Young people

Much of our grant-making aims to benefit young people, but it is the groups and organisations who work directly with them who often make the most difference, especially for young people who face complex transitions to adulthood. We concentrate our support on young people who are in the most challenging circumstances: those who are socially excluded or marginalised, whose experiences are hidden or less well known, whose voices are often erased or ignored.

Our aim is to improve the quality and quantity of support available to these young people. We do this by investing in organisations that can expand and improve their impact by developing resources and enhancing delivery.

We want to support organisations at different stages of development to improve, consolidate and spread practices that empower young people to shape their lives and lead change. We look for work with young people that starts by recognising and building on their strengths and potential. We also work with organisations to influence the wider context, advocating for young people and being led by their direct advocacy.

We also support work that is led by young people, where power is shared, where work is developed and delivered in partnership with them, and where youth voice and experience influences decision-making. We have a particular interest in young people leading social change and shaping the world around them.

For a snapshot of the grants we made last year, the graphs below show how much funding we awarded through our Youth Fund and where this was distributed across the UK. You can find out more about the organisations we funded in our grants database.