Comic Relief is boosting the Time to Change campaign to end mental health discrimination with an additional £500,000 of funding.

Comic Relief, who have joint-funded Time to Change with their biggest ever UK grant of £4m, have granted the additional funding to help ensure the spring 2011 social marketing campaign can reach as wide an audience as possible.

Evidence from the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London is now showing that people who are aware of Time to Change's advertising have better knowledge and reported behaviour towards people with mental health problems compared to people who aren't aware of it, and the gap in attitudes between people who have seen the campaign and people who haven't is increasing over time.  So in order to achieve significant behaviour change among the English population, the campaign needs to reach as many people as possible, and this additional funding will help achieve that in 2011.

Sue Baker, Director of Time to Change, says:
“We know that our advertising is having an impact on those who see it. So the more people we reach with our messages, the bigger the impact we can have on public attitudes and behaviour. This extra funding from Comic Relief will help us make sure next year campaign is as effective as it can be, and really builds on the improvements we are beginning to see.  Comic Relief's support has been incredible not only financially but also the expertise they bring in engaging the public in difficult issues.

Michele Settle, Marketing Director at Comic Relief, says:
“Through their high profile campaign Time to Change has made vast progress in challenging stigma and discrimination by raising awareness of how common mental health problems are.  Comic Relief is delighted to have awarded an additional £500,000 of funding to ensure the campaign continues to build on what has been achieved so far."

This boost comes as Time to Change seeks government funding to continue the programme after its current funding comes to an end in September next year. The first phase of the campaign has been funded by £16m from the Big Lottery Fund, along with Comic Relief £4.5m, and run by the leading mental health charities Mind and Rethink. Further funding will help to sustain the gains of the first four years of the campaign, ensuring long-term changes in public attitudes and behaviours that will lead to equality and active citizenship for people with mental health problems.