Two new organisations join our Youth Strategic Investment Fund

Each year, we make grants through our Youth Strategic Investment Fund. These grants contribute £550,000 towards an organisation’s core costs over a fixed period of five years. Each organisation is also offered a package of tailored and flexible expert support worth £175,000. 

We make these grants to organisations we have already funded through our Youth Fund and who we have long-standing relationships with.

This year, we’re pleased to share we are supporting two organisations through our Youth Strategic Investment Fund:

• GirlDreamer
• My Life My Say

This funding is designed as an investment in the longer-term development, sustainability and impact of organisations with a proven track record of achieving youth-led change.

Halima continues: ​“The organisations we fund through the Youth Strategic Investment Fund all have a role in driving youth-led change, shaping sector practice, and influencing policy that affects young people. We look forward to seeing how this work, with and for young people, plays out in the coming years.”

GirlDreamer supports young women of the global majority through flexible funding, capacity-building opportunities, and community spaces designed to foster safety, rest, and connection. By centring lived experience, GirlDreamer works at the intersection of grassroots action and systemic change – creating pathways for young women to grow, lead, and reimagine the world.

Kiran continues: ​“With this fund, we will focus on strengthening our core team, building greater organisational capacity, and creating the internal infrastructure needed to meet the growing needs and ambitions of our community. This investment enables us to not only continue our mission of supporting young women of the global majority to lead, heal, and thrive, but to do so with more sustainability, care, and intention. We are truly grateful to Paul Hamlyn Foundation for recognising the power of lived experience and placing its trust in organisations like ours.”

My Life My Say (MLMS) is a youth-led movement empowering young people through democratic engagement and encouraging political participation amongst underrepresented communities. They create space for conversations between young people and policymakers, spearhead campaigns to encourage young people to vote, and empower future leaders by equipping them with the essential skills to lead change. 

Dan and Melisha continue: ​“With this support, we’ll continue to grow our work through our Next Gen Conference, Democracy Cafés, and Squad Leadership programme, creating meaningful spaces where young people, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, can learn how change happens and take the lead in shaping their futures.”