Government announces beneficiaries of £40m youth fund

The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport said the money, first announced in September 2016, will be used to create new youth clubs in rural areas, expand sports projects, and increase services providing support and guidance to young people.

Beneficiaries will include Youth Federation, a Liverpool-based charity that works to increase employability and support mental health, which will receive £749,664 to improve youth provision across Wirral, Halton and St Helens.

Meanwhile, The Kite Trust, a Cambridgeshire LGBT charity, will be awarded £193,554 to create four safe spaces for 600 young people to receive advice and support on issues such as isolation.

And SkyWay, a charity based in Hackney that delivers a wide range of activities and programmes in youth clubs, sports centres, parks and house estates, will use £407,000 in funding to improve its offer to young people by buying new equipment such as cooking utensils, arts and crafts kits and sports equipment, that will be used in support sessions.

The work of all 86 organisations, the full list of which can be accessed by clicking here, will be evaluated by New Philanthropy Capital and The Centre for Youth Impact.

Minister for civil society Tracey Crouch, said: "This investment from the government and National Lottery players will have a transformational effect on the lives of some of our most disadvantaged young people.

"It will help thousands who might otherwise have gone under the radar flourish. Local voluntary and community youth organisations already do so much fantastic work and this £40m will enrich the lives of many more young people throughout England.

The Youth Investment Fund is jointly funded by the government and the Big Lottery Fund, each providing £20m.

Dawn Austwick, chief executive of the Big Lottery Fund said: "The Youth Investment Fund is a welcome boost for the many great community organisations that work with young people locally. Money raised by National Lottery players creates opportunities for young people to build on their talents and strengths and the Youth Investment Fund is an important part of the jigsaw for the youth sector."