Additional funds of £9m have been made available for the #iwill Fund, a programme jointly funded by DCMS and the National Lottery Community Fund to support youth-led social action programmes.
The #iwill Fund currently works with 25 funders, who match the investment made by two principle funders. The fund is “expanding its ambition to work with further funders”, but has said it does not currently have a target number for the amount of new funders it would like to work with, as it will depend on the applications received.
The #iwill Fund supports the aims of the #iwill campaign, which is coordinated by the Step Up to Serve initiative, with a vision to make involvement in social action the norm for ten to 20-year-olds across the UK.
Helen Whyman, head of #iwill at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “At The National Lottery Community Fund, we are delighted to continue investing in the #iwill Fund, enabling them to increase the partnerships that we have built to embed youth social action across England.
“Through the partnerships within the #iwill Fund, we see young people taking the lead in their communities, helping them to thrive.”
Government promises share of £7m investment for youth projects
Elsewhere, youth projects across the country will also receive a share of a £7m investment from government, Nicky Morgan announced yesterday.
The Youth Accelerator Fund has been set up to address urgent needs in the youth sector and expand existing successful projects run by Sport England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England and the British Film Institute.
Morgan said: “If we wish to get the best out of all the great talent in our country it is vital that we offer the next generation opportunities to build character and resilience, not just in school but outside the school day.
“This investment will pave the way for our ambitious, long-term plans to support young people that we will deliver over the next five years.”
UK Youth, the membership organisation for youth clubs in the UK, will distribute £1.15m to run a small grants programme to deliver extra sessions in youth clubs and youth groups across England.
Additionally, over £2m of the funding will go towards setting up new Local Partnerships across the country, designed to effectively coordinate and sustain local youth activities. Areas will be encouraged to bid for a Local Partnership, that will bring together existing providers, statutory partners and the private sector to deliver programmes for young people.
The investment follows the chancellor's announcement last year of a £500m Youth Investment Fund for the five years from April 2020.
Organisations who are interested in applying to the #iwill Fund can contact [email protected]
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