Education
We are helping to improve the educational opportunities of local children and young people from birth to 25 years old in our area of benefit - please check the map. We understand education in its broadest sense and support a wide range of activities that extend personal, social, moral, mental and emotional development as well as enhancing learning.
We offer grants to not-for-profit organisations (including schools and churches) to deliver activities that support our mission.
Types of projects
We are interested in projects that fall into five categories:
- Children & Families – focus on younger children and their parents
- Education & Learning – seeking to increase attainment and also enhance the curriculum and learn new skills
- Emotional Well-Being – looking after children’s emotional and mental health
- Youth clubs & activities – after school childcare, open access youth provision (secondary age) and activities that engage young people
- Christian Education
We provide more information about our current grants below.
How much can you apply for?
The charity has a range of different grant programmes.
Small Grants
Maximum of £3,000 for one-off capital or revenue projects
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Standard Grants
Maximum of £10,000 for one-off capital or revenue projects
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Community Investment Grants
Maximum of £15,000 per annum for up to three years for revenue projects
We introduced multi-year funding in 2017 in response to feedback from grant beneficiaries. We recognise that applicants appreciate the longer term funding commitment and reduction in form filling.
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Strategic Grants
Up to £50,000 per annum for up to three years
Our charity is interested in supporting one or two strategic grants each year. We expect applicants to demonstrate a clear need within the local area that is not being addressed by anyone else. We expect to fund one organisation to lead a partnership where the funding or funded resource is shared across partner organisations.
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BEFORE you apply for funding please read our detailed grant guidelines.
Current grants
During 2020, the Trustees increased the normal grants budget, and introduced a £200,000 Crisis Fund across 2020-2021 to assist with the greater demand due to the Coronavirus and the effects of lockdown restrictions. The normal grant programme awarded 12 grants totalling £257,822 – 2 Small Grants, 2 Standard Grants, 5 Community Investment Grants and 3 Strategic Grants. This compares to 20 new grants totalling £242,789 in 2019. The Charity also continues to support 12 Community Investment Grants awarded in previous years.
The majority of grantees had received grants from the Charity in the past, although there were two new recipients.
Our current list of active projects is below:
| Area | Organisation | Project | Summary | Grant | Start | Until |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children & Families | Cardinal Hume Centre | Homework Club | Towards after school homework club for children & their parents with tailored support, for three afternoons (2 at Cardinal Hume & 1 at Thames Bank). | £41,004 | 22/02/18 | 31/01/21 |
| Children & Families | Holborn Community Association | HCA Soft Play | Free daily soft play sessions for Under 5's & parents/carers including song & storytelling. It allows kids to run wild whatever the weather. The location may change as the main Bedford House site is redeveloped. | £45,000 | 01/04/19 | 31/03/22 |
| Children & Families | Pimlico Toy Library | Learning through Play | Stay & Play sessions & toy library for Under 5's near Churchill Gardens estate. | £45,000 | 01/04/18 | 31/03/21 |
| Children & Families | Westminster Befriend a Family | Broadening Horizons | A mentoring programme to support young people (aged 13-18) & their families for six months to support their current education & also to raise future educational aspirations. | £39,000 | 01/11/17 | 31/10/20 |
| Christian Education | The Pimlico Foundation | Messy Church roll-out | Messy Church events for families at St James the Less - 5 throughout the year plus special events at Halloween & Christmas. | £4,020 | 01/10/20 | 30/09/21 |
| Education & Learning | Beanstalk | South Westminster Literacy Support | To support 10 reading volunteers across schools in the area to work with at least 30 children. | £20,128 | 03/09/18 | 31/08/21 |
| Education & Learning | Children's Literacy Charity | Community Literacy Lab at The Abbey | Specialist one-to-one literacy support provided by 'expert' tutors & trained volunteers for approx 20 children per year. It takes place in Abbey Centre on Sat mornings & also engages parents with reading support. | £30,000 | 01/04/19 | 31/03/22 |
| Education & Learning | London Chamber Orchestra | Music Junction Westminster Hub | Music Junction education programme in south Westminster to engage pupils with music making & instrument learning for Churchill Gardens & Millbank Academy primary schools. | £45,000 | 01/10/18 | 31/07/21 |
