Successful Positive Futures Fund projects announced
8 July 2019
Launched earlier this year, the Positive Futures Fund has seen over £150,000 allocated to twelve successful applicants as part of the first phase of the scheme.
The Positive Futures Fund is centred on young people and a key requirement of the funding criteria is that all schemes must be co-produced with young people.
Not only are the projects intended to support young people but they will also be central to the decision making process to decide which schemes are ultimately successful in receiving funding.
Out of 72 prospective applications, the successful schemes cover a wide range of activities for young people including internships and work experience placements, sports activities, media, arts and business skills.
The successful applicants from the first round are:
- Penificient is a youth designed comic series on mental health and knife crime
- 2 to 3 Degrees will run a range of mentoring and work experience opportunities
- SLM Community Leisure will be providing pool lifeguarding courses and qualification to young women
- InSpire at St Peter’s Comprehensive free school holiday programme exclusively for older young people - activities include football coaching/tournaments, youth club (computers, films, pool, music); film night, ice-skating, adventure residential
- Business Launch Pad will host a wellbeing and business skills hub in Bermondsey for entrepreneurs
- Motivez, co-founded by Southwark Scholar George X, will visit schools and offer mentoring and skills workshops
- The X Collective will use creative outlets such as film, music and photography to help young people to improve mental health and employability
- Skills Development Training will set up a community youth group that focuses on music production and performance
- Waterloo Sports and Football Club will be offering a range of sports activities from basketball to tennis, dodgeball to archery
- Roadworks Media are offering ex-young offenders the opportunity to try their hand at film production as well as acting
- Restorative Justice for All is working alongside the Youth Scrutiny Panel to run projects with the aim of diverting children and young people away from gangs and crime. They plan to offer internships, volunteering opportunities as well as training for youth workers
- Theatre Peckham Apprentice-style programme in which two teams of 30 young people aged 13-19 will put on an event at Theatre Peckham
- Southwark Council will also be working with a further applicant to further develop their proposal and to identify funding
The majority of the schemes are expected to be up and running in time for the summer school holidays.
Applications are now open for the second phase of the Positive Futures Fund. A total of £350,000 is available for youth focused schemes delivered over a 2.5 year time frame. Organisations can bid for up to a maximum of £50,000 and as with the first round of funding, organisations will need to demonstrate how their scheme will benefit young people and how it is innovative.
Cllr Evelyn Akoto, cabinet member for public health and community safety, said: “The first round of the Positive Futures Fund has seen Southwark Council fund a wide variety of projects that I am confident will have a significant impact on the lives of young people in the borough. It is also hugely heartening to see the passion that exists for improving the lives of young people.
“As the second round of applications opens, I am excited to see what creative and innovative projects are successful this time around.”
Expressions of interest for the second round of funding must be received before Wednesday 7 August. Full details of how to apply are available online.
Unsuccessful first-time applicants are welcome to reapply as part of the second round of funding.
Page last updated: 08 July 2019
