Acting on Funding

How Youth Scotland and its Area Associations support community-based youth work in the current funding climate

This report examines the current funding climate and the effect it is having on community-based youth groups, alongside the work Youth Scotland and its Area Associations are doing to build capacity across the sector and support groups to become more sustainable.

Community-based youth work provides vital opportunities for young people across Scotland to develop new skills, improve their wellbeing and reach positive destinations. To do this work and to do it well, organisations require adequate funding.

A spread of pages from the report, Acting on Funding shown on a PC, laptop and tablet

Funding is a huge challenge on a regular basis, we have our own hall which we rent from the local authority… we will always need to source and secure funding to operate the youth club.
Kilwinning CFC, Youth Scotland member group

Many Youth Scotland member groups do not have a strong idea of which funders would be appropriate to their size and the activities they provide. We raise awareness of different funders amongst community-based youth groups, as well as giving them a direct line of communication to decision makers.

The opportunity to hear directly from funders, what they are looking for in terms of applications and projects along with the opportunity to ask questions and make that initial connection with funders was really useful.
Attendee at Meet the Funder session

You can download the full Acting on Funding report below, including the context, the role of Youth Scotland, conclusions and supporting feedback and quotes from grassroots youth work.

Acting on Funding

PDF, 5 MB

Download