| Education & Learning | Pimlico Musical Foundation | Digital Re-Opening | Crisis Fund - portable projector, screen & speaker to show lyrics & music without giving out paper & to screen shows/performances. | £1,033 | 07/09/20 | 23/07/21 |
| Education & Learning | Pimlico Musical Foundation | Supporting choral music in Pimlico | Core funding to maintain music programmes in Pimlico including; Music education in schools; extra-curricular Children's Choir; Foundation Scholars (advanced music & instrument tuition for smaller group); & PMF Chorus (adult community choir). | £45,000 | 01/01/20 | 31/08/22 |
| Education & Learning | St Barnabas PS | London Music Masters | A whole school music intervention from London Music Masters that offers all children (and their parents) violin lessons & general music skills. | £10,000 | 01/09/20 | 20/07/21 |
| Education & Learning | St Barnabas PS | New Early Years Interactive & creative play area to be used as both a playground & outside classroom | A contribution to a refurbishment of the Early Years playground for play & outside learning - supported by a crowdfunded. | £3,000 | 12/02/21 | 22/02/21 |
| Education & Learning | St Clement Danes PS | October Gallery Beacon School Partnership | Participate in art education workshops for pupils (14pa) & staff (2 CPD & 1 well-being) delivered by October Gallery for three years. | £1,500 | 18/09/20 | 30/07/23 |
| Emotional Well-Being | Family Action | Friendship Works South Westminster | Expand Friendship Works service into south Westminster offering up to 6 long-term mentoring (for 2 years) relationships for children aged 5-18 years. | £22,962 | 01/12/17 | 30/11/21 |
| Emotional Well-Being | Family Lives | The Befriending Volunteer Service for families with children 5-16 years | Befriending service for families with children aged 5-16. The trained volunteers offer practical advice & emotional support in weekly sessions for up to 4 months. | £9,560 | 01/02/20 | 31/01/21 |
| Emotional Well-Being | St Vincent's Family Project | Creative Arts Therapy Outreach | Towards Creative Arts Therapy Outreach programme offering individual therapy to CYP referred from schools & other agencies. | £45,000 | 22/02/18 | 21/02/21 |
| Emotional Well-Being | St Vincent's Family Project | Family Therapy Service | Family therapy service providing a half day per week support at 4 schools for individual pupils & their families. | £14,487 | 02/09/20 | 31/08/21 |
| Emotional Well Being | Anna Freud Centre | Family Therapy in Schools | Family therapy service providing a half day per week support at 4 schools for individual pupils & their families. | £28,600 | 02/09/20 | 31/08/21 |
| Youth Clubs & Activities | City West Homes - WCC | Churchill Gardens Junior Youth Club | Junior Youth Club (for age 8-13) at Churchill Gardens Youth Club from 4-7pm on Tuesday & Thursday. There is also a Senior Youth Club. | £44,850 | 01/11/17 | 31/10/20 |
| Youth Clubs & Activities | Dragon Hall | After School, Transitions & Senior Youth Clubs | After School & Transitions Club for age 8-12 (older teens as volunteers) offering sports session on Monday, creative session on Tuesday & homework focus on Friday. Mostly from St Clement Danes, St Joseph's RC & Soho Parish. | £36,000 | 03/09/18 | 31/08/21 |
| Youth Clubs & Activities | St Andrew's Club | St Andrews Club, more than a youth club | Towards core costs of running the youth club. It is open 7 days a week for children & young people aged 5-18. | £30,000 | 01/06/19 | 31/05/22 |
| Youth Clubs & Activities | London Basketball Association | BOOST: Basketball for Outstanding Opportunities, Skills, & Training | LBA uses basketball to engage young people & then supports their personal development through mentoring. | £10,000 | 01/01/20 | 31/12/20 |
| Youth Clubs & Activities | Caxton Youth Organisation | Independence Programme | Enabling young people with disabilities to become more independent by learning about money, managing a home, problem solving & emergency planning. | £16,431 | 01/06/20 | 31/05/22 |
| Youth Clubs & Activities | Dragon Eggs Digital CIC | Blog Up | YWF Brighter Futures Fund. Blogup will be a blogging programme that will engage two age groups of young people in creating & running a blog, with the focus being on content creation. | £5,773 | 01/02/20 | 31/12/20 |
| Youth Clubs & Activities | The London Sports Trust | Think Active | YWF Brighter Futures Fund. Think Active is a project, based within youth & community settings, (St Andrews & Churchill Gardens) which uses sports & physical activity to improve well-being & improve mental health. | £9,870 | 01/01/20 | 31/12/20 |
| Youth Clubs & Activities | Dream Arts | DreamArts - Experiment | DreamArts Experiment offers children aged 7-13 years an affordable theatre school opportunity to develop their personal & social skills - on Saturdays at the Abbey Centre. | £45,000 | 01/11/20 | 31/10/23 |
| Youth Clubs & Activities | St Andrew's Club | Ensuring safe physical activity facilities | Crisis Fund - install a new ventilation system in the Club's Gym & Studio areas to meet Covid guidance & open again for young people. | £15,000 | 21/12/20 | 04/01/21 |