“This is one of the most accessible grants to small and local grassroots organisations like ourselves. The team at Young Westminster Foundation are brilliant, they provide additional support in conjunction with the funding.”
YWF member
Young Westminster Foundation is pleased to announce that 32 grants totalling £419,139 have been awarded to youth organisations across Westminster in the sixth round of the Westminster Brighter Futures Fund. This investment will provide invaluable support for Westminster’s young people and their families over the coming 12 months.
This year, the fund received a total of 48 applications totalling £683,125. The awarded projects were decided by a panel of local funders, partners and young people.
“This support will directly enable and strengthen the fantastic work of our members, which in turn helps to enrich the lives of Westminster’s young people on a daily basis. The volume of applications received reflects the continuing challenges our sector faces, and the growing need for investment in local youth services. We would like to thank all funders for their generous donations and commitment to creating opportunities for young people in the borough.” (Helen Mann, CEO of Young Westminster Foundation)
This year’s funding was made available by Westminster City Council with further contributions from our partners Shaftesbury Capital, Howard de Walden Estate, Eyre Estate, Lazari Investments Ltd, London Town Group, Aziz Foundation, Berkeley Estate Asset Management, British Land, Capital Arches Group, FM Conway, Derwent London, GPE, Veolia, The Other House, Total Media, the Portman Foundation and John Lyon’s Charity, St Giles & St George and Westminster Almshouses.
The Brighter Futures Fund is designed to respond to the needs of young people in Westminster as identified in our report Our City, Our Future 2023. It also aims to encourage providers to work with Youth and Family Hubs across the borough and to sign up to Westminster City Council’s Early Help Strategy 2022 – 2025.
The investment in youth services sits at the heart of Westminster City Council’s ambition to create a Fairer Westminster and contributes to the growing community of like-minded stakeholders investing in young people in Westminster.
Sarah Newman, Executive Director of Children’s Services in Westminster and RBKC, said: “I am pleased that Westminster City Council have once again supported the Brighter Futures Fund. Empowering children and young people to reach their full potential is vital. The Brighter Futures funding provides the resources needed to create opportunities for enjoyment, growth, learning, and development. By supporting this vital sector, we are not only improving outcomes for young people, but also strengthening communities in Westminster.”
The YWF Members who have been awarded funding for the coming year are:
- Adventure Play Hub
Play provision for children and young people with SEND - AllChild
Supporting children at Westminster Academy through an early-intervention programme - Ardhmeria
Mentoring for children and young people from the Albanian Community - Al Ola Arabic School & Sudanese Supplementary School
Cultural Identity exploration for young people through dance, music and visual art. - Bloomsbury Football Foundation
Football sessions for young Refugee and Asylum Seeker girls - Brent Centre for Young People
Therapeutic support for neurodiverse adolescents aged 5-21 - Caxton Youth Organisation
‘Youth Government Social Action Programme Stage 2’, amplifying disabled and autistic youth voices in Westminster - Central London Youth Development Trust
Bollywood dance classes at Gateway Academy and Christ Church Primary School - Climate Ed
Climate education workshops in Westminster primary schools for children aged 9-11 - Creative Futures UK
Music-based sessions for families with children aged 0-5 - Dream Arts
DreamArts EXPERIMENT: series of weekly creative sessions for young people aged 6-19 - Grand Junction
Young people’s engagement coordinator to increase outreach and SEND support - Greenhouse Sports
Building Futures: Empowering young people through sports
Happy Lizzy Event Planning
‘Chill Vibes Social Club’, providing a safe space for young adults to socialise and learn new skills - London Basketball Association
Community basketball sessions and wraparound support for young people - Marylebone Bangladesh Society
Educational and recreational youth club activities for Juniors - Nxt Gen
The Nxt Generation Intense Mentoring and Business Programme - The Nucleo Project
Music for social action - Pan Intercultural Arts
‘Weapon of Choice’ – in school enrichment workshops at Ormiston Beachcroft Alternative Provision Academy - Peer Power
Peer-led social action on anti-racism - Pimlico Musical Foundation
Children’s Choirs for the Spring and Summer Terms - Pimlico Toy Library
Learning and Play opportunities for families with children aged 0-4 - Platform Cricket
Cricket Hubs for children and young people in Maida Vale, Paddington & Little Venice
Pro Touch SA
Multi-Sports sessions exclusively for girls aged 7-15 - Queens Park Bangladesh Association
‘Khusy Project’, delivering free sport activities to improve the health and physical wellbeing of children and young people - Sport4Health
Badminton Sports Club and tailored employability and mentoring support for young people aged 17-23 - St Andrew’s Youth Club
Contribution towards Tuesday Night Activities, including Girls Group, Physical Activities Programme, Food Support, Social Hub, Youth Development Programme, Mental Health Support and supporting SEND needs
St. Vincent’s Family Project
Regular play based sessions for children aged 0-5 to support their readiness for school - The Avenues Youth Project
Contribution towards “Sporty Saturday”, a four hour sports provision for 8-18 year olds - The Floating Classroom
‘Canal Story Explorers’ creative storytelling sessions and community trips on the barge for local families - St Mary’s Ukrainian School
Wellbeing and Empowerment workshops for Ukrainian young people - Westbourne Park Family Centre
Autism friendly “Manga” youth club for juniors
Click here to find out more about the impact of Brighter Futures funding.
If your organisation would like to support the Westminster Brighter Futures Fund please contact zahid@youngwestminster.com
