Involving Young People Fund 2025
10 December 2025
We’ve invested £90,000 in 7 community organisations through the Involving Young People Fund.
The Involving Young People Fund is a partnership between HUDL, The Youth Association, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and Leeds Community Foundation. It supports projects that address the key challenges faced by young people in their communities.
The programme was co-designed by young people, who prioritised work focused on mental health and wellbeing, homelessness and LGBTQIA+ inclusion.
The organisations that were awarded funding are:
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- Central HEaRt
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- Empath Theatre CIC
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- A1 Football Factory
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The funded activities include:
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- Using arts therapy, group work, mentoring and holistic therapies to teach young people resilience and self-acceptance, and build their confidence to try new things
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- Writing narrative poems on the theme of myths and legends inspired by local artefacts – supporting a sense of place, wellbeing, and creative & professional skills
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- Developing a youth involvement board and structured youth programme to create a safe space for LGBTQ+ young people
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This pilot of the Involving Young People Fund was an opportunity to test a new way of working with and for young people, and supported organisations in Wakefield and Barnsley. By focusing on a specific area, the partnership has been able to explore a place-led approach to youth-led change and decision-making – one that deeply engages with local communities to ensure that their unique needs and perspectives are at the forefront. We look forward to sharing more about the impact of the programme when the grants are complete.