Comic Relief Community Fund – Round 2 opens in 31 October 2022

Organisation
Reading Voluntary Action (RVA)
Article date
2 December 2021
Primary interest
Voluntary sector

Round 2 of the Comic Relief programme will open on 31 October 2022 and will remain open until 30 November 2022.

Funding is intended to support community-led organisations to deliver change by drawing on the ‘lived experiences’ of people who have experienced the issues being tackled. These issues should align with one of Comic Relief’s four strategic themes:

  • Children Survive and Thrive – ensuring every child has the best start in life.
  • Fighting for Gender Justice – tackling gender-based violence, inequality and exploitation.
  • A Safe Place to Be – supporting those who have been displaced to access secure housing and feel settled in their new homes.
  • Mental Health Matters – helping people with poor mental health to access appropriate support

Grants of up to a maximum of £10,000 are available with:

  • Capacity Building grants of up to £1,000 to be spent on activities to strengthen operations and governance. (All applications must include this grant).
  • Project Delivery grants of up to £9,000 to deliver projects that fit with the programme’s strategic themes.
Who can apply:

Community-led local organisations based in England may apply. This could include:

  • Constituted voluntary and community groups.
  • Charities.
  • Social enterprises.
  • Community Interest Companies that have been running for at least two years.
  • Not-for-profit companies limited by guarantee.

Organisations must have an annual turnover below £250,000.

What could the grant be used for:

Capacity funding can be used to cover:

  • Development of better organisational governance.
  • Improvements to policies and procedures.
  • Increasing understanding of beneficiary needs.

Project delivery funding could be used to cover:

  • Hiring venues.
  • Paying co-ordinators to manage volunteer-led services.
  • Employing outreach support workers.
  • Improving indoor and outdoor facilities to reach new groups.
  • Paying volunteer expenses.
  • Materials and equipment.

Types of the project could include:

  • Training for parents and carers to help support their children’s development before starting school.
  • Activities for girls or women to help them make healthier choices.
  • Supporting people with mental health issues to improve an outdoor space or create a meeting space.
  • Setting up a peer support network for people experiencing homelessness.

Projects must be completed within 12 months of receiving a grant.

Is there a deadline:

Comic Relief Community Fund (England) is a three-year fund and there will be two grant application rounds:

  • Round 1 applications are now closed.
  • Round 2 will open on 31 October 2022 and will remain open until 30 November 2022.

Please note the fund may close earlier than the deadline if sufficient applications are received before the date.

Further information and support:
  • Link to the funding guidelines and an eligibility quiz can be found here: Comic Relief Community Fund.
  • If you would like further support from RVA with submitting a funding application or any support with governance required for your group to get ready for this funding, please email advice@rva.org.uk or telephone 0118 937 2273 for free and independent support and advice.