A Fairer Future

We want to provide the support and space to enable others we work alongside to create lasting change, and to challenge systems that stand in the way. We want to contribute to a socially just and anti-racist society, where people have their rights protected, as well as the opportunity to speak and be heard, and the freedom to express their creativity. And across all our work in A Fairer Future, we are keen to support organisations led by the people they serve.

In 2022, we shared new ambitions for this strategic aim, focusing our support for organisations that are grappling with the complexity of systemic inequity, which sits at the intersections of our priorities. Our transition to a new, more proactive approach across a range of sectors will require patience, care and collaboration. We look forward to working closely with our partners to develop our route to the long-term outcomes we have set out.

The year marked five years of our Young People Leaving Care Learning Programme which celebrated this important milestone as an Independent Review of Children’s Social Care took place in England, and a similar review was announced for Northern Ireland. The voices of care experienced young people are vital to these reviews, and ensuring their voices are heard has been an important focus of the organisations we support. We hope policy makers pay close attention.

We also want to highlight the role of young people across our strategy. The Act for Change Fund, a £3.6m funding partnership programme, which supported the development of youth leadership and activism between 2018-2022 demonstrates how change, led by young people, can help us to reimagine and create a fairer future. Together with Paul Hamlyn Foundation and the 32 organisations supported through the Fund, we shared learning and resources on funding youth activism.