The BCP Youth Fund is a fund for young people managed by a panel of young people.

A pot of £25,000 is available to local charities, business, statutory services and voluntary organisations.

Groups can apply for funding to support initiatives that directly impact young people in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, offering them exciting opportunities and new experiences.

About the fund

Any organisation that works with young people in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole can apply.

This includes youth clubs, schools, social groups, and companies specialising in services for young people.

By applying for funding, you can:

• impact the lives of young people and provide them with opportunities
• provide young people with new experiences
• assist the youth-led BCP Youth Forum in achieving its core aim of giving young people the chance to have access to skills, resources, and opportunities and to give back to the population
• change the lives of many young people – something which we are proud to support you with

Check if you can apply

To be eligible, your organisation must:

• work with or provide services for young people in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole aged from 7 years old up to
  • 19 years old
  • 25 years old for young people with SEND or who are care experienced
• able to provide proof of legitimacy, safeguarding policies and provide information on other sources of funding
• be owned or operated by a legal adult (a person over the age of 18)

Your project must be able to start before 31 March 2026.

How to apply 

To apply for the fund you must complete our application form, as well as:

• ensure you do not go over the word limit 
• make a one minute video telling us more - it doesn’t need to be anything flashy, just young people you work with talking to the camera telling us why they think it’s a good idea

You will also need to provide:

• your organisation details
• a summary of the project you wish to receive funding for
• the primary beneficiaries and their ages
• what the impact of the project will be
• details of other funding
• details of funds raised so far (if any)
• the amount of money you wish to apply for.

There is a maximum grant size of £10,000, currency transfer is not an option.

You must outline one project per each application. However, you can apply for up to 4 different projects. The total amount we will give to you is £10,000.

You must send the application form and video to us by email at participation@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.

After you apply

The Youth Panel will meet shortly after the deadline and shortlist applications that meet the criteria outlined. Those who are shortlisted will be invited to an interview with the Youth Panel in early August. Interview dates are planned for 30 and 31 July 2025.

If you are successful

If your application is successful, we will contact you for more details of your organisation and the project you would like funding for. We will then work with your organisation to transfer all, or part, of the requested funds.

We will also ask you to:

• share your project successes at an event in March 2026
• host members of the Youth Fund for a visit at some point during the project

If you are not successful

If your application is not successful, we will contact you and let you know. We will also provide feedback on your application.

You can reapply at a later stage if we do not allocate all the funds to other projects in the first round.

How will we decide who gets the money

We will assess projects equally against the following criteria:

• youth led
• realistic
• inclusivity
• impact
• value for money

It will also need to meet at least one of our local Youth Voice campaigns

• • addressing crime and safety
  • improving health and wellbeing
  • increasing youth voice
  • supporting environmental issues

How to get in touch

If you have any questions about the fund or your application you can contact us by email at participation@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.