Our Partners
Our Partners
The second phase of The Listening Fund is continuing to make grants to improve how young people are listened to and to deepen organisations’ and systems’ accountability to those they seek to serve. Further details of those we’ve partnered with through our grants can be found below.
Partners in Phase Two
The following profiles provide some information on our second phase partners and the work they’re doing.
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Deepening Listening
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Deepening Listening
We are funding nine of our partners from the first phase for another three years to support them to deepen their listening practice and expertise. As part of this funding, we are providing some additional resources to each partner so they can share what they learn with us and the wider sector.
About
BECOME is a national charity providing help, support and advice to children in care and young care leavers so they can unleash their potential and take control of their lives.
Their vision is that children who spend time in care have equal chances to lead a happy and fulfilling life to those who are raised in their birth families.their listening fund project
BECOME are developing a new participation framework that gives young people greater control over their engagement and diversifies who the organisation listens to and works with. They will do this by creating a larger pool of young people – The BECOME Community – and then establishing groups within the community in which young people can work collaboratively on issues of importance to them.About
CAREFREE works with young people aged 11-25 who are in or leaving care. Their aim is to give young people the chance to do things for themselves and others.their listening fund project
CAREFREE are embedding young people into both their internal and external work: establishing a shadow board to deepen young people’s involvement in the organisation; and supporting young people to be heard externally – leading training of external professionals in how to better listen to young people’s needs, wants and ideas, and being active in national policy forums and discussions.For me, the most important part of the work is that the negative experiences I used to hide away inside myself have now become something positive that I can use to help other young people change their lives.LEAP graduate and young trainer, LEAP Confronting Conflict
About
LEAP CONFRONTING CONFLICT is a charity with over thirty years’ experience delivering programmes to transform the way conflict is managed by young people and the adults who support them.
their listening fund project
LEAP aim to expand their production practice, incorporating co-production into LEAP’s governance and sub-commitees, establishing a cross-organisation co-production group with key stakeholder and providing co-production training to all adult professionals they work with. They are also planning to develop an evaluation framework to increase their understanding of longer term impacts of listening and co-production on young people’s skills and capabilities.About
GENDERED INTELLIGENCE is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to increase understandings of gender diversity and to improve the lives of trans poeple in particular.their listening fund project
GENDERED INTELLIGENCE aim to continue to give greater agency to young people by experimenting with different ways of working between the youth board and trustees; improving how they feedback to all young people who use their services; and considering how to improve the diversity of their youth board, specifically by age.About
KENT REFUGEE ACTION NETWORK (KRAN) aims to enable refugee and asylum seeking young people to live fulfilled and independent lives. They have been established in East Kent for 15 years and offer a range of activities from learning for life provision to advocacy and support, mentoring and community engagement activities.their listening fund project
KRAN aim to appoint two youth envoys to identify and amplify the voice of their youth forum. They will represent the forum internally as well as externally with social services, the police, Kent County Council and policy makers.When you feel like no one is listening to you and no one cares you start to resent the world, but the Spark Inside coaches made me feel heard and understood and helped me see the world in a different light. I’ve left prison for the last time and I’m not going back.Participant of the Hero’s Journey, Spark Inside, a partner of The Listening Fund
Participant of the Hero’s Journey, Spark Inside,
About
SPARK INSIDE is pioneering the use of professional coaching in prisons. They provide individual and group caoching programmes in prisons across London and the South East, which tackle violence, improve te prison environment and reduce reoffending.their listening fund project
SPARK INSIDE aims to set up twenty-one in-prison Advisery boards, helping to ensure that young people’s experiences inform the operation of the criminal justice system nationwide. They will also look to develop their services in the community and work with these groups to explore ways the organisation can platform youth voice in media campaigns to influence policy and affect wider systems change.About
THE FOYER FEDERATION supports and promotes a network of foyers, to provide a positive induction to adulthood for yound people experiencing homelessness and other challenges.their listening fund project
THE FOYER FEDERATION aim to challenge existing systems that limit people within their organisation. They want to do this by investing in three forms of listening: embedding direct listening to young people at the federation; supporting better listening at member organisations; and creating then supporting a group of young people to represent young people in the federation, informing strategy and ways of working.
