Film and Television Charity

The Film and Television Charity, established in 1924, is the UK’s leading independent charity dedicated to supporting behind-the-scenes workers in film, television, and cinema, addressing poverty, hardship, and disadvantage among these often precarious freelancers and professionals. Rooted in values of equity, diversity, inclusion, dignity, and impartiality, it provides holistic, non-judgemental support—from urgent crisis relief to proactive wellbeing initiatives—evolving to tackle mental health, physical wellbeing, financial distress, workplace discrimination, and sector culture, fostering a healthy, inclusive industry for all off-screen roles from pre-production to exhibition.

It funds individuals (current or former UK-based behind-the-scenes workers in film, TV, or cinema), delivering 24/7 helplines, Stop-Gap emergency grants for essentials like rent or bills, mental health counselling, legal advice, anti-bullying resources, and the Whole Picture Toolkit for mentally healthy productions. Targeted aid goes to those facing ill health, disability, caring responsibilities, or marginalised backgrounds, with evidence-led advocacy for systemic change; organisational or project funding is invite-only, focusing on mental health and inclusion initiatives.

Eligibility requires proof of UK sector work (e.g., via IMDb, payslips), with no income thresholds, religious restrictions, or geographic sub-priorities beyond UK-wide operations. Typical individual grants range £100–£500, applied for via rolling online forms with rapid decisions (days for urgencies); no open rounds or unsolicited organisational applications.

Distinctive for its century-long focus on overlooked off-screen talent, independence from commercial interests, and blend of reactive grants with preventive advocacy, it excludes non-industry applicants, unrelated causes, and general organisational core funding, prioritising stigma-free resilience for a freelance-heavy workforce.