BBC Children in Need and Youth Futures Foundation are partnering to deliver Inspiring Futures, a £6 million programme to fund positive activities which support children and young people to achieve their potential on their journey towards employment.
The COVID-19 pandemic is heightening existing challenges for children and young people looking to access further education, training, and work.
There are concerns that the impact of lockdown and prolonged social distancing post-lockdown will have a particularly detrimental effect on those who are already struggling to gain employment, and it will also reduce the opportunity for others to learn the skills and gain experiences that would help them gain employment when they are older.
Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, there were over 760,000 young people not in education or employment in the UK. There are fears that the economic impact of the pandemic will lead to an additional 640,000 unemployed 18 to 24-year-olds this year alone.
More than one in three young people aged 18-24 are earning less than before the outbreak, around a quarter of them have been furloughed and a further 9% have lost their jobs altogether. Young people are already twice as likely to be unemployed than older adults in the labour market and some young people from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds have higher rates of unemployment than their White counterparts. Meanwhile, disadvantaged children and young people with fewer opportunities are disproportionately likely to be out of work or education.
BBC Children in Need are proud to partner with Youth Futures Foundation for this £6 million programme, aligning their work to improve employment prospects of children and young people who face discrimination or disadvantage to achieve a shared ambition to transform young lives by unlocking their potential and addressing the root causes of youth unemployment.
Eligible organisations will be able to apply for between £10,000 and £80,000 for work commencing in October 2020.
Funding will be for project and organisational costs, including planning and development for the future, and will support:
- Between 12 and 18 months of delivery
- Working with children and young people aged: 10 to 24 in England and 10 to 18 In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Who can apply?
The Inspiring Futures programme is for not-for-profit organisations within the UK.
Your organisation must be registered with the appropriate regulatory body, such as your nation’s Charity Commission or Companies House (unless your organisation currently holds a BBC Children in Need grant).
For more information and to apply click here or contact 0345 609 0015 or email: [email protected]
Deadline: 31 July 2020, 11:30