New funding available for youth social action projects
Two Ridings Community Foundation is proud to be distributing the latest round of #iwill funding in North and East Yorkshire made possible thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund and Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS)
The foundation is using match funding to make almost £70,000 available in #iwill Fund grants for local youth social action projects, contributing to the £1.4m total for the programme nationally.
Social action involves activities like campaigning, fundraising and volunteering and has huge potential to create enjoyable opportunities and skills development for young people, and in turn benefit the local people and places.
The #iwill movement brings together cross-sector organisations and young people who believe that all children and young people should have the chance to make a positive difference on the issues that affect their lives, their communities, and broader society. The #iwill Fund supports the aims of the #iwill movement and is made possible thanks to £66 million joint investment from The National Lottery Community Fund and the DCMS.
Grants of up to £10,00 are available for projects lasting up to a year for participants aged between 10 and 20 – or 25 for young people with a disability – focusing particularly on the 10-14 age range. The programme aims to fund both new and well-established groups, and to encourage young people who are new to social action.
Successful projects will be led, owned and shaped by young people’s needs, ideas and decision making, have a clear benefit to a community, cause or social problem and be accessible to all. Below are some examples of project previously funded:
• East Riding Voluntary Action Services were awarded £2,995 and with young people created three videos about Mental health, Youth Voice and Keeping Safe. These clips were shared so that young people were informed about what support was available to them.
• Cornerhouse Hull were awarded a grant of £3,478 to bring young LGBTQ+ people together to discuss issues that they faced and campaign for better services. They hosted a conference in which young people facilitated sessions that made attendees feel more confident in engaging with LGBTQ+ people.
• Scarborough Carers were awarded nearly £10,000 to develop their Youth Council which gives young carers a voice in their community.
Rosemary Macdonald, CEO of UK Community Foundations commented, “Young people are the future of our communities. By encouraging 10–14-year-olds to get involved in social action and see the benefits for themselves and their communities, we are creating strong foundations for the future.”
The #iwill Fund is open for applications now. For more details about the criteria and how to apply go to https://www.tworidingscf.org.uk/fund/iwill-fund-national/