Lead the Change
About the Fund
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 play a leading role in strengthening relationships, fostering understanding and building belonging in 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 responds by investing directly in youth leadership, community connection and opportunity. The programme enables youth‑led projects, creates safe spaces, strengthens relationships across communities, and helps young people build skills, including navigating online information and shaping positive narratives.
Read more about Lead the Change here: Lead the Change
Fund Criteria
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
Specific criteria
Project grants to support the aims and delivery of work in Liverpool or Southport which meets 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.
What the programme will fund
Safe spaces for young people to meet and connect
– youth clubs, sports, creative and cultural spaces.
Youth‑led community action and resilience
– co‑designed projects, leadership development, intercultural initiatives to bring people together.
Pathways to opportunity
– skills development, mentoring, training and connection to training or apprenticeships.
Narrative change and digital literacy
– tackling misinformation and disinformation, storytelling and youth-created content.
Amount Available
One grant of £123,353 over 3 years.
The fund is available in 5 key areas which we cover geographically – Liverpool, Southport, Blackpool, Blackburn, and Preston.
Please note that only one single grant will be awarded from these 5 areas.
Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside are a Real Living Wage employer therefore we encourage applications that include staff costs at the current Real Living Wage of £13.45p/h as a minimum.
Application Process
Stage 1: Expression of Interest (EOI)
Opens: 1st April 2026
You will have a minimum of 3 weeks to submit your EOI. The closing date will be published when applications open. It may vary depending on the community foundation hosting the fund.
The EOI 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 30th April if you have been invited to make a full application.
Stage 2: Full Application (Invitation Only)
Invitations sent to successful applicants in May.
You will have at least four weeks to complete the full application and you’ll be told the deadline when you receive the invite.
Full applications ask for more detail about your project, youth leadership, safeguarding, governance, finances and delivery plan. You will hear the outcome in mid‑late August.
FAQ
If your answer is not included in the FAQ please feel free to contact the team at “Applications@cflm.org.uk“
Yes, but not for the same work.
Yes, but not for the same work.
Yes – you will need to provide evidence to support this with your application.
We expect most organisations we fund in this programme to be small community organisations which both work in and are based in the places we are targeting. We will prioritise organisations that meet both of these aims. In places where there are lots of youth organisations that are based in the place directly, an application from an organisation outside of that place is unlikely to be successful.
However, if your organisation delivers in one of the target places with less youth provision overall (or no relevant youth provision located directly in the place), is locally rooted and connecting with your community, and is located close to but not directly in the place your application will still be considered. We recognise that there are some areas with less youth provision overall, or where organisations are spread over a larger distance due to their rural nature. You will need to be able to show a strong connection and track record in that place. If you think this might apply to your organisation, contact the local community foundation to check if you are eligible.
Applications from host organisations will be accepted where this is the most impactful way to meet the aims of the programme, and where there is a demonstrated need for this way of working (for example, a smaller organisation is the only one trusted by a particular community). The host must be co-delivering the work (not simply passing the funds on), take the lead on delivery, and takes full responsibility for adhering to the terms and conditions of the grant including the finance, governance and safeguarding, for the lifetime of the project.
All applications must be made by one organisation. One organisation can apply as a “host” to work with up to two other organisations, where they can demonstrate that this approach is the most impactful way to meet the aims of the programme. The host must be co-delivering the work (not simply passing the funds on) and takes full responsibility for adhering to the terms and conditions of the grant including the finance, governance and safeguarding, for the lifetime of the project.
The following items cannot be supported via the 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 signifcant 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
- 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 CF or CIN 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
How to Apply?
An online application form can be completed via the “Apply Now” button below. You can attach supporting documents to your online application, or email them to us at applications@cflm.org.uk.
If the “Apply Now” button is not available, please check the fund’s opening and close date at the top of the page before contacting us.
Documents which need to be included with your application:
- A copy of your governing document.
- A copy of your latest annual accounts or income/expenditure document.
- A copy of a recent bank statement for your group. If you do not have a bank account in place, you must be able to nominate another organisation to hold the funds (CVS, another local charity, church etc.).
- A list of your Trustees/Directors/Management Committee members. A minimum of three un-related must be in place.
- A copy of your current Safeguarding Policy. All applicants must ensure that they hold relevant policies and procedures in place to undertake activities, such as Criminal Records Bureau checks and/or a health and safety policy, depending on proposed activity. If unsure, we recommend taking advice from your local CVS..
If you have applied to us within the last 12 months and provided this information, we do not need you to send it again, although we may require a more recent bank statement.
Completed applications are considered by Community Foundation staff to check eligibility. You will be contacted by 30th April if you have been invited to make a full application.