A new community fund is today reaching out to organisations who can help vulnerable children at risk of youth violence. The fund has the value of £6.5million.

Social distancing and stay-at-home measures have seen access to schools restricted and the provision of youth services dramatically reduced. The result is that some of our most vulnerable children have both lost the support they relied on and become increasingly invisible. 

Many organisations who are passionate about young people are working hard to find creative ways to address this at a time when their own financial security hangs in the balance.

Whilst some continue with their face-to-face work, an increasing number of organisations are adapting services using digital and virtual activities to deliver their support. 

With little evidence existing on the effectiveness of digital and virtual support activities in reaching vulnerable children and preventing youth crime, we urgently need to learn more about the best ways to reach and support vulnerable young people. 

The dual aims of this grant round are to help reach and support vulnerable children at risk of youth violence, and to learn the best ways to provide support under the current social distancing and stay-at-home guidelines. 

The first grant round will focus on funding and evaluating two key areas of work Digital/virtual delivery of programmess and Face-to-face activity that can be delivered whilst adhering to social distancing/stay at home guidelines, specifically activity delivered within schools, including activities to help vulnerable young people return to school.

To find out more information about the programme and for an application form please visit www.youthendowmentfund.org.uk