Grants to support young people, plus more funding news
Melanie May | 11 December 2024 | News
A round up of funding news, including opportunities with upcoming deadlines, and some that accept applications year-round.
2025 Bright Future Prize offers share of £40,000 to young people aged 15-21
The Ardonagh Community Trust (ACT), the charitable arm of the global insurance distribution platform The Ardonagh Group, has launched its 2025 Bright Future Prize and is encouraging young people from across the UK to apply for a share of £40,000 to turn their ideas into impactful projects benefitting their communities and beyond.
The 2025 Bright Future Prize will award funding across four categories:
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- Your Community: Projects addressing societal issues, education, health, or wellbeing within local communities.
- Your Planet: Environment-focused initiatives that tackle climate change, promote sustainable living, or enhance green spaces.
- Your Vision: Technology and entrepreneurship-driven ideas designed to foster positive change.
- Your Passion: Projects that improve access to sports, arts, and other passions, promoting inclusivity and outreach.
The winners of the four categories will share the £40,000 prize fund. The deadline for applications is 20 December.
More information here.
Grants for charities supporting young people aged 16 & under
The7stars Foundation awards grants to charities supporting young people of 16 years and under, and are targeted to further the potential and opportunity of those surviving abuse, at risk of or experiencing homelessness, caring for a loved one, and challenged by addiction (either personally or through a member of their family).
Grants of up to £2,500 are available for charities to deliver a project for young people, aged 16 years old or under in England, and of up to £1,500 for charities to purchase educational, wellbeing, or recreational items for young people in this age bracket across the UK – in both cases aligned the prioritised themes.
The foundation trustees meet four times a year to review grant applications the foundation has received and to make grant awards.
More information here.
All year applications welcome for Steel Charitable Trust United Kingdom Under-26 Fund
The Steel Charitable Trust’s United Kingdom Under-26 Fund is open across the year, offering one-off grants in the range of £10k-£25k, usually made as a single payment.
The fund’s aim is to improve outcomes for children and young people in the UK with an overarching focus on creating educational and/or access opportunities for young people in circumstances, groups or locations that face economic challenges or social marginalisation that may lead to significant disadvantages in later life.
It funds all sorts of work, as long as the beneficiaries are in the UK (except in the area of Luton) and are wholly, or mainly, under the age of 26. There is another separate fund offering support for the Luton area.
Trustees meet quarterly to assess the applications and make awards.
More information here.
Applications open for art project funding from The Elephant Trust
The Elephant Trust was founded by Roland Penrose and Lee Miller to make it possible for artists and those presenting their work to undertake and complete projects when frustrated by lack of funds.
As such, it prioritises artists in the fine arts and small organisations and galleries and their proposals for making or producing new work or exhibitions.
Grants are usually between £2000 and £5000. However, the Trust also administers The Shelagh Wakely Bequest, which means they can occasionally be bigger.
The next deadline for applications is Sunday 20 January.
More information here.
Funding for small charities, voluntary groups and CICs making a last difference to people’s lives
The Allen Lane Foundation funds small charities, voluntary groups and CICs through a number of programmes.
Within these funding programmes, it aims to support work that will make a lasting difference to people’s lives, is aimed at reducing isolation, stigma and discrimination, and encourages or enables groups that experience marginalisation and/or discrimination to share in the life of the whole community.
Each year the foundation typically makes 130-150 grants, to a total value of between £720,000 and £800,000.
It can offer is up to £15,000 – over three years, two years, or a single grant but the average grant size is £5,000-£6,000. Applications are accepted throughout the year and processing an application and making a grant usually takes between two and six months.
More information here.
New credit facility to enable Fair for You Enterprise CIC to double support for families in need
Fair for You Enterprise CIC has secured a new credit facility from UK bank Shawbrook. This funding, plus a new funding facility from Fair4All Finance, doubles Fair for You’s ability to support families in need, which means tens of thousands more customers will be able to access essential household items and build financial resilience.
Founded in 2015, Fair for You is an ethical lender and social enterprise that works to empower financially excluded households. By working with retailers including Argos, Iceland and Hotpoint, they offer flexible finance options that let customers tailor repayment schedules and loan terms to suit their circumstances.
This partnership marks the fourth funding line Shawbrook has provided to an organisation of this kind, as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). The deal was supported by a credit facility from Fair4All Finance.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.