BBC Children in Need announces the opening of the We Move Fund: Youth Social Action to empower Black children and young people to achieve their full potential, in partnership with BBC Radio 1Xtra.

Monday 4 April 2022 – BBC Children in Need has announced the opening of a new £1 million programme – the We Move Fund: Youth Social Action – to empower Black children and young people, through youth social action, working in partnership with BBC Radio 1Xtra.

As announced in 2020, BBC Children in Need has committed £10 million in funding over 10 years to create and invest in opportunities for Black children and young people. Following a period of consultation and development with Black led organisations and young people, The We Move Fund: Youth Social Action is the first funding stream of that 10 year programme.

Youth social action describes the activities that children and young people do to make a positive difference and drive change in their communities and for the world around them. Through youth social action, children and young people use their voice and lived experience to tackle subjects that matter to them.

The We Move Fund: Youth Social Action is also part of BBC Children in Need’s £4m Sharing Power (Youth Social Action) Programme and is one of two youth social action funds that are open this year to local charities and projects supporting children and young people throughout the UK.

The charity’s Sharing Power (Youth Social Action) Programme has been made possible with thanks to £1,290,300 from the #iwill Fund (a £54 million joint investment between The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, £490,000 from The Hunter Foundation and £2,239,000 from BBC Children in Need.

As announced on Richie Brave’s BBC Radio 1Xtra show – 1Xtra Talks – last night (Sunday 3 April 2022), the We Move Fund: Youth Social Action will help to build Black children and young people’s skills and will empower them to take an active and leading role in developing solutions to issues which affect their lives and their communities. Youth social action involves activities such as influencing, fundraising and volunteering, all of which enable young people to make a positive difference in their communities as well as develop their own skills and knowledge.

The fund is open to not-for-profit organisations who currently work with Black children and young people aged 18 and under in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Grants of up to £50,000 will be awarded for up to 18 months, with an initial development phase of up to six months so that projects can design and develop their work with the help of the children and young people that they are working with.

Black-led infrastructure plus organisation, the Ubele Initiative, will act as a community partner for the fund, and will support BBC Children in Need and BBC Radio 1Xtra to communicate the fund to organisations which would benefit from the programme and provide bespoke support to successful applicants.

BBC Radio 1Xtra will be supporting the programme throughout, working in partnership with BBC Children in Need to develop opportunities to tell the stories of the communities and individuals involved, across the network.

BBC Children in Need currently supports charities and projects in 95% of local authorities by providing funding to projects in communities across the UK, helping children and young people from a wide range of backgrounds, including a number of projects which focus on addressing the specific challenges faced by young Black people. This fund represents a significant further commitment from the charity to tackle these issues, remove barriers and create opportunities.

Simon Antrobus, Chief Executive of BBC Children in Need, said: “As a charity, we want to ensure that all children and young people are supported to thrive and be the best they can be, and that’s why this fund is so important. Young Black people’s voices sit at the heart of this fund, and have shaped and developed it to ensure it will go on to empower other young Black people to use their voices to drive change and support them to tackle the issues and subjects that both affect them, and most importantly, matter to them. I cannot wait to see the legacy this fund leaves.”

Faron McKenzie, Head of Station, BBC Radio 1Xtra said: “BBC Radio 1Xtra is committed to giving a voice to Black children and young people across the nation and telling the stories of those striving to make a difference in their local communities. We are fully behind this new fund that aims to protect Black joy and imagination and believe that this collaboration will deliver a positive force for change within our society.”

Organisations interested in applying to the We Move Fund: Youth Social Action have until 10 June 2022 to register their interest, with an application deadline of 20 June 2022 to complete applications. Further details about the fund, including how to apply, can be found at bbcchildreninneed.co.uk.

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PRESS CONTACT

For more information please contact: Henni Cardy, BBC Children in Need: 07711 348725 / [email protected]

NOTES TO EDITORS

The We Move Fund: Youth Social Action is the first stream of 10-year funding programme We Move and one of two programmes launched by BBC Children in Need in 2022 focused on sharing power with children and young people. The Youth Social Action Fund was launched in March and will help to build children and young people’s confidence and skills, empowering them to take an active and leading role in developing solutions to issues which affect their lives and their communities.

