English Living Residential Market
More than £86k awarded to youth social action projects in communities
Ten more youth-focused organisations working in Sovereign communities are celebrating thanks to support from Sovereign and The National Lottery Community Fund’s (TNLCF) #iwill Fund.
Sovereign’s Youth Panel, which is made up of 18-25-year-old customers, helped to decide the winning projects after the housing association invited applications for the second round of its #iwill Fund. Through this, funding from TNLCF is matched with charities and groups doing great work across the voluntary sector. The #iwill Fund supports more young people to access meaningful social action opportunities and grow their skills and confidence.
Since last summer, more than £195,000 has been awarded through the Sovereign #iwill Fund to projects across the south of England. This is part of its ambition to work with like-minded organisations and create thriving and inclusive communities where people of all ages and background can flourish. As part of this second round of funding, more than £86,000 has been awarded to help bring these aspirations to life.
The 10 winning projects that received a share of funding in round two are:
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Intergenerational Music Making’s Intergenerational Youth Social Action project received £10,000 funding. It will support 50 young people aged 10-18-years-old across Basingstoke and Plymouth to plan, deliver and evaluate a youth-led intergenerational social action project.
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Spotlight UK’s YSAP (Youth Social Action project) was awarded £8,232. 100. At least 100 young people aged 10-18-years-old from schools in Reading, Southampton, Newbury, Andover and Basingstoke will get involved in fundraising, campaigning and volunteering through the project.
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Transition Chipping Norton’s Youth4Future received £7,000 and will involve 50 young people aged 10-17-years-old in Chipping Norton who will be involved in campaigning to improve community facilities across the town.
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Recreate Dorset’s Social Action programme for Young People with Learning Differences will use its £8,560 grant to support 60 young people aged 10-20-years-old in Didcot. They’ll get involved in planning and volunteering at their local annual arts festival as well as other social action activities.
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Didcot TRAIN - Inspiring Young People’s Youth Empowerment project received £9,960.85 funding. It will support 45 young people aged 10-20-years-old in South Oxfordshire to run and develop their charity. The young people will also be involved in designing and running events at their premises The Base, as well as other community projects.
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Youth Challenge Oxfordshire (YoCO)’s YoCO Abingdon Music Event was awarded £4,250. 70 young people aged 13-18-years-old from the Vale of White Horse will be supported to produce their own music, and then plan and host a music event for the community.
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Andover Mind ‘s "Be You" Peer Champions received £9,998.55 and will involve 50 young people aged 11-17-years-old in the Andover area. They’ll be supported to act as peer champions in mental health and wellbeing in the community.
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Revive Newport’s Newport Youth Cafe and Detached Youth Work was given £10,000 funding. It will support 2,000 young people aged 13-19-years-old on the Isle of Wight to get involved in volunteering opportunities in the local community.
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Plymouth Sports Charity’s A Sporting Chance project will use its £9,880 grant to support 50 young people aged 12-14-years-old in Plymouth. They will create, manage and develop a free sports programme and sports festival, delivered to primary school children. The young people will also be able to achieve a recognised sports coaching qualification themselves.
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Imayla CIC’s Nature Well and Wildly Different project received £8,319.13 funding. It will support 30 young people aged 12-16-years-old in Bristol to get involved in environmental social action.
The #iwill Fund is all made possible thanks to a £66 million joint investment from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to support young people to access high quality social action opportunities. Sovereign is acting as an #iwill Fund match funder and awarding grants on behalf of the #iwill Fund.
Daisy Mummery, Sovereign’s #iwill Fund Project Manager, said: “It’s really exciting to have our second round of grant holders in place. The impact the #iwill Fund is having on young people and communities is incredible, having already generated over £2.1 million in social value so far. I’m looking forward to seeing how our second round of projects contribute to growing this impact further.”
Emily Morris, Sovereign Youth Panel member, added: “The Sovereign #iwill Fund scoring day was a brilliant opportunity to get involved and support on awarding youth social projects funding. I felt empowered by having my own voice and opinion heard, which will go on to encourage youth to have their own say about other potential social youth action in Sovereign communities via #iwill funded projects.”
Helen Whyman, Head of the #iwill Fund, added: “Thanks to National Lottery players and DCMS, the work of the #iwill Fund continues to have an incredible impression on young people. This £66 million joint investment supports young people to access and lead high quality social action. This youth social action benefits the young people as they develop skills as they undertake social action that is challenging and socially impactful on issues that are important to them and also helps the local communities who benefit from the impressive action taken by young people. We are looking forward to seeing the fantastic impact of the second round of Sovereign projects for young people and communities.”
Additional funding, in addition to that already announced, is expected to follow shortly.
Further information can be found here.
Contact Information
Frances Taylor-Young
Press Officer
Sovereign Housing Association
Frances.Taylor-Young@sovereign.org.uk