14 March 2022
On 28th February UK Youth, a leading national charity, launched the UK Youth Fund – Thriving Minds, a transformational new funding initiative in direct response to the growing mental health crisis among young people.
The fund was made possible by a £10 million investment by Julia and Hans Rausing and signals to the pivotal role local youth organisations play in supporting young people’s mental health. Following this announcement and the opening of applications to youth organisations, the Westminster Foundation, an independent charity representing the Duke of Westminster and Grosvenor businesses, have boosted the fund with an additional £1 million grant.
In addition to increasing the number of grants to youth organisations based in rural communities, this investment will enable UK Youth to offer its package of support to each grantee that goes beyond funding. This includes specialist mental health training and capacity and skills building for youth workers that will equip them to tackle the increasingly complex mental health needs of young people.
This investment could not have come at a more critical time. Youth organisations in rural communities have been disproportionately impacted by over a decade of cuts in public spending coupled with the ongoing economic impact of the pandemic. A 2021 report found that the average net expenditure per head on youth services in rural areas has decreased from £108 to just £47, dropping to just £16 for open access youth work and out of school activities (NYA 2021).
“We are thrilled that the Westminster Foundation have made this commitment to the youth sector. This support will provide sustained multi-year funding to even more youth organisations, helping pay for a youth worker’s salary, setting up a new service of support or enhancing access to these essential services. Coupled with funding, our grants model will ensure each grantee is equipped to tackle the specific needs of young people in their communities. Support that will truly make a life-changing difference to young people.”
Said Ndidi Okezie, CEO of UK Youth.
The Duke of Westminster, Chair of the Westminster Foundation, said:
“We’re delighted to support the UK Youth Fund – Thriving Minds, and their much-needed work with local youth organisations. Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on young people across the country, but the decrease in public spending on youth work and out-of-school activities has particularly impacted rural communities, where too many young people suffer the silent pain of loneliness and isolation, without knowing how or where to seek help. This Fund will provide crucial early intervention support to help reach and upskill rural youth hubs struggling to deal with a post-pandemic mental health crisis and the Westminster Foundation is thrilled to be a part of it.”
UK Youth anticipates there will be more than £30 million in funding requests by the time applications close on 20th March. Therefore, the charity is calling for additional investors and funders to join Julia and Hans Rausing and the Westminster Foundation to enable them to distribute even more funding to deserving youth organisations.
The UK Youth Fund – Thriving Minds forms part of the charity’s commitment to channel at least £30 million into youth work by 2025; leveraging its unique network, experience and expertise to deliver flexible funding and a package of ‘wrap-around support’ that will deliver sustained impact for young people.
About the fund
The UK Youth Fund – Thriving Minds launched on 28th February 2022 and will close at midnight on Sunday 20th March. It is open to youth organisations in the UK, with a turnover of up to £500,000.
For full eligibility criteria and guidance on how to apply, click here.
If you’d like to learn more about how you can get involved in The UK Youth Fund – Thriving Minds as a funder, collaborator, or investor, helping to deepen the reach and impact of this crucial work, please get in touch via partnerships@ukyouth.org.
The Westminster Foundation
The Westminster Foundation is an independent organisation representing the charitable activity of The Duke of Westminster and Grosvenor businesses, that provides long term sustainable help and direction to vulnerable young people. Led by The Duke of Westminster, it is passionately committed to giving young people the attention, care and direction that we should all be able to take for granted. It believes that early positive intervention is critical to set the direction of a healthy, secure and fulfilling life.
The Foundation’s funding is focused on creating opportunities for young people (0-25) and their families to have the resilience, skills and capacity to lead happy and healthy lives. Through creating these opportunities, it aims to tackle the causes and impact of inter-generational inequality.