Funding - Children and Young People
This page is updated regularly with new funding opportunities
Co-op Local Community Fund
Supporting projects that provide access to opportunities and resources to help people thrive.
The Co-op’s Local Community Fund is now open for applications, offering groups a chance to secure a share of the £5 million pot.
The fund supports projects that help people and communities thrive, with a particular focus on improving access to food, supporting mental wellbeing, creating opportunities for young people, promoting community cohesion, and building sustainable futures.
Applications must be submitted by midnight on 6 July 2025.
Sofronie Organisation
Funding for Educational or Vocational Projects to improve the lives of young people across the UK
Sofronie Foundation is offering funding for registered charities and not-for-profit organisations across the UK to deliver projects that provide young people with skills for jobs and increase access to higher education.
Funding is for interventions that:
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Increase access to higher education, such as educational programmes for young people that raise aspirations, build confidence, and develop skills in preparation for university.
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Increase access to vocational training, such as initiatives that provide young people with practical skills or offer opportunities of work experience in preparation for future employment.
Funding can be used for all costs associated with project delivery, including staffing costs.
Applications can be submitted at any time
BBC Children in Need Emergency Essentials Programme
Supporting children and young people in crisis
Our Emergency Essentials programme supports individual children and young people living with severe poverty, a lack of the basic facilities which most of us take for granted and additional pressures such as domestic violence, disability or poor health in the family.
The programme provides items that meet children’s most basic needs such as a bed to sleep in, a cooker to give them a hot meal, clothing (in a crisis) and other items and services that are critical to children’s wellbeing.
The programme is now being delivered by Family Fund Business services on our behalf. It is a referrer only programme and applications can only be made by registered referrers, able to reach families who need the programme most. You can find out more, and how to register as a referral agency on their website.
Reaching Communities Fund
National Lottery Community Fund announces new priorities for Reaching Communities Fund
This funding will help strengthen communities and improve lives across England. Our priority is the places, people and communities that need it most. By ‘community’ we mean people living in the same area. Or people with similar interests or life experiences, even if they do not live in the same area.
Our priorities are to fund projects that support places, people or communities experiencing poverty, disadvantage or discrimination and support people and communities to shape the decisions that affect their lives.
Your project must achieve one of our missions, which are to support communities to come together, through inclusive places, spaces and activities (either physical or virtual). Especially for communities where people are least able to come together; help children and young people thrive, by developing positive social and emotional skills; be healthier, by addressing health inequalities. And helping prevent poor health; be environmentally sustainable. By engaging with climate issues and having a positive environmental impact. And improving access to quality natural spaces.
Funding starts at £20,001 but most applications we fund are for less than £500,000. After our updates to Reaching Communities on 1 April we expect continued high demand. This means you currently have a lower chance of getting funding than usual.
Application deadline ongoing
Tesco Stronger Starts Programme
Funding to tackle hunger amongst young people
Schools and other not-for-profit organisations can apply for grants of up to £1,500 for projects and activities that help children across the UK have a stronger start in life. Priority is given to initiatives that provide food and support to young people. These grants assist schools and organisations in offering nutritious food, healthy activities that promote physical and mental wellbeing—such as breakfast clubs or snacks—and equipment for healthy pursuits. Every three months, three local good causes or projects are selected for the blue token customer vote in Tesco stores throughout the UK, with grants awarded based on the number of votes each project receives. The funding is being made available through the Tesco Stronger Starts Programme, which is managed by Groundwork across the UK and is working with greenspace scotland to support applicants in Scotland.
