Lead the Change

  

Lead the Change is a new, three‑year initiative launched by BBC Children in Need, in partnership with Co‑op Foundation, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Henry Smith Foundation, Joseph Levy Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Postcode Justice Trust, UK Community Foundations and The National Lottery Community Fund.  The programme supports young people to build stronger relationships, feel more connected and take a leading role in shaping positive change within their communities.

Research shows that many young people feel disconnected, less heard by decision makers and increasingly cautious about expressing themselves - especially online, where exposure to harmful or misleading content can be common.  Combined with financial pressures facing families and communities, these factors can deepen isolation and weaken young people’s sense of belonging.

Lead the Change will invest in youth leadership, community connection and opportunity.  The programme will enable youth‑led projects, create safe spaces, strengthen relationships across communities and help young people build skills, including navigating online information and shaping positive narratives.

UKCF is supporting the initiative by working with Children in Need to co-ordinate the participation of 17 community foundations, who will deliver the grants to local community groups and also raise further funds.  

  

  

  

What the programme aims to achieve

  

Lead the Change aims to:

• Strengthen community connection and safety.

• Empower young people as leaders, storytellers and changemakers.

• Support young people to build digital literacy and challenge harmful narratives.

• Increase opportunity through skills and leadership pathways.

• Build a national movement for youth‑led connection and change.

  

Key details

  

• Grant amount: £123,353 per organisation

• Grant length: 3 years

• Approved project grants will support the aims and delivery of the programme and meet the criteria set out below.

• Applicants will be required to demonstrate the strength of youth leadership and voice within their organisation, relevance to target communities (young people impacted by xenophobia, racism and islamophobia) and programme aims, safeguarding and trauma-informed practice, capacity to deliver and sustain impact and a commitment to the six principles of high-quality youth social action.  We particularly welcome applications from organisations led by people most impacted by xenophobia, racism and islamophobia.

• You can apply if you are already funded by BBC Children in Need or a community foundation, but you cannot apply for the same work that is already funded (or any work already funded by another organisation).

• You can only apply for and hold one Lead the Change grant.

  

Who can apply

  

Lead the Change is open to registered not-for-profit, community-based organisations (in the 27 eligible places listed below) that:

• Have an annual turnover of no more than £2m, unless you are a domestic abuse refuge or hospice.

• Have at least three unrelated trustees/members of the governing body.

• Work with children and young people aged 18 years and under.

• Work in the heart of communities and are trusted by young people.

• Are based in or serving one of the 27 eligible places listed below.

• Put the voices, experiences and skills of children and young people at the centre of every action, from design to delivery.

• Can demonstrate strong safeguarding and trauma-informed practice.

• Are keen to keep learning about and developing work with children and young people.

Applicants will need to apply through the relevant community foundation for their local area.  When we publish the full guidance, we’ll say exactly which organisation types are eligible.  The list of community foundations and the places they cover is at the bottom of this guidance. 

  

What Lead the Change will fund

  

Lead the Change will fund work that strengthens local relationships, builds confidence and belonging, and supports young people to lead change in their communities, informed by local priorities.

This may include:

• Safe spaces for young people to meet and connect, such as youth clubs, sports, creative and cultural spaces.

• Youth‑led community action and resilience, including co‑designed projects, leadership development, intercultural initiatives to bring people together. 

• Pathways to opportunity, such as skills development, mentoring, training and connection to training or apprenticeships.

• Narrative change and digital literacy that might involve tackling misinformation and disinformation, storytelling and youth-created content.

