John Lyon's charity Annual Report 2024 - Report - Page 27
What is the aim and purpose of this Fund?
The Charity’s motivation is for there to be a vibrant and
thriving grassroots voluntary sector, and the ultimate
purpose of the YPF Small Grants Fund is to invest in
and strengthen the smaller children and young people’s
organisations across the Beneficial Area.
The Fund provides a mechanism by which funding from
the Charity can reach the smallest organisations in the
Beneficial Area that did so much good work throughout
the pandemic. These small amounts of funding, along with
tailored local support for organisations from their YPF, can
enable groups to begin to build a track record of prudent
management of funding and demonstrate their local impact.
What is the reason behind this focus?
These groups, which may not yet be formal charities or
are still in their early stages, typically face challenges
in meeting eligibility criteria for large funding sources,
including John Lyon’s Charity. The Fund addresses these
challenges by offering small amounts of funding, along with
tailored local capacity building support from their local YPF,
which enables these groups to begin to build a track record
of prudent management of funding and demonstrate their
local impact. Thus, building their capacity and effectiveness,
which will in time enable them access direct funding from
larger funders.
Achievements so far
£1.5 million was allocated to the YPFs during the first three
years of the HSC Strategy 2021-2024.
Each YPF was allocated £50,000 per year from 2021- 2024,
with Young Brent Foundation and Young Ealing Foundation
being allocated £100,000 per year in recognition that at the
time the strategy was developed, the communities in these
two areas were disproportionately affected by Covid-19.
For example, Brent had the second highest death rate from
Covid-19 of any local authority as of November 2020 (ONS).
Additionally, Brent and Ealing had the second and third
highest uptake in London of the Job Retention Scheme in
June 2020 (GLA).
Between 2021-2024, the eight YPFs were awarded 366
grants to 213 organisations, benefiting thousands of children
and young people. Each grant was between £2,000- £5,000.
A further three years of funding for each YPF has been
allocated for 2024-2027 in recognition of the difference these
small grants have made across the Beneficial Area. Given
the significant need still in Brent and Ealing, the YPFs in
those boroughs have continued to be allocated the higher
amount of £100,000 per year.
Impacts and lessons learned
The YPFs focused on targeting the smaller organisations
within their membership, especially those struggling to
access funding compared to larger organisations. As a
result, this targeted approach has proven effective in
helping these small organisations build a solid track record
and enhance their capacity to manage funds, therefore
paving the way for more sustainable funding in the future.
YPFs also specifically targeted members guided by local
need and gaps in provision. This strategy not only helped
organisations meet urgent community needs, but also
facilitated valuable networking opportunities, allowing
these groups to connect with one another and gain deeper
insights into the sector within their borough.
Based on the feedback from the YPFs after the initial three
years of the Fund, several adjustments have been made to
better serve local grassroots organisations. The maximum
grant amount has been increased from £5,000 to £8,000,
and organisations can now apply for funding to cover both
core costs as well as project costs.
CONCLUSION
The successful implementation of the Small Grants Fund
by the YPFs has influenced the Charity’s strategic direction,
outlined The Next Five Years: 2023 and Beyond.
As a result, the Charity will shift its focus away from
making small grants directly, and instead concentrate on
providing longer-term and larger-scale funding, reflecting
the positive outcomes and capacity-building achieved
through the YPFs efforts.
JOHN LYON’S CHARITY ANNUAL REPORT 2024
25
