Youth – £3,330,500 in 281 grants

The largest grant, £200,000, is once again to Fairbridge, maintaining a longstanding relationship with this national organisation helping young people at risk. On this occasion, the Trustees have responded to a special plea for help with their work in Scotland, which has become victim to changes in statutory funding. These previously secure funding streams have become restricted to local areas and city wide projects such as those provided by Fairbridge have suffered as a result. New contracts are being negotiated for the future but the Trustees are providing short term emergency funding to ensure existing projects are not jeopardised. Two other charities working with young people at risk, Weston Spirit and Kids’ Company, each receive a grant of £100,000.

£120,000 is donated to Worldwide Volunteering for Young People to help develop its work in schools and involve more young people in charitable activities. £100,000 goes to Bristol Children’s Help Society towards renovating and extending Barton Camp Children’s Centre.

Grants of £100,000 are also provided to YouthNet UK for upgrading its technology to meet the increasing demand, CVQO (Project Step Forward) for its vocational training programme, the Greater London Middlesex West County Scout Council for its Chalfont Heights facility, Liverpool YMCA for relocating to new premises, the Brathay Hall Trust towards its major redevelopment campaign and UK Youth for streamlining its infrastructure.

As always in this category, the majority of grants are for £10,000 and less. These are largely for youth projects, playgroups, holiday schemes, motivational activities and sports programmes. A number of Scout, Girlguiding and Cadet groups are funded, along with Boys’ Brigades and Clubs for Young People. Two jazz bands in Middlesbrough, the Reds Juvenile and the Thorntree Goldenaires, each receive grants of £500, demonstrating the willingness of the Trustees to consider even the most modest of requests.