Comic Relief Community Fund for England: Apply by Oct 6, 2025

FUNDING: Grants Available to Tackle Poverty and Social Inequality Small community organisations in England can now apply for grants through the Comic Relief Community Fund, which offers up to £5,000 from its main fund and up to £4,000 for Project Delivery grants. The programme is aimed at supporting grassroots groups working directly with disadvantaged communities to tackle poverty, hardship and inequality, as well as to build long-term resilience and opportunities. Funding is provided by Comic Relief under the Comic Relief Community Fund and administered by Groundwork UK. Organisations interested in applying should do so here by 12 noon on the 6th of October 2025.:

𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗖𝗖’𝘀 𝗿𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews is calling on rural groups to urgently apply for funding to support efforts to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour before the deadline passes. The first round of the PCC’s newly launched Community Action Programme (CAP) is offering statutory, voluntary and non-profit groups the chance to apply for exclusive funding to tackle and prevent rural criminality and better protect residents and businesses from rural criminals. So far, more than £77k worth of funding has been applied for with just under £30k awarded so far. The Rural Community Action Fund is open for bids until Friday 17th October 2025. Further funding rounds will take place later in the year addressing the following themes: Road Safety, Violence and Vulnerability, Business Crime, Neighbourhood Crime and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). For full details on the fund and to apply visit: https://lnkd.in/eEVu33wS Read the full article via the link https://lnkd.in/eTMR6wGx #SafeAndProsperousCommunities #CommunityActionProgramme

If you run or support a grassroots organisation in England, this might be for you: Groundwork UK, in partnership with Comic Relief, is offering grants of up to £5,000 to help groups tackling poverty and hardship. The fund covers direct project costs & core running expenses (rent, staff wages, materials etc.) Organisations with annual income under £250,000 can apply It aims to help Organisations that are tackling the immediate and urgent impacts of being in poverty, including providing essential resources like food, shelter, advice and healthcare. and/or Organisations working to empower communities to take positive steps to lift themselves out of poverty in the longer term. Deadline: Applications close 12 noon on Monday 6 October 2025.  https://lnkd.in/e57m4Tnx

600 young people. One historic project. Countless stories of resilience. In 2024, we were commissioned by Verian Group to recruit 600 young people aged 9–22 for Module 8 of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. The study set out to understand how children and young people experienced the pandemic, how they adapted to change, and what impact it had on their lives. Reaching such a diverse group, from different ethnicities, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds to seldom-heard voices such as those in care, detention, temporary housing, or seeking asylum, demanded a careful, strategic approach ✅ We worked beyond our 250,000+ participant database, partnering with youth organisations, community centres, charities, councils and safeguarding professionals to build trust and ensure every participant felt safe, respected and empowered to share their story 🙌 It was a privilege to play a role in such a historic project, supporting Verian Group in capturing the powerful stories of resilience, adaptation and impact from young people across the UK. Read the landmark report here 👉 https://loom.ly/Lnc0vHU #MarketResearch #ParticipantRecruitment #Covid19Inquiry #YoungVoices #ResearchWithImpact

The Chairperson of Chamber Member, Drogheda Homeless Aid, has welcomed a report that business people consider homelessness a “critical or significant issue” for 97 per cent of Irish businesses. However, Paul Murphy said that there was still a long way to go in harnessing the attitude into real action on the ground. He said it was a fact of life that while the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic had faded in the public memory, it was still hitting organisations like Homeless Aid very hard. There was a day-to-day struggle by the management and staff to keep its services in operation 24/7 despite the assistance of Louth County Council, Meath County Council, the HSE and the general public. One element of the survey showed that 83 per cent of business leaders believes the Government should prioritise long-term social housing in the upcoming Budget. Businesses identified key ways they could contribute – from advocating for affordable housing policies, to offering employment opportunities for people who lived the experience of homelessness, and providing financial support. He has appealed for members of the business community locally to get fully behind the service. “The dedicated management and staff and the board cannot do all of this on their own. We need business people who have a range of skills from organisational to financial to get involved. Pitch in in some form or other – join the board, give us at-arms-reach ideas and support from your offices, come out and shake the buckets, organise fundraisers. Reach out to us and bring ideas to the party,” he urged. #ElevatingDrogheda

