“The grants for the Covid catch up has been so beneficial and I cannot thank them enough – as was the money for computers and internet access at the beginning of the pandemic – stepping in quickly way before the government did. So being proactive in this way is certainly something that they should keep doing.”
Feedback from a school grantee

Education

We are a small, local, independent funder who really knows our area. We continue to be inspired by the philanthropic motivations of the charity’s historic founders and yet we have a modern approach to grant-making.

Vision and Values

Our Vision

Our vision is that all children and young people growing up in south Westminster and Covent Garden are able to fulfil their potential.

We create positive change by funding a wide range of learning and educational opportunities that enable children and young people to build their aspirations, skills and confidence – at home, with their family, at school and within their local community. Our priority is to focus on where the need is greatest. Our aim is to provide funding and support that will enable grantee organisations to better achieve their mission.

Our Values

How they will translate into positive action.

Act Flexibly – we will ensure our funding and processes are responsive by:

Ensuring our grants management processes are proportionate.
Being proactive in response to local need.
Offering a portfolio of different types of funding including unrestricted.
Facilitating feedback from grantees and applicants about our practices.

Build Trust – we will place trust at the heart of our grant-making by:

Trusting our grantees to do what’s best for their beneficiaries and communities.
Supporting organisations for the long-term to provide them with stability.
Visiting our grantees regularly to better understand their services and organisations.
Be open and transparent about our organisation and our process.

Collaborate Effectively – we foster purposeful partnerships to improve outcomes for children and young people by:

Encouraging networking and collaborations between local organisations.
Working closely with the CYP support sector, particularly Young Westminster Foundation.
Bringing Westminster funders together regularly to share information.
Actively engaging with wider grant-making sector to share impact and learning.

Develop Diversity and Inclusion – we are committed to transforming the way we fund by:

Increasing the diversity within our organisation.
Improving our understanding of the diversity of the children and young people our funding is benefitting.
Seeking to be inclusive of organisations from marginalised communities.
Exploring how children and young people can shape our work and be involved in our decision-making processes.

We recognise the climate crisis is here already, and as signatories to the Funder Commitment on Climate Change, we commit to using our grants programme to fund work that addresses the causes and impacts of climate change and to steward our assets for a post-carbon future.

Our Impact

In 2024, we awarded over £500,000 across 17 grants, reflecting a continued commitment to supporting local education and youth initiatives. While the number of grants remained consistent with 2023, the total funding increased significantly – thanks to seven larger Community Investment Grants awarded in autumn following our latest strategic review

Here’s how the funding was distributed:

Small Grants – 3 grants totalling £8,600
Project Grants – 3 grants totalling £27,023
Community Investment Grants – 8 grants totalling £429,898
Strategic Grants – 3 programmes totalling £83,135

We were proud to welcome three new grant recipients, while continuing to support many organisations we’ve partnered with in the past.

Impact Review: 2017-2024

Since launching new grants programmes (Small Grants and three-year Community Investment Grants) in Autumn 2017, we’ve seen steady growth in our support for local education and youth initiatives.

At a glance:

£2.8m funding distributed to local schools and charities in our community
112 projects funded with over £1.7m in grants
74 organisations supported
300% increase in funding compared to the previous seven-year period

Key Points

History of Grants – Our grant-making journey has evolved in response to local needs. While 2020 saw a dip in applications due to the pandemic, we quickly adapted by commissioning more targeted projects in 2021 to meet emerging challenges. The figures for 2024 reflect only part of the year and do not include grants awarded under our new strategy.

Types of Grants – We’ve supported 112 projects through an almost equal mix of the three grant types – reflecting the diverse needs of our community and the value of offering flexible funding options.

Types of Organisations – Nearly 75% of our £2.8m in funding has supported registered charities – including those working directly within schools. The remaining quarter has been awarded to schools themselves, such as through our CERP programme.

Grants by Theme – We’ve invested £1.7 million fairly evenly across the four key themes, ensuring a balanced approach to community support. Notably, over £1.1 million was directed towards commissioned projects focused on targeted initiatives to address key challenges faced by children and young people in education and learning – see below.

Strategic Commissioned Projects

Family Therapy programme – £271,748 awarded to 3 main providers to delivering weekly family therapy across up to 9 primary schools each year.

Speech and Language Therapy programme – £227,015 awarded over 7 years to support up to 13 primary schools each year with regular speech and language therapy, helping children communicate and thrive.

Addressing the Digital Divide – £60,500 awarded to 10 local schools and 3 charities to buy 152 laptops and 78 internet dongles – supporting 154 families during the 2020 pandemic.

Covid Crisis Fund – £106,622 distributed through 10 grants via the London Community Response Fund and our own Crisis Fund, helping organisations respond swiftly to changing needs.

Covid Education Recovery programme – £318,914 awarded to 12 primary schools during 2021‑2023 to deliver targeted interventions for pupils impacted by the pandemic. Nearly 700 pupils benefitted, with most showing measurable improvement.

Young Westminster Foundation Brighter Futures Fund – 113,181 awarded across 18 grants from 2019‑2023. This collaborative fund, chaired by SGSG for the past 3 years, supports youth‑focused initiatives across Westminster.

Our Trustees

Our Board has eight places – half are allocated for church nominations, and the others are selected for their expertise in different fields and come from a range of backgrounds. Find out more about them below.