Next Venture Fund - for care experienced children and young people
A £10,000 fund which is available to help turn ideas into reality for care experienced children and young people in County Durham. The fund is managed by a team of care leavers, working alongside staff from our participation and engagement team.
Funding can be used for a range of things with the aim of creating new opportunities and activities for other care experienced children and young people in the area.
The aims of the Next Venture Fund programme
The programme has six key aims:
- to create new opportunities
- to strengthen relationships
- to reduce loneliness
- to build connections
- to promote good mental wellbeing
- to be inclusive
What the funding can be used for
Linking in with the aims above, the funding must be used for things that will benefit more than one care leaver and which offer something that is not already available elsewhere.
Some examples of work we have already funded include:
- equipment for our mother and toddlers group
- Stanley care leavers hub's Connect summer activities programme
- Eid celebration event
- monthly prize draw for a cinema tickets
- university start up packs
- Christmas "gift" bags for care leavers
How much we can give
The amount we can give a project is linked to how many people it will impact, but as a guide, we can usually offer amounts between £200 and £2,500.
Our criteria
The criteria we have for funding applications are:
- That the people who benefit are care experienced young people aged 16+ who have received a service from Durham Children's Services.
- That young people have been consulted about the idea and support the proposal.
- That the proposal meets at least one of the five aims of the fund and the application makes it clear how it does.
- That the money will be spent and the project started within three months of the funding being granted.
- That you will share your successes with us and be prepared to tell others about the difference our fund made to your project.
How to apply
You have to be a County Durham care experienced young person aged 16 or over to apply for this funding and we recommend that applications are discussed with a Young Person's Advisor before being submitted.
Apply for Next Venture project funding
We need to know your name and contact details to process your application form. We will not ask you questions about, or ask you to share, personal or sensitive information about you or your past. The information you share will be managed confidentially and in line data protection law. The young people's panel who will read your form are always supported by trained staff. The form and any updates we provide are held securely. Your safety and right to privacy is important to us and we will do everything we can to protect it. For more details on how we use your personal information see our Privacy notices and data protection page.
Our projects so far
Here are a few of the projects we have given funding to so far in 2024:
- Mother and Baby group
- Connect Hub bowling trip
- Eid party
- Monthly prize draw for a cinema voucher
In partnership with
- Next Venture Fund
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