£30.5 Million Fund to Improve Youth Facilities

by Libby Mahoney

Youth organisations can apply for a share of £30.5 million in funding through the Better Youth Spaces programme, which aims to enhance youth facilities across England.

Grants ranging from £5,000 to £100,000 are available for small-scale capital projects, including equipment purchases and refurbishment.

Funded by the UK Government and administered by Social Investment Business, the programme will support projects in 42 priority areas identified by the government using the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index.

Details of the 42 Priority Areas can be found on the Social Investment Business website.

Projects must meet at least one of the fund objectives:

  • Improving the reach of activities provided
  • Improving the safety of existing youth facilities
  • Improve the youth sector’s capacity and quality to deliver a range of enrichment activities
  • Funding priority areas on the basis of youth need
  • Improving the financial sustainability of youth facilities

The fund will support youth organisations working with disadvantaged young people aged 11 to 18, or up to 25 for those with additional needs or vulnerabilities.

Eligible applicants include:

  • Registered charities
  • Not-for-profit companies (including Community Interest Companies (CICs) and Companies Limited by Guarantee (CLGs) with dividend, asset and mission lock) registered with Companies House
  • Local Authorities (where they provide youth services)
  • Uniformed organisations
  • Community Benefit Societies

The maximum size of any grant for refurbishment purposes is £50,000.

Applications that include refurbishment will have a short, fixed window to apply, which will close at midnight 31 August 2025.

The closing date for all other applications is midnight on 21 September 2025.

For more details click here.