Grants database

Asylum Matters works in partnership locally and nationally to improve the lives of refugees and people seeking asylum through social and political change. They bring together and support a broad network of groups and organisations across England and Wales, to work collaboratively to mobilise, coordinate and increase the impact of advocacy and campaigns to secure improvements to asylum policy and practice. This grant contributes to core costs, allowing Asylum Matters to grow their campaigning reach while ensuring their organisation remains strong and resilient.

UK BME Anti-Slavery Network (BASNET) is a member network charities and community interest companies led by and working in diaspora and racialised communities to address modern slavery and human trafficking across the UK. This grant will support BASNET to: build members’ research capabilities and capacity; influence policy and practice; continue forming lasting strategic partnerships to diversify the modern slavery space increasing inclusivity and access to more research opportunities; counter the harmful ​‘illegal migrants’ narrative; provide a dedicated space for members to utilise self-advocacy; and provide extra mental wellbeing to support BASNET members. The funding will also contribute towards AFRUCA’s broader emotional counselling support for staff, as BASNET’s host organisation.

Positive Youth Foundation aims to improve the life chances of young people facing challenging circumstances. This grant provides core funding to support development of their outcomes and impact development work, extend their ​‘practice into policy’ approach; explore new approaches to income generation including community-based fundraising and growth of charged services; and work to strengthen social media messaging to highlight the impact of Positive Youth Foundation’s work.

Mermaids works with and on behalf of transgender and gender variant children and young people in England, Scotland and Wales. It provides support to young people and their families, offers training and advice for professionals, and campaigns to reduce stigma and raise awareness of the issues facing young people experiencing gender dysphoria. This grant will enable Mermaids to develop their Youth Advisory Panel, ensuring that the voices and needs of young people are central to their work, and expand their Mermaids’ Advocacy Network Group Online, which is a youth advocacy programme designed to provide supportive, upskilling experiences to young trans people.

Just Like Us empower LGBT+ young people to lead change and champion equality. This grant will enable them to expand their Ambassador Programme, supporting the professional and personal development of 400 LGBT+ young people aged 18–25 whilst also engaging in meaningful social action by delivering school talks championing LGBT+ equality.

Youth Initiatives (YI) aims to awaken hope, inspire initiative, and mobilise youth to make a vital contribution to their community and to a shared future in Northern Ireland. This grant provides core funding for YI to partner with Diverse Youths Northern Ireland to deliver equitable practice and appropriately meet the needs of young people from diverse backgrounds. As anti-racist organisations they will support young people by addressing both individual incidences of racism and racial inequities in wider Northern Ireland society.

Spectrum Gaming is a UK-wide online community for autistic young people aged 8 to 18 years old. This grant will enable Spectrum Gaming to increase staff capacity to widen the impact the service is having, through continued advocacy work, representing autistic young people at a strategic level, and making links with more community and health organisations to ensure the service reaches those who most need it. Funding for three new posts will allow Spectrum Gaming to grow to meet demand in the community and from new members, to extend services when members reach 18 and critically free up time for leadership to drive forward more advocacy work.

Sister System support care-experienced girls and young women, providing internationally recognised qualifications and a community of support to improve their life chances. This grant will allow Sister System to scale their impact through training other UK organisations to replicate key elements of their approach. It will also support them to establish a Youth Advisory Board, which will help steer the direction of the organisation’s strategy and their future campaigning.

LGBT Youth Scotland is an Edinburgh-based national charity providing support to LGBTQ+ young people between the ages of 13 to 25. This grant will support them to sustain, expand, and enhance their work with an intersectional approach and grow impact by providing more opportunities for LGBTQ+ youth to influence decisions, investing in participatory research functions, and widely sharing the needs and experiences of young people.

Hounslow Action for Youth supports children and young people experiencing disadvantage in Hounslow. This grant will support the organisation to deliver its Botanical Heritage and Youth Envision project and inspire other young people and youth service providers to adopt their distinctive heritage-centred asset-based approach. Services will be developed to enhance inclusivity of young people of all backgrounds and abilities, ensuring that everyone is given an opportunity to participate and thrive.

High Trees Community Development Trust offer targeted and local support for those most impacted by structural inequalities, helping people make meaningful changes that allow them to live happier, healthier and more connected lives. This grant will support the development of Lambeth Peer Action Collective (LPAC) – a youth-led peer research and social action movement – through the next stage of its development.

Friends, Families and Travellers works to end racism and discrimination against people from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities and protect the right to pursue a nomadic way of life. This grant will support the organisation’s direct support for young people not in education, training, or employment in Sussex and its work to challenge how young people between the ages of 14 and 16 lose their entitlement to secondary education funding if they fall out of education.