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23 Foundation

23 Foundation Fund Logo
Grant size £2,500
Location Merseyside
Duration 1 year
Opening Date TBC – 2025

About the Fund

Jamie Carragher, Liverpool FC’s number 23 set up the 23 Foundation with the Community Foundation for Merseyside at the beginning of 2009 with the proceeds from his charitable Testimonial match and matched funds secured from the Government.

Projects should seek to provide young people with the means to make a difference in society by giving them an outlet through sport and education.  The 23 Foundation aims to fund projects that tackle the cause of youth disadvantage and provide information, education and skills to empower young people to go on to further education or employment. The fund will also support projects that improve children and young people’s health.

Fund Criteria

Applications to the fund must meet the following criteria:

Organisations must have a core purpose and stated primary charitable objects related to supporting mental health.

The focus of all projects should be on improving children and young people’s mental health and well-being and preventing the development of mental health problems.

Children and young people should always be primary beneficiaries of projects/services…

… but the Foundation is keen to consider projects that in addition help support families and young children to develop methods to equip them with the skills necessary to prevent mental health issues occurring.

Specific eligibility criteria

  • We will continually assess the overall impact and success of your project and the overall impact the Foundation is achieving. Applicants will be expected to work with us to determine the impact and outcomes of their projects.
  • Training opportunities will also be made available for applicants covering topics such as Mental Health First Aid and Resilience
  • 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 £12.00p/h as a minimum.

The fund is available in Sefton and Liverpool only.

Examples of projects that may be funded

Salary costs for mental health support workers, counsellors or similar

Peer mentoring projects with a focus on mental health and wellbeing.

Projects developing children’s resilience

e.g. teaching children and young people methods and techniques to equip them with the skills necessary to prevent mental health issues and focus on their mental wellbeing.

Amount Available

  • Grants of up to £2,500 are available

  • Individuals can Apply here 

What cannot be funded?

  • Statutory organisations or work that is their responsibility
  • Organisations with less than 3 unrelated
  • Trustees/Directors/Management Committee members
  • CIC’s limited by Shares
  • National organisations that cannot demonstrate local governance/autonomy (permanent base within Merseyside, bank account and Management team)
  • Commercial ventures/Projects for personal profit
  • Purchase/maintenance of vehicles
  • Activities that will have already taken place before we offer you a grant
  • Politically connected or exclusively religious activities
  • Organisations that are established for the benefit of animals or plants
  • Debts and other liabilities
  • Reclaimable VAT
  • Travel outside UK
  • Gifts or projects exclusively for the purpose of entertaining

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.

Documents which need to be included with your application:

  1. A copy of your governing document.
  2. A copy of your latest annual accounts or income/expenditure document.
  3. 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.).
  4. A list of your Trustees/Directors/Management Committee members. A minimum of three un-related must be in place.
  5. 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.

What’s next?

Completed applications are considered by Community Foundation staff to check eligibility. You may be contacted for more information after applying and a decision-making panel will make recommendations based on the fund’s criteria and the budget available.