Investing in Youth Social Action in England

Global Fund for Children supports four community-based organizations in Bradford, England that are providing opportunities for boys and young men to engage in meaningful social action in their communities while creating spaces for them to explore the role of masculinities in their lives.

In partnership with the #iwill Fund, GFC launched this initiative to invest in youth social action for boys. Creating opportunities for boys and young men to get involved in meaningful social action benefits individual children and young people as well as the wider community by building the habit of engaging with causes; challenging harmful gender stereotypes; and supporting wider gender equity work.

This initiative aims to:

• Provide high-quality social action opportunities for boys aged 10–14, such as campaigning, fundraising, and volunteering.
• Foster learning about effective practices for creating engaging and sustainable social action for boys.
• Contribute to positive impacts for children and youth in partnership with the local community of Bradford.
• Strengthen connections between local partner organizations, increasing their capacity to influence long-term systemic change.

The #iwill Fund is made possible thanks to a £66 million joint investment from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to support young people to access high quality social action opportunities. Global Fund for Children is acting as a match funder and awarding grants on behalf of the #iwill Fund.

The #iwill Fund brings together a group of organizations who all contribute funding to embed meaningful social action into the lives of young people. The #iwill Fund supports the aims of the #iwill movement – to make involvement in social action a part of life for young people, by recognizing the benefit for both young people and their communities.

Project Partners