About
THE MIX supports young people with everything from money to mental health, from homelessness to jobs, from break-ups to drugs, whenever and however they need it. They do this through the engagement and participation of young people, bringing experts, young people their peers, and near-to-peers together to generate content develop digital tools and create communities, movements and campaigns to change lives.their listening fund project
THE MIX want to build on the success of their work in the first phase of the Listening Fund by extending the number of data sources for their youth-facing data hub and then expanding its use to encourage and support social action by young people, as well as further shaping the Mix’s own services.About
We Don’t Settle is a non for profit organisation committed to nurturing communities of empowered young people who are minoritised by societies, systems and structures. They cultivate creativity, embrace cultures, and they live and breathe heritage. Their work revolves around giving young people the platforms to tell their stories in arts and heritage spaces, through events and creative commissions, providing opportunities for skills development through workshops and masterclasses, and supporting their social action projects by funding their ideas.
their listening fund project
The Youth Steering Committee (YSC) isn’t at the heart of their organisation, it is the heart of their organisation. They are key influencers in WDS’s decision making and shape how the organisation works.
YSC is a year-long governance opportunity as well as a development programme for those aged between 18-30 who want to gain board level experience and influence how WDS works.
Meetings and any other forms of interaction are programmed to be once a month. This will involve a mix of chaired meetings, consultation, training workshops, mentoring and exciting opportunities: attending events, sitting on interview panels, paid work opportunities, shadowing professionals.
There’s no point of shouting about Birmingham being 40% under 25 if our youth have no futureYoung Person, Brum Youth Trends 2017, via Beatfreeks
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Youth leadership
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Youth Leadership
After careful deliberation and lots of discussion, The Listening Fund’s 10 advisers decided to invest in youth leadership as a way of improving listening and accountability. Applications were open to organisations across England and the advisers chose the following eight partners.
About
The ADHD Foundation works at a national level from their offices in Liverpool. They promote a strength-based paradigm for those with ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and Autism which frequently co-occur.
their listening fund project
The Foundation is using support from The Listening Fund to work with Young Ambassadors and establish a National Neurodiversity Youth Council to advocate for neurodiverse young people.
About
The Big Leaf Foundation works with displaced young people living in Surrey. They provide educational, therapeutic and community-focused activities to help those aged 16-25 to build fulfilling lives in the UK.
their listening fund project
Big Leaf are using their Listening Fund grant to develop their Young Leaders programme, supporting young people to take an active role in the organisation’s development and leadership.
About
Boundless Theatre is based in South-East London. They support 15-25 year olds nationwide to lead creative lives and to engage with one another around high-quality artistic events.
their listening fund project
The grant from the Listening Fund will enable Boundless to create new co-leadership opportunities for young people: as Artistic Director and Executive Director.
About
Life Chance Trust works with young people in Devon who have endured adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and childhood trauma.
their listening fund project
The Trust is using the support of The Listening Fund to establish a youth panel which will help shape the organisation as well as advocate externally.
About
Peer Power Youth works nationally from its London base. The organisation has two goals: to support young people to overcome adversity and trauma, and to change systems to improve outcomes for young people.
their listening fund project
Their Listening Fund work is focused on increasing internal youth leadership, ensuring young people are involved in every part of the charity.
About
Prime Theatre works with young people in Swindon, using creative activities to centre young people’s voices and talents.
their listening fund project
They are using their grant from The Listening Fund to train young people as Civic Arts Consultants. The eight Consultants will learn how to design, deliver and evaluate community consultation processes with other young people, and communicate creative challenge to organisations and systems whose duty it is to reflect and react to youth voice.
About
Sister System works across London from its offices in N17. They support black and brown girls affected by the care system.
their listening fund project
They will use The Listening Fund grant to develop and deliver ‘Honor Thyself’. This programme helps girls to build pride in their identity and lifts them into leadership positions within their communities.
About
The Proud Trust supports LGBT+ young people in Manchester to be proud in their identity and to be integrated in the communities where they live, work and play.
their listening fund project
They are using support from The Listening Fund to employ a Trans Youth Voice Coordinator, ensuring young trans people are involved in all aspects of the Trust’s trans work, including developing strategy and planning programmes of work.
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Grassroots
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Grassroots
The Listening Fund’s advisers wanted to ensure that community-based, grassroots listening and accountability was also supported through the Fund. In February 2023, they chose the following partners for this work.
