Grants

Our Youth Social Action Programme and Sharing Power with Children and Young People

Introduction

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At BBC Children in Need, we believe in the transformative power of youth-led initiatives. Our Youth Social Action Programme is dedicated to empowering young people to take the lead in their communities and fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility.

The Youth Social Action Programme is an £8 million pound collaboration among BBC Children in Need, the #iWill Fund, a partnership between The National Lottery Community Fund and The Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport, and The Hunter Foundation. The programme funded 130 brilliant organisations which focused on embedding youth social action across the UK.

We have, additionally, awarded grants to a range of organisations to deliver youth social action, including: Trussell Trust, Young Manchester, National Youth Agency, Volunteering Matters and UK Youth (that form the #iWill Hub), and Ormiston Trust.

A diagram showing how the different parts of the Youth Social Action Programme connect together

From 2020 – 2025, BBC Children in Need set out to share power with young people, ensuring that their voices were not only heard but were instrumental in shaping the projects that affect their lives. This approach not only built confidence and leadership skills in 130+ grantee organisations and young people, but also created more impactful and sustainable outcomes.

As the projects we funded through the YSA Programme come to an end, we acknowledge the significant journey BBC Children in Need has been on and the learnings we have taken from this work – and commit to supporting young people as they develop and deliver their social action ideas. We will continue to provide the resources and guidance necessary for young people and organisations to drive change on issues that matter most to them. By placing young people at the heart of decision-making, we are fostering a generation of proactive, engaged citizens who are ready to make a difference.

At a glance – youth social action in numbers

A map indicating 9- Scotland, 39 England, 8- Wales and 9- norhern ireland

Infographic to be added

BBC Children in Need’s YSA Fund supported 65 projects across the UK. Of the 65, 39 were based in England, 9 in Scotland, 9 in Northern Ireland and 8 in Wales.

A map indicating 322- Scotland, 4038 England, 749- Wales, 851- Northern Ireland

4,038 children and young people took part in a BBC Children in Need funded youth social action project in England, 851 in Northern Ireland, 322 in Scotland, and 749 in Wales.

The majority (94%) of them were under 18, and just over a quarter (26%) of children and young people took up leadership responsibilities while attending the funded projects – showing the importance of sharing power in these projects. Read more about the positive impact of leading social change on young people below.

A closer look at individual Youth Social Action Projects

What makes youth social action truly youth-centred? Watch the introductory films where young people describe what youth social action is, and how their project ensures truly inclusive youth leadership.

What does sharing power with young people look like?

Through the YSA Fund, organisations and young people worked together to address a social issue close to the young people’s heart. With adult facilitation, young people co-designed and co-led programme activities, peer support, and community engagement. The organisation and young people involved believed that youth social action was for everyone, and inclusivity was at the heart of their projects. While making their activities as accessible and inclusive as possible, they have developed an inclusive leadership model, which allows young people from a range of backgrounds and needs to lead a social change.

Download the model

How did the experience of sharing power with adults change young people?

BBC Children in Need commissioned learning partners Renaisi-TSIP and ClearView Research, who, in collaboration with young people, led the evaluation and learning of the YSA Fund. Through this, we have learned that leading social change projects has had profound impacts on the lives of young people. Below are quotes from young people and trusted adults that demonstrate these positive outcomes.

I think some that started quite shy initially extremely shy, really benefited and [became] confident because it’s such a nurturing group

Confidence- Grantee staff member

We're like a gang, not like a bad gang, just friends. And we'll just like if there's a new person will always speak to them if we can

Positive Relationship- YSA participant

That they actually listen to you. And and when you're talking, they don't interrupt you and say, we're gonna move on to something else

Sense of agency- YSA participant

I learnt the ability to communicate with others without being judged. Even if I am judged, at least I have said it

Transferable skills- YSA participant

Are you ready to share power with young people?

In consultation with grantee organisations and young people, we thought very hard about what makes youth social action truly inclusive. This resulted in the creation of the Inclusive Leadership Model and a short quiz, to be used by an organisation and young people alike.

Try the quiz

Impact on the community

Alongside funding, BBC Children in Need commissioned an ethnographic videographer to visit 4 youth social action projects, ranging from a community vegetable patch to a disability inclusive creative arts group. Ethnography is a method of capturing the real-life experiences, voices, and cultures of children and young people by observing and documenting their involvement in social action, helping us understand the impact of their work from their own perspectives. Here, you see the grownups and young people talk about the differences they made in their communities.

Best practice guide

Youth Leadership Programme

BBC Children in Need has now committed to the inclusion of children and young people’s voices in a variety of ways. Falling under our Youth Social Action Programme, in early 2025, in collaboration with Hudl Youth Development Agency, 14 Young Leaders (aged 14-17) were recruited from across the YSA Fund and We Move FWD grantee organisations to co-create a Youth Leadership Programme that is based on the skills and knowledge they want to achieve as a part of the programme and to enable them to even more meaningfully engage in and lead on the issues that most impact them and their communities. We additionally look to our Young Leaders to challenge us, as an organisation to continue to meaningful embed youth voice and participation in everything we do. We look forward to sharing this journey and learning with the wider sector.