Our 2009-2012 strategy has now come to an end. We are currently finalising our new grants strategy which will be launched later this year. We will open for applications in September 2013 so please check nearer the time for more details.
Sport for change
As well as the more obvious health and participation benefits, there has been growing awareness within society of the broader social, emotional and cohesion opportunities that sport can bring.
Comic Relief is interested in understanding these particular benefits from sport, rather than health or participatory benefits. While sport alone will never be the solution to injustice or poverty, we believe it can bring about positive changes as part of a broader programme of work.
We have developed this programme to support a range of innovative projects that are using sport as a tool for making a real difference in the communities in which they are based.
Aim of the programme
The aim of this programme is to understand more about how sport can play a part in delivering positive change within the lives of individuals and communities.
We also want to understand how sport can be used to tackle identified social issues as part of a broader programme to achieve a measurable social change.
By “broader programme” we mean other activities that are seen as part of a coordinated approach to a social issue or concern that supports or links to sporting activity. This might be workshops, educational sessions, awareness raising, work experience, volunteering, or mentoring.
Outcomes
Organisations we fund need to show how their work will help deliver one or more of the following outcomes:
- An increased sense of inclusion and wellbeing for marginalised and disadvantaged people
- Greater community involvement
- An increased understanding of how sport can help bring about positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities
- Greater knowledge across the community and sports sectors about effective work which uses sport as a tool for social change.
Other important information
Please read the additional important information for Sport for Change applicants document on the resources page for some extremely important guidance notes that will help you with your application.
Value of grants: The maximum grant size in this programme is £100,000 in total. We will NOT award grants of less than £10,000 and if you apply for less than £10,000 the proposal will be rejected. Please read the additional information link above for information about applying for smaller grants of less than £10,000.
The Programme opens for 1st stage on-line applications from 13th August until midday on 28th September 2012. Successful Stage 1 applicants will be notified by early November and invited to submit a Stage 2 application within 3 weeks of notification.
If your work is national or provides a model that could be replicated, we may be able to fund at a higher level. Please call us to discuss this before you submit an application.