According to the latest figures*, more than 4 million children in the UK are living in poverty.

02.09.26 – Today, BBC Children in Need, in partnership with City Bridge Foundation, The National Lottery Community Fund and Pears Foundation, has announced the first four locations set to benefit from Communities for Children – a major £15 million funding programme supporting community-led change to reduce the impact of child poverty.

Communities for Children will support ten areas across the UK with high levels of child poverty, providing long-term funding to help local communities design and deliver their own solutions.

By placing power and resources directly in the hands of communities, the programme aims to create lasting change for children and families, addressing local challenges while building the leadership, partnerships and learning needed to influence wider policy and practice.

The first four locations and organisations, each set to receive £1.5 million over five years, are:

• Wishaw, North Lanarkshire (Scotland)– Corra Foundation which works with people in their communities to encourage positive change, opportunities, fairness and growth of aspirations, which improve quality of life.
• Holyhead, Anglesey (Wales) – Medrwn Môn which supports communities and voluntary groups across Anglesey to become independent, resilient and resourceful.
• Hackney (London) – Coffee Afrik CIC which creates spaces where young people are recognised for their strengths, aspirations and leadership.
• Seacombe, Wallasey (Liverpool City Region) – Right to Succeed which works to ensure every child and young person has the opportunity to succeed, no matter where they live.

Child poverty remains one of the UK’s most urgent and entrenched social challenges. The latest figures show that more than 4 million children are growing up in poverty across the UK – over 1 in 4 children (27%).*

While addressing the complex systemic issues which cause child poverty requires action at national and regional levels, Communities for Children recognises that much can be achieved locally. This means working closely with communities to respond to their unique challenges and opportunities in order to drive sustainable change for children and young people.

Communities for Children will build strong local partnerships, support community leadership and amplify the voices of children and young people – particularly those who are too often left unheard.

Through this approach, the programme aims to challenge stigma around child poverty, empower communities to address the barriers that make it harder for families to thrive, create more connected systems of support, and share learning to benefit communities across the UK.

The programme’s Learning and Support Partners – Dartington Service Design Lab and Place Matters – will work alongside local partnerships, supporting them in their work towards the programme goals of reducing the impact of child poverty, and where possible, addressing the root causes. They will also support organisations to capture and share learning to inform ongoing local and programme development.

Backed by a £15 million investment, Communities for Children is being rolled out in phases, starting with the first four locations announced today and expanding to ten areas across the UK in 2027. This includes a significant investment from The National Lottery Community Fund, made possible by National Lottery players, alongside BBC Children in Need, City Bridge Foundation and Pears Foundation.

The programme is part of BBC Children in Need’s portfolio of funding. Whilst Communities for Children is focussed on long-term solutions to systemic issues, there are other programmes such as Emergency Essentials which respond to immediate need, supporting families and children at moments of crisis.

Ends

Notes to editors

For further information, please visit: https://www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/grants-communities-for-children-2/

*Source: DWP Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2025 March 2026

The organisations:

Wishaw, North Lanarkshire (Scotland) – Corra Foundation

Corra’s vision is for a society where people can create positive change and enjoy fulfilling lives. Its mission is to make a difference with people and communities, by encouraging positive change, opportunities, fairness and growth of aspirations, which improve quality of life.

In 2020, Corra launched a ten-year strategy built on the belief that when people find their voice, they unlock the power to make change happen.

Carolyn Sawers, Chief Executive at Corra Foundation says: “People and communities understand their own lives, challenges and aspirations better than anyone. Working alongside our partners in Wishaw will give us an opportunity to listen to those voices, amplify them and support local people to design and deliver solutions that reflect what matters most to them. We believe that this approach will make a real and lasting difference to the lives of children and families who live there.”

Holyhead, Anglesey (Wales) – Medrwn Môn

Since 2001, Medrwn Môn has supported communities and voluntary groups across Anglesey to become independent, resilient and resourceful.

Medrwn Môn has helped communities build on their strengths, identify local priorities and work with public services and partners to develop effective working relationships and create lasting change.

Lyndsey Campbell-Williams, Chief Officer from Medrwn Môn says: “Communities for Children will help us to build on our relationships in Holyhead, providing the resources and time for us to really invest in long-term solutions to the barriers experienced by our children, young people and their families.

“Through the programme we will work with our communities to identify the strengths, opportunities and assets that we have available to us and ensure that the voice of our communities is embedded in the changes needed to tackle the inequalities experienced by the people of Holyhead.”

Hackney (London) – Coffee Afrik CIC

Coffee Afrik CIC works across East London, creating spaces where young people are recognised for their strengths, aspirations and leadership.

Coffee Afrik’s work is grounded in the belief that when communities have the resources, relationships and trust to govern together, they create lasting change that extends across generations.

Abdirahim Hassan, Founder of Coffee Afrik CIC, says: “Communities for Children is important because it invests in the wisdom, leadership and collective power that already exists within communities. It recognises that the people closest to inequality are also closest to the solutions.

“This investment will help us strengthen community infrastructure, nurture the next generation of leaders, build shared stewardship between communities and institutions, and transform the structural conditions that sustain child poverty.

“Together with our partners, our ambition is to leave communities with greater agency, stronger relationships and the power to shape the systems that affect children and families for generations to come.”

Seacombe, Wallasey (Liverpool City Region) – Right to Succeed

Founded in 2015, Right to Succeed works to ensure every child and young person has the opportunity to succeed, no matter where they live.

By bringing together residents, schools, public services, voluntary organisations and local leaders, it helps communities identify local strengths and agree what needs to change for children, young people and families. It then provides practical support to give the community the confidence and freedom to lead that change.

Graeme Duncan, CEO, Right to Succeed, says: “Communities for Children will enable us to establish a new Cradle to Career programme in Seacombe, drawing on six years of learning and impact in nearby North Birkenhead.

“We look forward to building relationships in Seacombe, bringing residents, schools, services and community organisations together to co-design a shared vision for children and young people.

“By backing local ambition and learning alongside the community, we hope to break down barriers to opportunity and create lasting change.”