🏠 **Key Statistics on UK Homelessness** 🏠 Based on the most recent data for England, Scotland, and Wales from 2024–2025, homelessness figures have reached record highs across multiple categories. The most severe forms of homelessness, including rough sleeping and families in temporary accommodation, have seen significant increases. 1. **Temporary Accommodation** - **Record High:** In England, a total of 131,140 households were in temporary accommodation as of March 2025, marking the highest number since records began in 1998. - **Increase Over Time:** This signifies a 12% increase from March 2024. - **Children Affected:** Additionally, 169,050 children were in temporary accommodation in England as of March 2025, also reaching a record high. The number of affected children has seen a consistent increase over nine consecutive quarters. - **Placements Out of Area:** 32% of households (41,560) were relocated to temporary accommodation outside their home local authority. Notably, in London, this percentage rises to 46%. 2. **Rough Sleeping** - **Overall Rise:** Official government estimates identified 4,667 individuals sleeping rough in England on a single night in autumn 2024, reflecting a 20% increase compared to 2023. - **Pre-Pandemic Comparison:** This figure notably stands 164% higher than the count recorded in 2010 when the snapshot count initiative commenced. - **London Rough Sleeping:** London's Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) data, recognized for its comprehensive coverage compared to single-night counts, reported a record high of 13,231 individuals observed rough sleeping in London during 2024/25. Let's raise awareness and work towards addressing these critical challenges in our communities. #HomelessnessAwareness #UKStatistics #Homeless #stgeorgescrypt #leeds #endhomelessness #charity #crisis #princewilliam #humanrights #volunteer 🌟

🎉 Our Community Grant Scheme aims to support local clubs, groups and not-for profit organisations at improving the community and supporting the lives of residents. Blidworth on the Move, a volunteer transport service for residents of Blidworth that began their food aid initiative that during the COVID-19 pandemic, continues to support residents in Blidworth and Rainworth who are facing financial hardship. The project provides food on a non-judgmental basis to rough sleepers, families, and individuals awaiting benefits. Read more here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gNSH8_Ug

A new report by Dominic Pinkney paints a stark picture: if volunteering in the UK stopped tomorrow, the country could lose £25–45 billion in social and economic benefits every year. Volunteers are not just a “nice-to-have.” They are a must have! Without healthcare volunteering programmes, hospital waiting lists over the past three years would inevitably have been even longer, hospital re-admission rates would have been higher, and morale among the healthcare workforce would have been lower.

Tsitsi Masiyiwa is mobilizing the diaspora to back African solutions. The Zimbabwean social entrepreneur and founder of RemitHope is aiming to raise $50 million to support 1,000 African-led projects across 13 countries. The initiative channels diaspora remittances into practical community programs in health, education, livelihoods, emergency relief, and family welfare. RemitHope links local organizations with African communities at home and abroad, ensuring donations are secure, verified, and impactful. Its effectiveness was clear in Zimbabwe when donors from 10 countries raised over $81,000 to rebuild the Mount Selinda Children’s Home after a fire. By turning remittances into structured support for communities, Masiyiwa hopes to bridge persistent funding gaps and strengthen African-led solutions for sustainable development. 📌 Tap the comment below to read the full story.

In 2024, 749 children and youth in Saskatchewan received vital mental health care through programs supported by Family of support, such as the Mobile Mental Health Bus that visits the Seven First Nations communities that make up the Saskatoon Tribal Council. 💜 Funds are helping expand access to primary mental health services, including an innovative fleet of mobile health clinics that bring care directly to communities across the province. 🚍 100% of Family of Support funds raised in Saskatchewan stay in Saskatchewan, ensuring support for children and youth close to home. 🏠 #FamilyOfSupport #YouthMentalHealth #SaskatchewanCare #JimPattisonHospital #MobileClinics #LocalImpact #MentalHealthSupport #CommunityCare