What can the fund be used for?

Start up grant of £500

Our learning from the ReachOut programme has told us that in communities, where resources do not allow for it, we need to offer the opportunity to offer an unrestricted project feasibility/inception/start-up small grant fund for young people to ‘test’ out locally identified needs (usually to a maximum of £500). The initial small grant would enable young people and organisations to explore an idea and engage the people the project would seek to serve to identify/clarify need, capacity, development opportunities (upskilling of volunteers, etc, and consider any potential gaps) running events/programmes to bring young people together to share experiences, promote community cohesion and (re)connect them with a sense of belonging to their ‘place’.

Follow up grant of £4500

Following this ‘inception/start-up phase’, the idea(s) of young people can then be scaled up with support from the youth support worker or equivalent to apply for an additional £4,500. This would be potentially funded through the main programme of grants as part of this project, but young people and/or youth workers are also encouraged to attract additional resources from other sources (core funding, funding bids, etc.), to ‘add value’ to and sustain the work in communities. This process will include setting the conditions to demonstrate that the work is/has been meaningful to the intended (and wider) target audience against identified need. For example, we would anticipate applicants potentially working with local authority youth services to advocate for young people to be able to apply to the mental health and wellbeing grant from Welsh Government.

We aim to be as flexible and responsive to young people’s changing needs and will work closely with them to ensure that the funding is being used to best effect. We understand that purchasing equipment can help sustain projects into the future. Usually, no more than 15% of the grant awarded should be spent on capital items, but successful
applicants can potentially spend more with agreement from Youth Cymru.
We especially want to hear from individuals and groups of young people with their vision for how they want their community to look in the future. We are especially looking for projects that promote at least one of the following:

Prosperous communities with access to opportunity

Supporting young people with specific needs around accommodation, employment, training and education. Supporting young people through challenging times to ensure that they are engaged in meaningful opportunities to thrive in communities.

Safe communities

Provide spaces that give young people somewhere to go, and something to do where they can access trusted adults to act as a ‘soundboard’ for young people. A range of information and guidance services may be available to young people and specific interventions to support vulnerable young people in communities.

Diverse, equitable and inclusive communities

Young people understand communities and celebrate diversity and create spaces and places that are accessible and inclusive to all.

Healthy communities

With a focus on good mental health and well-being, young people have access to community activities, services and informal education to promote physical and mental health.

Sustainable communities

Young people are aware of, and take action towards, sustaining the natural environment and green spaces in their communities and beyond.

Empowered communities

Projects that promote and provide opportunities for young people’s voices to be heard and acted upon. Young people are leaders in driving change in communities.
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