This funding programme has been designed by six young people from across the South East of England who have experience in services: they are Blagrave’s regional advisers. They believe that young people should have an equal say in decision-making that affects them and see this as a priority in funding too. The funded partners in this programme will have a chance to work collaboratively with the other funded organisations and the advisers, sharing ideas and approaches.

The aim of the fund is to allow organisations to share knowledge and support each other to develop the reach of their work with those who are facing the greatest social barriers.

What are the funder’s priorities?

• They want to fund charities providing excellent services, that work to create an inclusive community for young people based on trusting relationships built on care and compassion, to reach young people facing the greatest barriers.
• They particularly want to reach organisations that are responding to the cost of living crisis for young people, associated housing problems, and the poor mental health related to their circumstances that will result.

They will be prioritising applications based on:

• Which young people are the focus of the application
• The accessibility and the potential accessibility of the organisation’s services
• How meaningful young people’s involvement is within your organisation

Who is eligible to apply?

Charities and non-profit organisations in Berkshire, Hampshire, Kent, Sussex, and Wiltshire support young adults and young people aged 16-25 facing significant barriers due to injustice.

Who are:

• providing vital services to young people, responding to the current crisis
• reviewing their accessibility and working to broaden their service users
• representative of the target group
• actively approaching learning about the impact of their service
• ensuring that the target group has meaningful involvement in how the service is run and has an influence on decisions that affect them.

They are particularly looking to fund organisations that:

• Are serving young people facing the greatest barriers to accessing services,
• Are centered around creating long-term, trusting relationships with young people where they feel part of a community,
• Are striving to reach more young people beyond those currently served,
• Can demonstrate young people are involved in a meaningful way in decision-making in their organisation.

How much can you apply for?

Grants are available between £10,000 and £40,000 per organisation for one year.

How to apply?

The deadline and timeline:

• The deadline for applications is Monday 31 October 2022
• Shortlisting decisions by early December 2022
• Interviews during January 2023
• Final decisions by the end of January 2023
• Initial cohort meeting online end of February 2023
• Learning visit from April–June 2023
• End of cohort meeting during December 2023
• End of project report during January 2024

Further information and support:

• Link to fund for more information: Regional Advisers’ Fund
• If you need support with your application, please contact our Head of Grants via email at tessa.hibbert@blagravetrust.org.
• If you would like further support from RVA with submitting a funding application or any support with governance required for your group to get ready for this funding, please email advice@rva.org.uk or telephone 0118 937 2273 for free and independent support and advice.