About
Emotion Dysregulation in Autism works in Birmingham, supporting children and young people with autism and associated mental illness from “emotion-dysregulation”. They have a particular focus on peer support, training and youth-led social action.
their listening fund project
Funding from The Listening Fund is enabling the organisation to refine and deliver their peer support programme.
About
In Charley’s Memory provide early intervention mental health support to young people in Somerset. They work with many individuals who do not meet the threshold for CAHMS.
their listening fund project
Support from The Listening Fund will enable the organisation to relaunch their Student Ambassador Leadership Programme which trains young people to, amongst other activities, raise awareness of the importance of mental health with their peers.
About
Little Green Pig works in East and West Sussex, supporting young people through the power of creative writing. They work in communities where the challenges facing young people have been exacerbated by poverty.
their listening fund project
They will use the support of The Listening Fund to build on the success of their youth board, creating sustainable leadership opportunities for young writers.
About
In Lewisham, Sounds Like Chaos work with emerging creatives, co-establishing spaces where young people can uncover, challenge and disrupt social injustices through the arts.
their listening fund project
They are using funding from The Listening Fund to develop an open-to-all youth forum and consolidate their youth steering board.
About
The Birch Collective are based in Bristol and provide early intervention support to young people experiencing isolation and/or mental ill-health. Much of their work takes place and draws on the benefits of being outdoors.
their listening fund project
With support from The Listening Fund, they will establish a young people’s steering group, launch a peer mentorship programme, and bring young people onto the Collective’s board.
About
The UK Youth Climate Coalition work to mobilise and empower young people to take positive action for global climate justice. It is an organisation run by young people for young people.
their listening fund project
The support of The Listening Fund will enable UKYCC to bring young leaders together at tri-annual residential weekends, to hold more climate justice workshops in schools, and to continue to engage in more advocacy activities at COP28 and SB57.
Deepening Listening
We are funding nine of our partners from the first phase for another three years to support them to deepen their listening practice and expertise. As part of this funding, we are providing some additional resources to each partner so they can share what they learn with us and the wider sector.
About
BECOME is a national charity providing help, support and advice to children in care and young care leavers so they can unleash their potential and take control of their lives.
Their vision is that children who spend time in care have equal chances to lead a happy and fulfilling life to those who are raised in their birth families.
their listening fund project
About
their listening fund project
LEAP graduate and young trainer, LEAP Confronting Conflict
About
LEAP CONFRONTING CONFLICT is a charity with over thirty years’ experience delivering programmes to transform the way conflict is managed by young people and the adults who support them.
their listening fund project
About
their listening fund project
About
their listening fund project
Participant of the Hero’s Journey, Spark Inside, a partner of The Listening Fund
Participant of the Hero’s Journey, Spark Inside,
About
their listening fund project
About
their listening fund project
THE FOYER FEDERATION aim to challenge existing systems that limit people within their organisation. They want to do this by investing in three forms of listening: embedding direct listening to young people at the federation; supporting better listening at member organisations; and creating then supporting a group of young people to represent young people in the federation, informing strategy and ways of working.
About
their listening fund project
About
We Don’t Settle is a non for profit organisation committed to nurturing communities of empowered young people who are minoritised by societies, systems and structures. They cultivate creativity, embrace cultures, and they live and breathe heritage. Their work revolves around giving young people the platforms to tell their stories in arts and heritage spaces, through events and creative commissions, providing opportunities for skills development through workshops and masterclasses, and supporting their social action projects by funding their ideas.
their listening fund project
The Youth Steering Committee (YSC) isn’t at the heart of their
organisation, it is the heart of their organisation. They are key influencers in WDS’s decision making and shape how the organisation works.
YSC is a year-long governance opportunity as well as a
development programme for those aged between 18-30 who want to gain board level
experience and influence how WDS works.
Meetings and any
other forms of interaction are
programmed to be once a month. This will involve a mix of chaired meetings,
consultation, training workshops, mentoring and exciting opportunities:
attending events, sitting on interview panels, paid work opportunities,
shadowing professionals.
Young Person, Brum Youth Trends 2017, via Beatfreeks
Youth Leadership
After careful deliberation and lots of discussion, The Listening Fund’s 10 advisers decided to invest in youth leadership as a way of improving listening and accountability. Applications were open to organisations across England and the advisers chose the following eight partners.
