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UFFC YOUTH WING applications now open
Are you a young friend or family member within our network? Are you inspired to impact young people in a positive way? Up to £1500 is available for anything that supports your peers.
Apply here for the UFFC Youth Wing Project for the chance to fund a scheme or activity of your choice.
About the fund
The second round of the UFFC Youth Wing Fund is open for applications.
The United Families & Friends Campaign (UFFC) is awarding grants of £1,500 to grassroots projects supporting young people (approximately between the ages of 18 and 35) who are directly impacted by social injustice, systemic inequality and state violence i.e. institutional racism, classism, ableism etc. This may be in the form of prisons and policing, the immigration system and hostile environment, and mental health and psychiatric institutions.
WHAT TYPE OF PROJECTS DO YOU FUND?
We are looking for applications from projects focused on:
- Providing emotional and wellbeing support, which could including things such as:
- Peer support, mutual aid and/or self-help groups
- Therapeutic, holistic resources/activities. These may be, but are not limited to, wellbeing activities like educational, creative, sports activities and/or events.
- Campaigning and activism
- This could include protest, work to create change on a local or national level, sharing information and skills such as community organising training, or creating resources for members of your community to better advocate for themselves.
Who can apply?
Eligibility criteria
- Your group/project must be based in the United Kingdom.
- Your group/project must be aimed at young people (approximately between the ages of 18 and 35) who are directly impacted by social injustice, systemic inequality and/or state violence. Please note, we cannot fund projects for people under the age of 18 due to safeguarding requirements.
- Your group/project must have an annual income under 25k.
We will be prioritising applications from:
- Groups/projects for bereaved young people impacted by losing their loved ones at the hands of the state, in custody or following police contact.
- Groups/projects with a low income and who are struggling to access funding, particularly those who other funders might consider to be ‘too radical’.
- Unregistered/unincorporated groups.
We welcome applications from people/communities from racialized, migrant and/or working class backgrounds, those with lived experience of mental ill-health and neurodivergence, those who have been institutionalised, including those who have a criminal record, and those trying to start up a new group/project.
HOW LONG ARE APPLICATIONS OPEN?
This is a two-year programme. Applications will be open from Monday 22nd of April until 5pm on Monday the 3rd of June 2024.
APPLY HEREAbout the UFfc
The United Families & Friends Campaign (UFFC) is a coalition of bereaved families and friends impacted by losing their loved ones at the hands of the state, in custody or following police contact. Our mission is to work collaboratively as a network of independent campaigns to address common issues and concerns related to deaths and abuse in police, penal, mental health and immigration detention, and to organise events and activities that promote awareness, create change and support impacted families and communities across the UK.
Our mission:
- Reduce state violence/negligence.
- Justice for people impacted by state violence/negligence.
- Build a national network and movement of survivors, families and communities.
- Build and share survivor-led knowledge.
The UFFC Youth Wing
The UFFC is forming a Youth Wing as part of our coalition. This will be led by and for young people (approximately between the ages of 18 and 35) responding to and challenging the systemic inequalities and injustices impacting them, their families and communities.
In applying for this grant, you and/or people involved with your project will have the opportunity to be a part of the Youth Wing, connect with other young people doing this work, and shape the UFFC movement together. We believe that your ideas and hopes for the future are essential to the UFFC mission. Through the Youth Wing, we are building solidarity across generations, as well as survivors, families and communities.
Frequently asked questions
How do I apply?
Applications can be submitted by either filling out the online form or by downloading a document version of the form from this webpage and emailing it to uffcgrantapplications@gmail.com.
We will also accept video and voice recording submissions that answer all of the questions on the form, also to be sent to uffcgrantapplications@gmail.com.
How much can my group/project apply for?
You can apply for any amount up to and including £1,500 – please apply for the amount you need. In the application we will ask for a breakdown of how you plan to spend the funding.
What can I apply for?
You can apply for money that will allow you to respond to, challenge and raise awareness about social injustice, systemic inequality and/or state violence.
This could include, but is not limited to: campaigning, facilitating peer support spaces, campaigning and activism activities, and developing holistic projects that provide mental health or emotional support through activities. Delivering a service, mutual aid, staff costs, venue hire, campaigning work, infrastructure such as online systems or furniture and supplies.
Some people I support are outside of the age range. Can I still apply?
This fund is aimed at groups or projects supporting young people between the ages of 18 and 35. However, we understand that a small percentage of the individuals you support may not be within this category. If the majority of your group are within the age range, you will still be considered for funding. Please note we cannot fund projects specifically for people under the ages of 18 due to safeguarding requirements.
My group is partially based outside of the UK. Can we still apply?
The fund is open to groups/projects working and taking place in the UK. However, we understand that many groups now operate online; if the majority of active members/participants are based in the UK, your application will still be considered.
When can I expect to hear if my application has been successful?
The deadline for applications is at 5pm on Monday the 29th of January 2024. Once we are closed for applications, our Youth Wing steering group will review applications and decide who will be awarded. We will aim to let you know if you have been successful by the end of February 2024.
When does the grant need to be spent?
Within one year from being awarded.
What will be expected of us if we are successful?
If you are successful you and your group/project participants will have the opportunity to be a part of the UFFC Youth Wing. We hope this leads to you becoming an active part of the UFFC and shaping what we do. However, we understand different grantees will have different levels of capacity for this, so there will be no obligations other than keeping in touch about the use of your grant.
As this is a small grant aimed at groups/people who are likely to have low capacity, we want to avoid asking for disproportionate amounts of reporting such as lots of paperwork. We will contact you 6 months into the grant period to check in on how things are going with your group/project, and again at the end of the 1 year grant period. This can be a one page written summary, video or audio clip summarising the impact of the project.
With your consent, we would like to share information and pictures about your project on the UFFC website.
I need help with the application form…
You can email uffcgrantapplications@gmail.com with any questions. We are a small team with low capacity, but we will try and get back to you as quickly as possible. Please note, responses will be especially slow over the Christmas period.
What we will not fund
- Organisations which are not primarily set up as not-for-profit.
- Groups operating solely outside of the United Kingdom.
- Applications for individual persons/families expenses and/or profits.
- We will not fund any reimbursements in retrospect.
- Projects/groups/individuals that have any affiliation (including being funded by) the police.
- Statutory services and projects/groups who are funded by statutory services. This does not include projects/groups who are linked or hosted by statutory services.
- Projects for people under the age of 18.
Can I apply as an individual?
Individuals can apply as long as you are using the money towards a project that meets our eligibility criteria (please see above).
Individuals can not apply for personal expenses or profits.
Can I apply if the project is new?
Yes! We welcome applications from individuals/groups wanting to start new projects.
Do we need to create a budget for the application?
No, you just need to provide a list of what you need the money for.
We’ve never applied for funding before. Will we be at a disadvantage?
We would really welcome your application. You don’t have to worry about specific phrasing and language. We just want to know about your work and why this money would help, in your own words. If you need help, please feel free to contact us with any questions at: uffcggrantapplications@gmail.com.
What if our plans for the money change after we receive funding?
This is okay as long as the money is still going towards the same group/project it was granted for and still meets our eligibility criteria (please see above).
How will I receive the money if my application is successful?
If you have a bank account for your group/project we can send the money by bank transfer. If you do not have a bank account we may be able to supply you with a card to spend the money, or you may be able to invoice the UFFC for your expenses.
