[WiLT] Rosa grants for positive body image work - apply by 9th March 2009

[WiL Admin]

Rosa grants for positive body image work - apply by 9th March 2009

We are very pleased to announce that Rosa has made exciting additions
to its website, and that the criteria and application for our first
ever grants are now available online.

We're at the same address - http://www.rosauk.org/ - but with new
sections to make learning about us and keeping up to date on our
activities even easier for you:

* About us: learn about our history, board and staff, and our areas of
focus
* Grants: get the latest news on our grants cycles, application and
deadline information
* Support us: find out how you can join us in making positive change
for women and girls
* News: discover what we are up to

You'll notice that Celebrate Her! has a new interactive look. With
International Women's Day less than a month away, we hope you'll feel
inspired to celebrate a women in your life by donating to Rosa - and
seeing a beautiful rose grow in our garden in honour of her.

We have also launched criteria for our first grants, which are
focussing on Body Image.  You can download the Information Pack and
Application Form in the Grants section of the website -
http://www.rosauk.org/grants/default.aspx.

The deadline for the first round of the application is 9 March, with
final decisions made in May 2009.

We hope you enjoy the new site, and please do get in touch with any
feedback you might have - we are always happy to hear from you.

-------------------------------------------------

Rosa, the UK Fund for Women and Girls, launches first grants programme
10 February 2009

Rosa, the UK Fund for Women and Girls, today announces the criteria
and application for its first grants.

Rosa is awarding £25,000 in total to fund projects with a focus on
Body Image. Rosa seeks to fund work that will help women and girls in
the UK view themselves more positively and with less self-criticism.
Applicants will be asked to answer the key question: How you can
support women and girls to develop a positive Body Image?

Maggie Baxter, Chair of Rosa, noted: 'We choose Body Image as a theme
because it touches the lives of so many women in the UK and causes a
great deal of stress for some. We are looking to fund projects that
lead to a positive change in attitude and practice around this
critical issue.'

Of interest to Rosa was the proven link between mental health and Body
Image - when people are feeling low or mildly depressed they feel less
happy about the way they look. More seriously, although there is no
single cause for eating disorders, it is commonly agreed that factors
such as media portrayal of bodies, societal and cultural emphasis on
looks contribute. Further, Body Image is an area of work that has seen
limited amounts of funding.

Rosa is particularly keen to hear ideas relating to those who are
under 25 years of age, but will consider a range of projects.
Applicants will need to show evidence of working in partnership to
meet Rosa's commitment to bringing people together to find solutions.
They will need to demonstrate a link to the media and also have some
funding other than Rosa's to contribute to the delivery of the
project.

First round applications will be due on 9 March 2009, with final
decisions made in May 2009. The full criteria and application are now
available on Rosa's newly updated website www.rosauk.org

For further information please contact Ann-Sophie Morrissette or Dinah
Cox on 020 7324 3044 or info at rosauk.org.

Notes
1. Rosa is the first UK-wide fund for women and girls. Launched in
June 2008, our vision is of equality and justice for women and girls
in the UK. Our mission is to raise and distribute money to women's
organisations and influence others to do the same.
2. Rosa's grant making focuses on four policy areas: Economic Justice,
Health & Well Being, Leadership and Safety. In 2009 Rosa will be
giving grants on a quarterly basis, focusing on a theme under each of
these key areas. The first is Body Image, under Health and Well-being.
3. Some key statistics relating to women and Body Image in the UK:
The eating disorder anorexia nervosa can lead to premature death and
90% of those suffering from the disease are women. Department of
Health press release: Funding boost for anorexia support, April 2007.
95% of women have dieted at some stage in their lives. Ogden, J, Fat
Chance: The myth of dieting explained, London: Routledge, 1992.
Looking at pictures of models, pop stars and actresses makes a fifth
of girls feel sad, two fifths feel bad about themselves and over a
tenth (12 per cent) feel angry. Teenage Mental Health: Girls Shout
Out, Girlguiding UK and The Mental Health Foundation, 2008.