About
The ADHD Foundation works at a national level from their offices in Liverpool. They promote a strength-based paradigm for those with ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and Autism which frequently co-occur.
their listening fund project
The Foundation is using support from The Listening Fund to work with Young Ambassadors and establish a National Neurodiversity Youth Council to advocate for neurodiverse young people.
About
The Big Leaf Foundation works with displaced young people living in Surrey. They provide educational, therapeutic and community-focused activities to help those aged 16-25 to build fulfilling lives in the UK.
their listening fund project
Big Leaf are using their Listening Fund grant to develop their Young Leaders programme, supporting young people to take an active role in the organisation’s development and leadership.
About
Boundless Theatre is based in South-East London. They support 15-25 year olds nationwide to lead creative lives and to engage with one another around high-quality artistic events.
their listening fund project
The grant from the Listening Fund will enable Boundless to create new co-leadership opportunities for young people: as Artistic Director and Executive Director.
About
Life Chance Trust works with young people in Devon who have endured adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and childhood trauma.
their listening fund project
The Trust is using the support of The Listening Fund to establish a youth panel which will help shape the organisation as well as advocate externally.
About
Peer Power Youth works nationally from its London base. The organisation has two goals: to support young people to overcome adversity and trauma, and to change systems to improve outcomes for young people.
their listening fund project
Their Listening Fund work is focused on increasing internal youth leadership, ensuring young people are involved in every part of the charity.
About
Prime Theatre works with young people in Swindon, using creative activities to centre young people’s voices and talents.
their listening fund project
They are using their grant from The Listening Fund to train young people as Civic Arts Consultants. The eight Consultants will learn how to design, deliver and evaluate community consultation processes with other young people, and communicate creative challenge to organisations and systems whose duty it is to reflect and react to youth voice.
About
Sister System works across London from its offices in N17. They support black and brown girls affected by the care system.
their listening fund project
They will use The Listening Fund grant to develop and deliver ‘Honor Thyself’. This programme helps girls to build pride in their identity and lifts them into leadership positions within their communities.
About
The Proud Trust supports LGBT+ young people in Manchester to be proud in their identity and to be integrated in the communities where they live, work and play.
their listening fund project
They are using support from The Listening Fund to employ a Trans Youth Voice Coordinator, ensuring young trans people are involved in all aspects of the Trust’s trans work, including developing strategy and planning programmes of work.
Grassroots
The Listening Fund’s advisers wanted to ensure that community-based, grassroots listening and accountability was also supported through the Fund. In February 2023, they chose the following partners for this work.
About
Emotion Dysregulation in Autism works in Birmingham, supporting children and young people with autism and associated mental illness from “emotion-dysregulation”. They have a particular focus on peer support, training and youth-led social action.
their listening fund project
Funding from The Listening Fund is enabling the organisation to refine and deliver their peer support programme.
About
In Charley’s Memory provide early intervention mental health support to young people in Somerset. They work with many individuals who do not meet the threshold for CAHMS.
their listening fund project
Support from The Listening Fund will enable the organisation to relaunch their Student Ambassador Leadership Programme which trains young people to, amongst other activities, raise awareness of the importance of mental health with their peers.
About
Little Green Pig works in East and West Sussex, supporting young people through the power of creative writing. They work in communities where the challenges facing young people have been exacerbated by poverty.
their listening fund project
They will use the support of The Listening Fund to build on the success of their youth board, creating sustainable leadership opportunities for young writers.
About
In Lewisham, Sounds Like Chaos work with emerging creatives, co-establishing spaces where young people can uncover, challenge and disrupt social injustices through the arts.
their listening fund project
They are using funding from The Listening Fund to develop an open-to-all youth forum and consolidate their youth steering board.
About
The Birch Collective are based in Bristol and provide early intervention support to young people experiencing isolation and/or mental ill-health. Much of their work takes place and draws on the benefits of being outdoors.
their listening fund project
With support from The Listening Fund, they will establish a young people’s steering group, launch a peer mentorship programme, and bring young people onto the Collective’s board.
About
The UK Youth Climate Coalition work to mobilise and empower young people to take positive action for global climate justice. It is an organisation run by young people for young people.
their listening fund project
The support of The Listening Fund will enable UKYCC to bring young leaders together at tri-annual residential weekends, to hold more climate justice workshops in schools, and to continue to engage in more advocacy activities at COP28 and SB57.