Carers’ Support Fund in the UK

Deadline: 7-Feb-22

The Community Foundation NI on behalf of the Department of Health is delighted to open for application a Carers’ Support Fund that will provide support for organisations working for and with carers in line with the outcomes.

Funding Information

Grant values of between £2k and £75k will be distributed to properly constituted community groups and voluntary organisations.
It is expected that funding awards will fall into 2 broad categories:
Funding awards of up to £10k
Funding awards between £10k and £75k
In exceptional circumstances higher awards to individual organisations, or organisations working together to deliver a proposal, may be considered.
Projects £10,000 or below can be for a period of up to 12 months.
Projects £10,000 to £75,000 can be for a period of up to 24 months.

Fund Outcomes

Specific outcomes that the Fund should deliver are:

Enhanced provision of and access to practical support and help for carers.
Improved access to and availability of advice services for carers, including support available through new technologies.
Enhanced skills of carers to advocate for the needs of both themselves and the person they care for.
Support improved physical and mental health and wellbeing of carers.
Enhanced ability for carers to lead their own lives and enjoy a work/life balance.
Increased capacity to advocate for and advance carers’ issues with government and statutory bodies.
Raised awareness of the contribution of carers.
Improved evidence base on carers to support and inform service provision, and government strategy.

Funding considerations

Priority will be given to organisations that are delivering projects to support carers through the provision of practical support and help to carers or young carers, and particularly those carers in crisis, and those who care for people with the most complex needs.
Projects may support carers through the provision of advice, training, advocacy or research aimed at furthering carers’ issues with government or other statutory bodies.
Innovative projects, or those of a pilot nature, which have the potential to enhance support in the longer term, would be particularly welcome.
Joint applications from organisations for shared staff will be welcomed. Joint applications from organisations proposing to work together will also be considered. *Staff costs must be for staff directly involved in delivering projects that meet at least one of the outcomes of the fund.
Applications should be able to demonstrate a need and that a methodology is in place to demonstrate how progress against a relevant outcome(s) will be measured.
The assessment of applications may include consideration of the sustainability of the proposal.
As far as possible the Community Foundation will seek to ensure the overall funding supports a reasonable geographic spread of organisations and/or projects across Northern Ireland.