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

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

Groups can apply to receive funding from this pot for initiatives which will directly impact the lives of young people in BCP, providing them with exciting opportunities and new experiences.

About the fund

Any organisation that works with, or provides services for, young people in the BCP area can apply.

The type of groups that can apply could include youth clubs, schools, social groups or companies that specialise in services for young people.

By applying for funding, groups are assisting 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.

Apply now for the BCP Youth Fund 2023

The application window is currently open for 2023, and closes on 21 July 2023. You can download the BCP Youth Fund application form to apply, and check our BCP Youth Fund information pack for more detailed information.

Key information we’re asking for includes:

• The aims and activities of your organisation
• A summary of the project you wish to receive funding for
• What the impact of the project will be
• The amount of money you wish to apply for.

We also require a one-minute video telling us more. This doesn’t need to be anything flashy – just young people talking to the camera, telling us why they think the idea deserves funding.

You can upload your video as an unlisted link to YouTube and share with us on the application form. Alternatively, you can use WeTransfer to send it to rebecca.mcdade@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.

How we decide who gets the money

We assess projects equally against the following criteria:

• Youth Led
• Realistic
• Meet at least one campaign
• Impact.

Six projects were funded in 2022:

• Bournemouth Cubs, Wheelchair Rugby £3,700
• Go outside, go play, Alderney West Youth Club £800
• My Space, Immanuel Church £1,500
• Powerhouse Youth Project £5,000
• TRANSitioning into adulthood, SPACE Youth Project £7,500
• Young People’s Community radio workshops, AFRO-Disiac £6,500.

See which projects were funded in previous years.

Further fund information

For the purpose of this fund, a young person is defined by us as someone 7 years old, up to 19, or 25 for young people with SEND or who are care leavers.

By applying for funding, groups are assisting 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.

Organisations must be able to provide proof of legitimacy, safeguarding policies and provide information on other sources of funding.

Organisations must be owned or operated by a legal adult (a person over the age of 18).

Projects must be able to start between September 2023 and 1 March 2024.

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

BCP Council cannot accept more than one application per organisation at the same time. Preference will be given to organisations bidding for larger sums of money or for a project that will make a significant impact.

All the information shared with us will be seen by the application panel, excluding banking details and any personal contact details.

The BCP Council privacy notice gives more detail about how information is stored.

If an application is successful, we will contact groups for more details of their organisation and the project seeking funding. We will then work with organisations to transfer all, or part, of the requested funds.

If an application is not successful, we will provide feedback on that application, and will encourage groups to re-apply at a later stage if we do not allocate all the funds to other projects in the first round.