East Suffolk Council has launched a new Youth Fund, offering grants of up to £2,000 for projects supporting young people in the district.
Co-created with members of the East Suffolk Youth Council, the Youth Fund will support young people across the district and safeguard their future.
Grants of between £200 and £2,000 are available, and Youth Councillors have identified several areas they would like to see projects around. These include:
- Protecting and enhancing the environment
- Sport and leisure opportunities
- Improving transport options and accessibility for young people
- Developing skills, confidence and experience to support future employment and training
- Activities and opportunities for teenagers
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Reducing financial and practical barriers to opportunities such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award
- Supporting youth facilities, clubs and safe spaces for young people
- Expanding youth provision in rural communities
- Increasing access to the arts and cultural activities
East Suffolk Community Partnership Board provided a £40,000 budget for the Youth Council to determine how it should be spent, and it was agreed that £32,000 would be allocated to the Youth Fund. The remaining funds will be used to establish projects that the Youth Councillors themselves have designed and created.
Applications for the Youth Fund grants close on Friday 2 October.
Following the application period, an appraisal process will take place. A decision-making panel made up of Youth Councillors and council officers will then meet in November to consider applications and make funding decisions.
Youth Councillors have been clear that they want to support a variety of projects from across the district. They are keen to see a range of different projects come forward and encourage applications from rural communities and larger communities alike.
Cllr Caroline Topping, Chair of the Community Partnership Board, and Cllr Anthony Speca, Chair of East Suffolk Council, said in a joint statement:
"Young people are the future of East Suffolk, so it is incredibly important that they have a say in shaping the places and opportunities around them. This new Youth Fund is particularly special because of the large role that the East Suffolk Youth Council have had in the process.
“We are delighted that funding is now available to support projects which will help young people in our communities to thrive. We encourage community groups, organisations and partners across the district to apply and help turn the ideas and ambitions of our young people into reality."
The Chair of the East Suffolk Youth Council commented:
“We’re so pleased that this Youth Fund has launched, and we have enjoyed the process of creating the guidance and application form. We look forward to seeing what projects come forward and how they will support local young people.”
Full guidance for applications to the East Suffolk Youth Fund.
If you have any questions about the scheme, please contact communities@eastsuffolk.gov.uk.
The Youth Council was set up in 2024 to ensure the voices and concerns of younger residents are heard. It is an apolitical council, with its own rules of procedure designed to promote open discussion.
Youth from every secondary educational community in East Suffolk, including the homeschooled, are represented on the Youth Council.
