Save the Children’s Children and Young People Climate Fund (The Great Big Green Week)

The Great Big Green Week is a nationwide celebration of action on climate change, taking place across the UK from Saturday 10th June to Sunday 18th June 2023.

Save the Children’s Children and Young People Climate Fund supports community groups to organise child and youth-focused local events, activities and festivals across the UK during the Great Big Green Week 2023 that work with, and engage, young people and children.

Activities must raise awareness of the impacts of the climate crisis, and its effects on children and young people. Youth engagement must be at the heart of an activity.

Save the Children are particularly interested in applications from, or in partnership with, children (under 18) and young people. If not expressly led by young people, they must be empowered participants rather than passive attendees. The activity should listen to and amplify the views of children and young people and/or empower and support them to share their views and raise their voice.

Activities should ideally support local groups to create new connections that support people, organisations and/or elected representatives, such as local councillors and Members of Parliament, to take climate action locally. Ideally these activities would take place in the week leading up to, during and/or the week after Great Big Green Week (10th to 18th June 2023).

Applications are encouraged for activities that engage a diverse range of young people and families, including those from underserved communities. Save the Children are especially interested in hearing from groups that work with or support children and young people who:

Are disabled or live with someone who is disabled
Are from families on low incomes.
Are from racialised communities.
Are LGBT+ or from an LGBT+ family.
Have experience of the care system, and/or
Have migrated to the UK.

Grants of between £300 and £800, with no matched funding requirement, are available. Applications that are led by children aged 18 and under are particularly welcomed and are likely to be prioritised for grant support..

Grants can be used for such things as (please note that this is not an exclusive list):

o Equipment.
o Publicity, such as flyers, social media, and advertising costs.
o One-off events, such as venue hire, refreshments for attendees, or attendance/license fees.
o Transport.
o Utilities, and
o Volunteer expenses.

Funding is not available for:

o Alcohol.
o Contingency costs, loans, endowments, or interest.
o For-profit organisations.
o Individuals.
o Organisational running costs.
o Organisations and/or projects based outside of the UK.
o Overseas travel.
o Profit-making or fundraising activities.
o Reclaimable VAT.
o Refurbishment projects.
o Sole traders.
o Staff costs, or
o Training costs.

Further information, guidance and an online application form is available on the Great Big Green Week website.

The application deadline is Thursday 13th April 2023, with successful applicants expected to be notified at the beginning of May 2023.

Contact details for the Fund are:

The Great Big Green Week
Save the Children UK
1 St John's Lane
London
EC1M 4AR
Tel: 020 7012 6400
Email: youthclimatefund@savethechildren.org.uk