Minister for Civil Society and Youth, Baroness Barran, has announced that the government will invest an additional £2m into the #iwill Fund to create thousands of new volunteering, social action and community activities for young people.
The funding, which will be matched by the National Lottery Community Fund, was announced by Baroness Barran during a series of visits to mark International Youth Day, underlining the government’s continued support for young people.
Since its launch in 2016, the #iwill Fund has used a £54m joint investment between the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the National Lottery Community Fund.
In collaboration with over thirty funders, it has created more than 650,000 engaging opportunities for young people led by hundreds of programmes across the country, with a particular focus on benefiting those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Commenting, Baroness Barran said:
“I’m acutely aware of how the pandemic has impacted the lives of young people and I can reassure them that it’s a government priority to ensure they are supported and given access to opportunities that can help them develop and grow.
“I’m delighted that an additional £4m will now be added to the £50m we have provided to this important fund, which means even more young people can make a positive difference in their communities whilst developing their own unique skills and knowledge.”
This additional funding forms part of the government’s dedicated support for young people.
Over £100m from the Covid-19 support package for the charity sector has been provided to organisations supporting children and young people during the pandemic.
This includes the £16.5m Youth Covid-19 Support Fund, which provided emergency funding specifically for youth services.
In addition, the National Citizen Service is providing thousands of young people opportunities to develop skills for life and work outside of school across the summer.
The Youth Investment Fund also remains a manifesto commitment for this Parliament, of which £30m has already been committed to provide capital investment in safe spaces for young people this year.
This is so they can access support from youth workers, as well as enjoy beneficial activities, including sports and culture.
Interim Chief Executive at the National Lottery Community Fund, David Knott added:
“The work of the #iwill Fund has had an incredible impact on young people, empowering them to design and deliver projects that will benefit their peers, their communities and young people of the future.
“Thanks to National Lottery players and government funding, this additional £4m investment will provide even more opportunities and enable young people to help their communities build back from Covid, prosper and thrive.”
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