What we do

BBC Children in Need in partnership with Ferdinando & Luigi Innocenti Foundation.

Children in Need is the official BBC charity and the largest independent UK funder of children and young people, existing to change lives across the nation.

Their vision is for every young person to have a safe, happy and secure childhood and reach their full potential.

Ferdinando & Luigi Innocenti Foundation is partnering with BBC Children in Need to create conditions for youth-led decision making and invention.

F&LI Foundation will invest in 15 youth organisations across the UK to design and take part in activity plans which enable young people to find activities they are passionate about.

Read more here.

Big Change in partnership with Ferdinando & Luigi Innocenti Foundation.

Big Change is unashamedly hopefully for a future in which all young people thrive. They believe in the power and potential of people - individually and collectively - to create deep and lasting change.  

Founded in 2012, they find and support the people challenging the status quo and leading change, backing their early-stage ideas with high impact potential. Big Change provides opportunities for the leaders they support to connect, learn and act together as part of a purpose-driven community, rethinking and reshaping the systems around young people.  

The Spark Awards will fund and support leaders aged 18-25 with projects that have the potential to create lasting change, addressing the systemic changes needed for young people to gain a sense of purpose, enjoy their agency, build meaningful relationships, and access opportunities to grow.  

Big Change will provide early-stage grant funding as well as a tailored learning and development programme for participants to deliver their pilots, grow their leadership skills and support their personal growth. The learning and support programme will be delivered in partnership with the Young Foundation.  

Read more here.

Agent Academy in partnership with Ferdinando & Luigi Innocenti Foundation.

Agent Academy provides young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with the skills to succeed in digital, creative and technology careers.    

The Academy recruits multiple times each year for their free 12-week programme, with successful applicants working alongside real-world clients on high-profile campaigns.   

A Community Interest Company, the award-winning initiative has trained hundreds of talented graduates over the last decade, with over 95% finding full-time positions within relevant sectors.     

In partnering with Ferdinando & Luigi Innocenti Foundation, Agent Academy learners will create video content telling the stories of young people, asking the big questions about life, skills, growth and ambition.    

At the end of the project, videos will be shared to inspire and support other funders to guide future decision making in the philanthropy sector.    

StreetGames are bringing sport to young people's doorsteps by ensuring young people in under-served communities get the chance to participate in sport in a way that is accessible, inclusive, and relevant to them. 

In this project, StreetGames will recruit 15 young people aged 16-25 who will, with training & support, become peer researchers. They will conduct research with boys and young men aged 11-25 in Blackpool (North East England), Lambeth (London) and West Wales. They will seek to understand their lives and how to shape community sports in a way that has the potential to spark joy in their lives. 

Like StreetGames, we know that sport has the power to inspire real personal growth and fulfilment for many young people. We're so excited to work with them on this project to understand what is important to boys and young men, and how to truly meet their needs.  

The Key have been empowering young people to create better futures for over 30 years through their skills development programme, the KEY+ Challenge.   

We're joining forces with them on a special project - The Key to Find Your Spark. Built on The Key's proven youth-led model, this project is designed specifically to support young people to uncover new interests, ignite passions, and explore their sense of purpose. We will support 144 young people across the North East of England, empowering them to discover a passion and lead their own personal growth. 

Once young people identify the passion they want to pursue, they will have access to a small bursary fund via prepaid debit cards to help support some of the costs of pursuing it. 

What we loved about The Key’s project is the extent to which young people on the programme are supported to take ownership of their choices and lead every aspect of their journey to discover and pursue their passions. It's clear to us that with The Key’s track record of delivering measurable impact and piloting innovative ideas, this project has potential to help many young people to find lasting joy. 

For 70 years, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has been supporting young people with their personal growth. Whatever their ability, interest or background, the DofE offers young people the chance to strive for achievement, overcome obstacles, and set their minds to a personal challenge.  

We’re partnering with the DofE on an exciting new project that will bring innovation to the way young people can achieve their Award. The project will offer exciting new ways for young people to build on their passion for sport as part of their DofE Award. With decades of experience in youth-led growth, we know the team at the DofE share our vision for young people and we know this project has huge potential to make real, tangible impact.