BBC Children in Need, in partnership with the #iwill Fund and the Hunter Foundation, is delivering a £3 million Youth Action Social Fund to support organisations to embed youth social action across the UK. The fund is designed to help build children and young people’s confidence and skills, empowering them to take an active and leading role in developing solutions to issues which affect their lives and their communities.
The Youth Social Action Fund is for children and young people aged 18 and under. Children in Need especially welcomes applications from organisations working with or planning to work with children aged 15 and under.
Grants are intended to support organisations to bring social action and youth empowerment opportunities to children and young people, to help prevent or overcome the effects of the disadvantages they face.
Although it is not necessary for applicants to have previous experience in youth-led social action projects, they will be expected to evidence:
o Experience in child participation/sharing power with children and young people.
o How and why they want to deliver youth-led social action projects.
o How they work alongside other organisations in the local community, and
o Their well-established links with children and young people.
The Youth Social Action Fund offers the following grants:
1. Grants up to £15,000 for unregistered organisations (£10,000 per year, or £15,000 over the 18 months), or
2. Grants up to £50,000 over 18 months for registered bodies.
Project activities can last for up to 18 months, but must be completed by March 2024.
Projects and initiatives should:
o Be led by led by children and young people.
o Demonstrate that they are inclusive of all age ranges.
o Harness the value of lived experience.
o Prioritise the wellbeing of children and young people at all times.
o Provide time and space for project ideas to grow through an initial development phase. This period of time at the start of each grant will build the capacity of the children and young people to take part in youth social action, and
o Show that they are developmental and reciprocal, providing children and young people with life enhancing experience and new skills and confidence.
Funding is not available for:
o Capital or building projects.
o Debt repayments or budget shortfalls.
o Feasibility studies.
o Fixed equipment such as boilers or lighting.
o General appeals or endowment funds.
o Holidays where there is little or no project involvement.
o Individuals.
o Investments.
o Medical treatment or research.
o Non-fixed equipment totalling over £20,000.
o Pension liabilities.
o Pregnancy testing or advice.
o Promotion of religious or political activity.
o Retrospective costs.
o Staff redundancy or redeployment costs.
o Statutory bodies or work that is a statutory responsibility.
o Trips abroad.
o Unspecified expenditure.
o Work addressing child sexual exploitation, or
o Work with people over the age of 18 years old.
Prior to applying, all prospective applicants will be expected to attend an hour-long Information Session. (scroll down to the foot of the page to the heading "How to Apply - Information Sessions"). Please note that (1) registration is initially required by Children in Need, and (2) only applicants that have attended an Information Session can apply to the Fund. The dates of the Information Sessions are:
1. Tuesday 5th April 2022 at 10am.
2. Wednesday 6th April 2022 at 2.30pm.
3. Thursday 7th April 2022 at 5.30pm.
4. Friday 8th April 2022 at 9.30am, and
5. Monday 11th April 2022 at 12 noon.
Prospective applicants must register for an Information Session by Friday 8 April 2022. Not-for-profit organisations that are unable to attend any of the sessions have the option to receive a recorded session.
An application pack, including an application form, will be made available following the Information Sessions.
Further information and guidance about the Youth Social Action Fund is available on the Children in Need website.
