Grants database

The Ministry of Stories is a creative writing and mentoring charity for children in East London. They work to build confidence, self-respect and communication skills in our young writers through a range of programmes and workshops. This grant will help the children’s creative writing sector to improve its evidence base and evaluation practices.

The overarching goal of the conference is to promote understanding of the constitution, rule of law principles, and legislative frameworks and processes in the UK during and after exit from the EU. The conference will involve civil society organisations from a range of sectors, academic experts, think tanks, and parliamentarians.

Who Cares? Scotland works with children and young people with experience of the care system in Scotland to help them to speak out and access the rights to which they are entitled. The organisation focuses on influencing the people, cultures and systems that will positively affect the quality of life for care-experienced people. This grant will provide core funding to help them build on their advocacy work, ahead of the root and branch review of the care system in Scotland.

SMK provides training and support to those seeking to bring about positive social change. SMK is a powerful voice for this community, working to influence public offices and provide opportunities for smaller organisations and individuals to access the resources they need to be heard. This funding will enable SMK to further develop advocacy efforts with and for civil society, and support the organisation’s future development.

One Dance UK is the sector support organisation leading the way to a stronger, more vibrant and more diverse dance sector. The organisation works to promote one clear voice to support, advocate, enhance and give profile to dance in the UK. They provide information, resources and opportunities for a workforce that is well equipped to secure dance’s prominence in the cultural landscape of the future. Core funding will help the organisation to increase capacity, to fund research to demonstrate impact and to advocate for the sector.

Global Dialogue promotes human rights and social change through innovative and collaborative philanthropy. From initiating exploratory conversations on emerging issues to managing large collaborative grant-making programmes, the organisation helps funders, activists and influencers to work together to bring about real change. This grant will allow them to strengthen organisational capacity and in doing so continue to support collaborative practice exchange, connecting funders and organisations.

CFG is a membership organisation, inspiring a financially confident, dynamic and trustworthy charity sector. At a challenging time for charity funding, CFG acts as a voice for the charity sector, advocating for a better operating environment for the not-for-profit sector. Through championing best practice, nurturing leadership and influencing policy makers, CFG will use the grant through the Backbone Fund to continue to support the financial health of the voluntary sector, working with over 1,400 charities across the UK.

BYC empowers young people aged 25 and under to influence and inform the decisions that affect their lives. BYC supports young people to get involved in their communities and democracy locally, nationally and internationally. Their flagship programmes include UK Youth Parliament, Young Mayor Network, NHS Youth Forum, Youth Select Committee and UK Young Ambassadors. This Backbone Fund grant will support core services and posts, providing stability in a challenging funding landscape for youth voice.

British Future is an independent non-partisan think tank, seeking to involve people in an open conversation that addresses hopes and fears about integration, immigration and identity. Through their communications, strategic advice and activities, British Future seeks to engage those who are anxious about cultural identity and economic opportunity in the UK, as well as those who already feel confident in society, to identify workable solutions. This grant through the Backbone Fund marks a timely, vital contribution to valuable work to strengthen voice in the migration and integration field.

The Rubbish Art Project delivers workshops and activities to regenerate urban spaces whilst communicating important messages about waste. The project will bring together the local community to develop an arts initiative which aims to make Shepton Mallet the UK’s first ​‘recycled art’ town.

Gemma Bowden and Pamela Allen are using their backgrounds within NHS mental health services to develop a new way to support people who are at risk of, or experiencing, mental health challenges from socially and culturally marginalised communities in Manchester. ​‘Mindful Art’ will bring together arts and mindfulness in a new approach to art therapy, delivered through group sessions that are free at the point of access. This grant will enable Gemma and Pamela to further develop and share the technique by setting up new groups and evaluating its ability to empower people to take control of their wellbeing and increase resilience.

Developed by Sophia Lorraine Coker, Miss Wigs creates high-quality wigs for women experiencing hair loss due to mental illness. This grant will support the piloting of products with NHS providers and the development of an accredited wig-making training project to provide personal development and employment opportunities for women experiencing disadvantage in Birmingham.