   

What Lead the Change cannot fund

  

• Core costs (reasonable evidenced overheads are OK as part of the budget for your project application)

• Individuals

• Organisations without adequate safeguarding, governance or financial processes

• Companies limited by shares or any profit making non-charitable entity

• Local authorities, schools, NHS bodies, hospitals, prisons or other statutory agencies

• Housing Associations

• CICs limited by Shares (or any non-charitable CIC)

• Work that statutory bodies have a duty to fund

• Medical treatment or research

• Pregnancy testing or advice, information, or counselling on pregnancy choices

• Work promoting religion or political parties, or any political activity or direct lobbying

• Political Parties

• Awareness-raising work, except where targeted at children or young people most at risk

• Capital costs for large items, renovations, refurbishments or building projects (small project-related capital items are acceptable, but cannot form a significant portion of the budget)

• Bursaries, sponsored places, fees or similar costs

• Trips abroad or any activity taking place outside of the UK

• Holidays

• Retrospective costs (any work that has already taken place, or costs incurred, prior to the date of your grant offer letter)

• Unspecified expenditure

• Groups based in - or delivering work in - non-eligible areas

• General appeals, endowments or debt repayment

• Projects unable to start within three months of the grant award date

• Projects already funded through other means

• Any activity that is already being funded through another community foundation or Children In Need grant.  We cannot fund the same activity twice.  All applications should clearly demonstrate that they are either for different work, or for work with a different cohort of children and young people

       

What applicants must demonstrate

  

• Close alignment with the aims of Lead the Change.

• A track record of working within the community and the ability to show how a project will create meaningful, measurable change for local children and young people.

• The strength of youth leadership and voice within the organisation (in design and/or delivery and/or governance).

• Relevance to impacted communities (young people impacted by xenophobia, racism and islamophobia) and programme aims.

• Safeguarding and trauma-informed practice, capacity to deliver and sustain impact, and a commitment to the six principles of high-quality youth social action.

• We particularly welcome applications from organisations led by people most impacted by xenophobia, racism and islamophobia.

• Strong local connections, including lived experience, community leadership or volunteer involvement from the children, young people and families who are supported.

• Capacity to deliver safely and sustainably.

  

Application process

 

Stage one: expressions of interest (EOI)

  

The EOI phase will open on Wednesday 1st April 2026.

You will have a minimum of 3 weeks to submit your EOI to the community foundation managing your eligible place (as shown in the list below).  

The closing date will be published when applications open.  The specific closing date may vary, depending on the community foundation hosting the fund.

The EOI period is short.  You’ll be asked for basic organisational information, a brief overview of your proposed work and initial safeguarding confirmation. 

You will be contacted by Thursday 30th April if you have been shortlisted, to make a full application.

  

Stage two: full application (invitation only)

 

Invitations will be sent to successful applicants in May.

You will have at least four weeks to complete the full application and you will be told the deadline when you receive the invite.

Full applications will ask for more detail about your project, youth leadership, safeguarding, governance, finances and delivery plan.

Each participating community foundation (shown below) will award one or two grants of £123,300 - most will award one. 

Some community foundations may apply additional area criteria (for example, only specific areas within a city listed below may be eligible).  This will be made clear on the application page.

You will hear the outcome from your relevant community foundation in mid‑late August.

  

If your application is successful

  

You will receive a grant letter and funding agreement. 

Projects will be expected to start as soon as possible.

You will join a national learning community in our network and take part in shared learning and youth‑focused activities.

Your community foundation will support you with monitoring and reporting.

      

Participating community foundations and eligible places

 

Community foundation (with link)	Places covered
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation	Aldershot, Portsmouth, Southampton
Community Foundation for Northern Ireland	Belfast
Heart of England Community Foundation	Birmingham
Forever Manchester	Bolton, Manchester
Quartet Community Foundation	Bristol
Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside	Blackburn, Preston, Blackpool, Southport, Liverpool
Point North	Hartlepool, Darlington, Middlesbrough
Leeds Community Foundation	Leeds
Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation	Leicester
The London Community Foundation	London
Two Ridings Community Foundation	Hull
Forever Notts	Nottingham
Devon Community Foundation	Plymouth
Community Foundation for Staffordshire & Shropshire	Tamworth
South Yorkshire's Community Foundation	Sheffield, Rotherham
Community Foundation North East	Sunderland
Dorset Community Foundation	Weymouth