P R E S S R E L E A S E
For immediate release
30th November 2018
#iwill PROGRAMME AWARDS £28,803 TO ENCOURAGE YOUNG PEOPLE TO MAKE SOCIAL ACTION A REGULAR PART OF LIFE
The #iwill campaign is a UK wide programme aiming to make social action a regular part of life for young people, getting them involved in the issues affecting their local communities. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF) administers the #iwill grant programme and has awarded a total of £28,803 to six charitable groups across the area.
The #iwill programme is funded by Step Up To Serve, Big Lottery Fund and the Government Office for Civil Society, and offers valuable opportunities and skills development for young people by encouraging activities such as campaigning, fundraising and volunteering to empower young people to have a voice and make sustainable change in their community.
Farnborough based group Creating Futures has received a grant of £5,000 for its Mighty Oak Project supporting young people in the Prospect Estate area in Farnborough to improve their communication skills, public speaking abilities and social media campaigning. Workshops encourage peer groups to honestly reflect on the challenges they face, to work out how best to move forward to build resilience and recognise that they can have an impact on their environment.
Tracy Yates, Director of Development at Creating Futures said “Many of the beneficiaries of this project live on the Prospect Estate where 27% of children under 16 live in poverty. We recognise that opportunities for this group can be limited through disadvantage such as lack of GCSE attainment, poor parenting, school truancy, lack of aspiration and feelings of 
rejection and abandonment. The Mighty Oaks project addresses local needs and challenges that young people face such as gang culture, disengagement, poverty, isolation and vulnerability and we aim to help them express themselves in ways that generate positive change, helping them to smash the cycle of deprivation and improve their potential for a successful and happy future. We want community action and participation to become a way of life for these young people, which they can then use as a platform to campaign for social change on the issues that directly affect them.”
The groups receiving grant awards from this round of funding are:
- Stags in the Community, Totton,
- Communities First Wessex, Havant,
- Warren Park Café Church, Havant ,
- Community First New Forest Young Carers Service in Ringwood,
- YMCA Young Carers in Shanklin,
- Creating Futures in Farnborough,
Grant Cornwell, Chief Executive at HIWCF said “HIWCF is delighted to be working with the #iwill programme enabling a new generation to get engaged and be proactive in local communities. Young people have so much energy, enthusiasm and passion and with a little help, they can really improve their life opportunities, which in turn helps them to develop valuable skills that are important to employers.”
HIWCF is committed to helping vulnerable and disadvantaged people across the region. If you would like to find out more about the work of HIWCF, please look at our website www.hiwcf.com.
– ENDS –
Photographs all courtesy of Creating Futures.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation
Registered Charity No: 1100417 – Registered Company Number 4534462
The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF) is an independent charitable trust established to inspire local giving for local need. The Community Foundation works both with donors who want to give something back to their local communities and voluntary groups providing vital services for local people where often a few hundred pounds can make a real difference to their lives. Companies, individuals, families and trusts can establish a fund with the Foundation, which supports a growing programme of grant-making to communities. HIWCF is part of a national network of 46 Community Foundations, one of the fastest growing philanthropic movements in the UK. Local groups can take a look at the HIWCF website to see if they might qualify for a grant: www.hiwcf.com or email HIWCF at grantsadmin@hiwcf.com
Contact details for Editor:
Name: Lucy Sweet, Marketing Manager, HIWCF
Direct Dial: (01256) 776116
Email: lucy@hiwcf.com
(UKCF)
UKCF is the membership organisation for Community Foundations that work across the UK to raise then distribute money directly to local causes. Community Foundations operate to ensure any form of philanthropy, whether from an individual or an organisation is effective and brings greatest benefit to those in need in our local communities. In 2017, Community Foundations made over 20,000 grants, distributing over £77 million to local causes. Community Foundations’ total managed endowment stood at £580 million in 2018. We represent 46 quality accredited community foundation members across the UK. Our Quality Accreditation process is endorsed by the Charity Commission and uses standards consistent with the Charity Commission’s Hallmarks of an Effective Charity, with robust, transparent and fair assessment processes. Achieving Quality Accreditation demonstrates that community foundations are serious about quality and accountability. www.ukcommunityfoundations.org
#iwill fund
The Government and Big Lottery Fund have each invested £20 million in the #iwill Fund which will help to transform the culture of community engagement by getting young people involved in greater volunteering opportunities
- Full application information will be published at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/about-big/iwill
- Over four years the fund will be developed through investment and match funding from Trusts and Foundations, businesses and philanthropists
- This innovative fund, bringing together a coalition of investors, aims to create the conditions to embed meaningful social action into the lives of every young person.
#iwill campaign
- The #iwill campaign is being coordinated by the charity Step Up To Serve (Charity No.1154588). It was launched in 2013 after Government research into how the business, education, public and voluntary sectors could support young people to engage in social action (campaigning, fundraising and volunteering) between the ages of 10 and 20.
- HRH The Prince of Wales is Patron of Step Up To Serve and the #iwill campaign. To date more than 600 organisations from across UK society have pledged to support the campaign goal of enabling more than 60% of 10-20 year-olds to participate in social action.
- More information can be found at iwill.org.uk and @iwill_campaign
