Small Grants Programme
About the project
Challenge
Ending the global education crisis means helping children all over the world get better access to learning and support services. ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï helps to fund initiatives that share our vision of improving access to education and development for every young person.
Approach
ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï’s Small Grants Programme gives grants of up to £10,000 to registered charities and non-profits helping disadvantaged and overlooked young people in the UK and around the world.
A shared vision
Local community and voluntary organisations are crucial to broadening access to education and improving health outcomes for young people. They tend to come into being because of a passion for helping advance opportunities for children. However, they can often lack the resources or profile to secure the funding they need to deliver on their vision. ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï’s Small Grants Programme was set up in 2004 with the purpose of helping organisations all over the world carry out their work to support and empower youth. The programme focuses on issuing grants to groups that aim to improve community health and education, particularly in relation to children and caregivers. Small grants typically range from £1,000 to £10,000, and usually take less time to both apply for and be awarded than more substantial grants. They can be a way for community organisations to pilot new work or get a project off the ground. ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï is proud to have been able to provide funding for dozens of programmes, projects and initiatives in the UK and around the world that share our vision of a world where every child has the best start in life, a safe place to learn and skills for the future.
We couldn’t do our work without the help of ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï. With their funding we’ve created and distributed booklets across the UK - from hospices to schools - to help young people with their grief.Sibling Support, an organisation that helps young people cope with the loss of a brother or sister
Making a big difference
From mentoring programmes to sports provision, children’s cancer care to school-based projects, our small grants can make a little go a long way for children in vulnerable circumstances. In the UK, ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï’s small grants have helped literacy programmes in areas where English is often not young people’s first language, and healthy breakfast initiatives for homeless children. Our commitment to improving opportunities for girls is reflected in grants to organisations delivering inclusive education in countries including Greece, Zambia and Uganda. Children living on the street in Pakistan and unaccompanied minors in Greece have benefited, as have under-resourced schools and early years programmes in South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Kenya. We’ve also delivered grants to numerous programmes whose aim is to help young people with emotional difficulties, including children who have lost siblings and young women who lack positive role models. ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï’s Small Grants Programme means we can help local organisations making a big difference to the lives of young people. The breadth of the programme’s reach reflects our goal to end the global learning crisis and help provide the quality education every child deserves.
Some of our recent grantees
ACT India Foundation Trust
Launching 10 smart e-learning centres to bring digital literacy, life skills and menstrual health training to young people in rural India. The grant is helping 13 to 18-year-olds in villages across Athoor, Tamil Nadu, to build their confidence, improve their wellbeing and continue their education.Ìý
Dispositif d'Initiatives pour les Métiers de l'Artisanat (DIMA)
Guiding 70 young people – including 41 young women – in Niamey, Niger, towards sustainable livelihoods through vocational training in tailoring, leatherworking and weaving. The grant also provides literacy training to participants, improving their reading and writing skills.
AgriCycle Uganda
Training 1,500 students in Gulu, Uganda, to make eco-friendly charcoal briquettes from agricultural waste. Participants also learn agroforestry techniques, empowering them to restore degraded land, prevent further damage and generate long-term environmental and economic benefits for local communities.
Art of a Child
Improving early educational opportunities for vulnerable children in Kabarole, Uganda. The grant creates safe, supportive learning spaces for more than 1,200 three to five-year-olds. They get age-appropriate learning materials, daily meals and uniforms, while caregivers are given training to support children’s learning.
AEJT - RD Congo
Building digital skills that help girls with disabilities in Uvira, Democratic Republic of Congo, overcome prejudice and inequality. The grant provides specialist IT skills training, digital tools and mentoring from tech professionals for 250 girls, improving their education and future career opportunities.
The Juno Project
Equipping 48 vulnerable girls in the UK with strategies to manage peer pressure, cope with change and regulate emotions. The eight-week programme includes female-led group and one-to-one sessions that build self-belief and courage among Year 6 pupils preparing to move to secondary schools.
Mother and Child Care Organization (MCCO)
Strengthening early childhood education opportunities in areas of South Sudan affected by conflict. The grant enables 112 children aged under five to access high-quality developmental resources. This gives each child a strong educational foundation to benefit them and the wider community in the future.
Namayingo Forum for PLHIV
Giving children in Eastern Uganda early access to psychologists, speech therapists and special needs teachers to improve their educational outcomes. Mobile clinics visit schools and play areas to track the development and progress of 1,260 children, with professional help available for those with learning difficulties.
Sibling Support
Expanding mental health and wellbeing support for bereaved siblings in the UK. The grant enables the charity to produce more booklets, memory boxes and animated films to support those grieving the loss of a brother or sister. It also helps to increase its reach and supports additional staffing to expand its work.
Snow Home Alliance For Skills Development
Empowering young mothers living in Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains to build financial independence. The grant provides free vocational training in tailoring, garment-cutting, sewing, and hair and beauty to more than 500 mums aged 13 to 17, building lifelong practical skills and improving their livelihoods.
Sudu Salone
Creating safe, nurturing homes for orphaned and displaced children in Sierra Leone. By training 500 foster parents in low-cost bonding, trauma-informed care, and educational support, the project will give 1,000 children more emotional resilience, a better education and loving homes.
Tumaini La Maisha
Combatting period poverty by delivering menstrual hygiene products to marginalised communities in Western Kenya. The grant supports 500 girls in areas where access to sanitary products is limited, improving their health and dignity while ensuring their education isn’t disrupted.
Women Are Gold
Helping 60 adolescent girls in rural Cambodia stay in school and avoid the risks of human trafficking. The project provides free sanitary products and monthly stipends, easing financial pressure on families and enabling girls to continue their education safely.
Applications for the Small Grants Programme are now closed
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