Aims/priorities: The Smiles Fund is the result of a partnership between Comic Relief and Walkers to improve wellbeing and tackle disadvantage in the UK.
Funding is intended to support early intervention and community-based approaches which use participation in the arts and comedy to:
- Promote positive outcomes for mental wellbeing.
- Promote positive social connections.
- Help to build resilience to tackle life's everyday challenges.
Projects should use participation in the arts and comedy (not just watching or visiting) to challenge stigma and provide community-based support for people who are experiencing emerging symptoms of poor mental health at an early stage.
Priority will be given to projects working with people facing:
- Discrimination and disadvantage.
- Prolonged uncertainty and unemployment.
- Emerging mental wellbeing challenges.
- Loss and isolation.
All proposals should demonstrate how they have been shaped by people with lived experience of the issues they are trying to address. Grants can cover a mixture of project delivery and core costs. Funding is for work with adults over 18 years old only.
Who can apply? Registered charities and constituted not-for-profit groups with an annual income of £75,000 to £10 million may apply.
Priority will be given to organisations with:
Previous experience of using the arts or comedy in the context of social change (including testing new work developed in response to learning from previous work).
Robust governance and high safeguarding standards.
A culture which values evidence, continual improvement and learning from others.
Work that fits in within Comic Relief's four key issues:
- A world where children survive and thrive.
- Improving mental health.
- Gender justice.
- A safe place to be for everyone.
The funders intend to ensure a geographical spread of projects across the UK.
Grant amount: Grants of £100,000 to £300,000 are available.
The funders expect to award between 8 and 12 grants.
Funding is available for a minimum of 18 months to a maximum of 30 months.
Application process: Links to register can be found on the Comic Relief website, along with full guidelines and an online application form.
Deadline: 15 September 2021 (11am).
Contact information: Email fundinginfo@comicrelief.com
Website address: www.comicrelief.com