROCESS
Organisations start with the online eligibility questionnaire to see if they are eligible to apply. If you have any questions around eligibility, please read the FAQs document carefully.
If your organisation is eligible, you should read the guidance before completing the application form.
Submitted applications will be shortlisted based on the funding priorities listed below.
If your proposal is shortlisted, we will be in touch to invite you to a proposal assessment meeting.
The Details
Introduction
At Comic Relief, we believe that everyone should have a safe and decent place to call home.
We recognise that over the last six years the scale of youth homelessness across the UK has increased, with an estimated 136,000 young people, aged 16-24 presenting to their local authority as homeless or at risk of homelessness between 2022-2023 (source: Centrepoint(opens in new window)).
This funding opportunity aims to support organisations that work to empower young people who are at immediate risk of, or experiencing homelessness to access the right support at the right time.
Young people facing homelessness come from diverse backgrounds, highlighting the importance of providing holistic and tailored support that can address their diverse and multiple needs. Support services should be inclusive and accessible to all young people, with staff who understand and help them successfully navigate often complicated referral pathways. Organisations delivering these services should meaningfully involve young people with lived experience to better meet the needs of those affected.
We are aware that that the stigma that many young people feel when accessing support services can act as a major barrier to seeking support in the first place. This is due to negative ideas and attitudes towards homelessness amongst the wider public, with many believing it is linked to individual decisions and choices rather than structural or systemic issues (source: Crisis(opens in new window)).
Funding Priorities
Through this funding programme, we will provide flexible, core funding to organisations which do both of the following:
Specialise in the provision of holistic support to young people aged 16-25 in the UK, who are at immediate risk of, or experiencing homelessness. Support services should be tailored, inclusive and accessible, to remove barriers and better meet the multiple and diverse needs of young people at immediate risk of or experiencing homelessness. This work could be delivered by the applicant alone or in partnership.
Meaningfully involve young people with lived experience of homelessness, or who have been at risk of homelessness. This should include involving young people in the development of the organisation’s work and priority areas, and/or in the running of the organisation.
Although not a requirement, we are also interested in hearing from organisations who work to change public attitudes towards youth homelessness and/or reduce the stigma and discrimination that young people face. This influencing work can be done either by the applicant or by working in partnership with others to effect change.
Flexible, core funding is designed to support the good work of organisations, and not just projects. This could mean core funding of the organisation’s annual budget to continue its good work, or funding to expand the work, or to add something new that amplifies the work or its results.
Who can apply?
UK based organisations that currently specialise in supporting young people at risk of, or experiencing homelessness in the UK, and meet Comic Relief’s general eligibility criteria.
Organisations that have an annual income from £250,000 to £10 million.
Comic Relief predominantly funds charities. (Specific information is included in the eligibility questionnaire.)
Proposals can be made by single applicants, or by partnerships of two or three organisations that will receive funding (but only one organisation can act as grant holder)
You are welcome to include collaboration with government organisations, but Comic Relief will not directly fund government organisations.
To give as many organisations as fair a chance as possible, organisations can only submit one proposal (though they can be named as partners on any number of applications). Please be aware we will not read more than one proposal per organisation.
Please note we will not fund:
One-off conferences or workshops (unless part of larger, ongoing work).
Individual and group sponsorship, bursaries, or funding study by individuals.
Organisations or activities with a partisan political stance.
Activities which evangelise (preaching or spreading religious beliefs) or proselytise (trying to convert people’s belief or religious views).
General appeals, or marketing appeals
Next steps
We know that demand is high and resources are scarce, and we expect to receive a high number of applications for this fund.
We welcome your application if the funding call’s criteria and priorities are well suited to the work of your organisation.
The application deadline is 3pm on Tuesday 7th May, 2024.
If your application is shortlisted, your organisation will be invited to a proposal assessment, and you will be asked to submit additional information and supporting documentation including:
Memorandum and articles of association
Audited accounts
Management accounts
Safeguarding policy
Equality and diversity policy
Assessments will be arranged with your organisation in advance and will cover all aspects of your proposal and your organisation’s governance, financial health and management, and safeguarding.
YHUK - Cards - Reading
Key reading
All the information you need to consider for this funding opportunity is made available through this webpage including links to the supporting documents below. If, however you have a question that has not been answered here you can email us at fundinginfo@comicrelief.com(opens in new window) (NOTE: please allow at least three working days for us to respond).
Application Guidance
Please read this carefully before completing an application form.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ's about the funding opportunity.
STARTING AN APPLICATION
Take our eligibility questionnaire to check if you're eligible for this funding call. If eligible, you'll be directed to the application form.