The Youth Empowerment Fund is a grant to support young people in achieving their ambitions, by providing financial assistance to help them buy the resources, training or equipment required to learn and develop skills in the things they are passionate about.
Whether your ambition is to enrol onto a training programme, or you need financial assistance in buying resources to support your school/college course, or help to buy sports/arts equipment, the list goes on. If overcoming some barriers for your ambition requires financial assistance we want you to apply!
Financial assistance
Up to £100 – reviewed monthly
Examples of what you can use it for include: computer software, travel assistance, to join a club that increases skills, purchase kit, attend an event that supports learning, passport, attend trips and visits that support learning, development, social connections and positive networks
£101 - £1000 – reviewed March, May, September, November
Examples include: a training course, interview attire, laptop, kit to support learning, educational experience, a series of vocational lessons
£1001 - £2500 – reviewed January and July
Examples include: Tuition fee, overseas placement, a bursary
These are just a few examples and is not an exhaustive list of what the fund can be used for.
Eligibility
The fund is open to any young person aged 9 to 25 who lives in Newham or who has been placed out of the borough as part of their care or safeguarding arrangements and meet the following criteria:
- You must live in Newham and have lived here continuously for the last six months, or in care and have been placed outside of Newham as part of your care and/or safeguarding arrangements;
- You are only eligible for one award within your age category although further applications can be applied for as a young person moves into the next age band. These age bands are: 9 – 12 years, 13 – 15 years, 16 – 25 years;
- And be in living in a household with of one or more of the following:
- Households in receipt of the 90% Council Tax Reduction (CTR)
- Households with an income (including benefits) of less that £25,000 per annum
- Children in receipt of Free School Meals (FSM)
- Children who are subject to No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF)
- Children that are looked-after (LAC)
Applications can be independently completed by someone who is 18 - 25. If you are 9 – 17 and would like to apply you will need to ask your parent or carer to answer the eligibility question to enable you to continue with your application.
How to apply
If you would like to discuss the application and process, contact yefinfo@newham.gov.uk