Skinners Company - Young People's Vocational Development

Objectives of Fund

The Skinners' Charity Foundation offers grants to support charitable organisations working in London and Kent primarily though not exclusively. It offers grants under three main themes:

• Young people's vocational development - supporting NEET young people (not in education, employment or training) to help them enter the workplace.
• The relief of poverty and hardship - funding projects that support people experiencing the negative impact of poverty and deprivation. (Covered in a separate scheme.)
• Arts, heritage and communities - funding for projects that benefit local communities or to support community arts and heritage events and activities. (Covered in a separate scheme.)

Value Notes

Grants of up to £10,000 per year are available, with awards for three years open to consideration.

The foundation will not award a grant that represents more than 20% of the current annual running costs of the organisation.

Who Can Apply

Applications are accepted from charitable organisations supporting NEET young people to move into employment or become employment ready.

The following eligibility criteria applies:

• Charities running the project must be registered not-for-profit organisations, with at least one set of audited or independently examined annual accounts.
• The charity's annual turnover does not exceed £1 million.

The foundation also has the following additional priorities:

• Work based in London and Kent.
• Young people attaining a vocational qualification.
• Projects offering long-term tracking of beneficiaries, to establish quality outcomes.
• Projects operating in partnership with other local organisations.

The foundation is open to reapplications from previously successful organisations for an additional two years, bringing its total funding period to a maximum of five years. Reapplying organisations must display a high degree of project impact, the effective use of these past funds, and what they have learnt over the period of support. Organisations should contact the foundation first before submitting a reapplication for funding.

Location

London and Kent

Eligible Expenditure

Grants are to support charities helping NEET young people to move into employment or become employment ready. Funding is available for specific projects, rather than general organisational costs. Pro-rata staffing and operational costs will be considered where appropriate.

The foundation particularly (but not exclusively) looks to support programmes of work where young people receive a vocational qualification as part of their employment progression. It aims to support projects with a track record of success, or where the specific model of work is proven to be successful and to support work that is responding holistically to the needs young people face.

Where immediate employment for young people is not possible, clear progression routes should be evident – such as moving on to further qualifications or through developing clearly employable skills during the project.

How To Apply

Interested applicants should initially contact the foundation by email with a short outline of their project. If they are eligible, the grants team will be in touch with full details of how to make a full application.

Applications will be considered at the foundation's committee meetings in spring and autumn each year, with deadlines around six weeks prior to the meetings.