About BBC Children in Need

At BBC Children in Need, we believe that that every child and young person deserves the opportunity to thrive and be the best they can be.

We act where the need is greatest. Our ambition is to create positive and lasting change across the UK for the children and young people who need us most.

Together with the BBC and our partners, we aim to inspire the nation and unite communities to support us in our work.

Our grants currently support children in 95% of local authorities by providing funding to projects in communities across the UK that are helping children and young people living with a range of challenges such as living in poverty, being disabled or ill, or experiencing distress, neglect or trauma.

bbcchildreninneed.co.uk

About The Ubele Initiative

The Ubele Initiative was founded in 2014, following dialogue with African diaspora leaders. Community-rooted and collaborative in character, Ubele focused on effective solutions to persistent social and economic issues. Ubele is taken from Swahili meaning “The Future”.

As an African diaspora led, infrastructure plus organisation, Ubele believes in empowering Black and Minoritised communities in the UK to act as catalysts for social and economic change. To achieve this, they work with community leaders, groups, and organisations in the UK and beyond to strengthen their sustainability, resilience, and voice. Ubele supports the growth of individuals and community-based groups and organisations through intergenerational leadership initiatives, capacity support, enterprise, and asset development.

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About the #iwill Fund

• The #iwill Fund is made possible thanks to £54 million joint investment from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to support young people to access high quality social action opportunities.
• The #iwill Fund brings together a group of organisations who all contribute funding to embed meaningful social action into the lives of young people.
• The #iwill Fund supports the aims of the #iwill campaign – to make involvement in social action a part of life for young people, by recognising the benefit for both young people and their communities.
• By bringing together funders from across different sectors and by making sure that young people have a say in where the funding goes – the #iwill Fund is taking a collaborative approach.

About the #iwill movement

• The #iwill movement is a collaboration of over 1000 organisations and 300 young #iwill Ambassadors from across the UK. They are united by a shared belief that all children and young people should be supported and empowered to make a positive difference on the issues that affect their lives, their communities, and broader society.
• #iwill was launched in November 2013 after an independent review into how different sectors could help more young people to make a positive difference.
• The #iwill movement is supported by an independent coordination hub, hosted by Volunteering Matters & UK Youth.
• Take the lead by signing up to the Power of Youth Charter at www.iwill.org.uk or follow us @iwill_campaign on twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

The National Lottery Community Fund

• We are the largest funder of community activity in the UK – we support people and communities to prosper and thrive.
• We’re proud to award money raised by National Lottery players to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and to work closely with Government to distribute vital grants and funding from key Government programmes and initiatives.
• Our funding has a positive impact and makes a difference to people’s lives. We support projects focused on things that matter, including economic prosperity, employment, young people, mental health, loneliness and helping the UK reach NET Zero by 2050.
• Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, our funding is open to everyone. We’re privileged to be able to work with the smallest of local groups right up to UK-wide charities, enabling people and communities to bring their ambitions to life.
• National Lottery players raise over £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK. Since The National Lottery began in 1994, £43 billion has been raised for good causes. National Lottery funding has been used to support over 635,000 projects – 255 projects per postcode area.
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Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

• General enquiries
  • Email: [email protected]
  • 020 7211 6000
• Press Office
  • Media enquiries (journalists only) 020 7211 2210
  • Out of hours telephone pager 07699 751 153.

About The Hunter Foundation 

The Hunter Foundation (THF) is a proactive venture philanthropy that seeks to invest in determining model solutions, in partnership with others, to troubling systemic issues relating to poverty reduction and educational enablement.

However it is our strong belief that those geographical factors can be overcome to afford every child an equal opportunity to succeed regardless of location; Kigali, Rwanda or Kilmarnock, Scotland.

For more information: www.thehunterfoundation.co.uk