Grants can be used for the following purposes that:

Increase engagement with physical activity, where the engagement continues beyond the project, such as through local sports or physical activity clubs or community engagement e.g., volunteering, coaching, officiating. Physical activity related projects should aim to make such activity a habit and reduce anti-social behaviour or engagement with crime, alcohol, and drugs.

increase opportunities for young people to engage in activities that improve their mental health and wellbeing, by developing young people’s emotional resilience, addressing issues of emotional vulnerability, and developing social resistance skills. Initiatives may also include social norms projects and programmes that develop young peoples’ social and personal development.

We are keen to see new and innovative ideas, thinking outside the box! Please use the Youth Endowment Fund Toolkit which indicates interventions that have been shown to be effective for work targeting youth violence. 

Youth service organisations (e.g., charities/Community Interest Companies) may bid for up to £3,000.

Partnership/collaborative projects between schools and youth service organisations are welcomed; each partner can apply separately for funding towards a collaborative project. Larger grants may be possible via a more detailed procurement process, but an exceptional need would need to be demonstrated. 

Only one-off funding can be granted at this time. Therefore, applicants must indicate how they will ensure the sustainability of projects after the grant funding has been utilised.

As these are small grants, Public Health is determined to keep this process ‘light touch’. To access funding simply complete the: Online Application Form. 

This form asks you to describe your proposed project and how you will spend the funding. We aim to get back to you within two weeks with a decision. 

You can apply any time before the end of December 2024. Funding must be spent by the end of March 2025.

Services/organisations delivering youth work, where the objective is related to social, personal, and emotional development for young people, aged 12 to 19 years will be able to apply. This includes special education and alternative provision youth settings for young people with behavioural challenges or disabilities (up to age 24 years for young people with SEND). 

Youth groups delivering sports or arts provision, without a specific youth work element, are not eligible to apply. 

Applications are only accepted from charities, Community Interest Companies (CIC) or companies delivering youth work not for profit. Awards cannot be made to individuals.

Grants can be used for a wide variety of purposes to deliver crime prevention benefit via youth service settings, this may be through universal or targeted work.

Physical activity projects need to ensure that the activity is available out of school hours and offers opportunities for making physical activity a habit, engaging with local organisations in the longer term, and reducing anti-social behaviour, engagement with crime, youth violence or alcohol and drugs. 

Mental health projects may support young people with life skills; emotional resilience, address issues of emotional vulnerability, or social resistance skills. Projects may include those that develop young peoples’ social and personal development. 

Development of life skills can also include: general problem-solving and decision-making skills; general cognitive skills for resisting interpersonal or media influences; skills for increasing self-control and self-esteem; adaptive coping strategies for relieving stress and anxiety through the use of cognitive coping skills or behavioural relaxation techniques; and general social and general assertiveness skills.

We will not fund the following:

• purchases prior to funding being confirmed
• activities that promote political beliefs or are designed to impose religious beliefs 
• ongoing organisation core costs e.g., staff
• activities where funding is already secured
• payments to individuals 
• privately owned businesses
• organisations with aims that do not match those of Worcestershire County Council
• anything that discriminates against individuals or organisations
• anything that promotes any illegal or immoral purposes

Grants must be for projects that offer additionality and not fund activities that are already running (no double funding).

Ordinarily, organisations who have already received grant funding from Public Health in the same financial year will not be eligible however, there may be exceptions, for example, where youth groups seek to collaborate with educational settings.

We will not be imposing any extensive reporting requirements. However, we do ask that, after six months (or earlier if possible), you send us a brief video that shows what you did and what positive impact it had. This may include interviews with staff, parents, or young people, as well as showing any activities that the funding had made possible.

With your consent, we may share your film on social media to inspire others. Obviously, please make sure you get the appropriate consent from anyone shown in the film. We will check that again with you prior to sharing your video on social media.