Pears Youth Fund Awards £140,000 to Youth Groups

New round of funding supports youth projects in Leeds and Bradford

The latest round of the Pears Youth Fund has allocated £140,000 to seven community organisations across Leeds and Bradford. The fund, established in 2017 through a partnership between Leeds Community Foundation and Pears Foundation, aims to support youth work and promote youth voice, empowerment, and activities in the region.

Organisations receiving grants

The seven organisations awarded grants in this round are:

• Bradford Community Broadcasting, Bradford
• Bradford Nightstop, Bradford
• Brave Words CIC, Leeds
• Circus Leeds, Leeds
• Interplay Theatre, Leeds
• Seacroft Community On Top, Leeds
• The Valley Project, Bradford

Funded activities

The funding will support a range of youth-focused activities including:

• Pay-What-You-Can youth theatres providing safe, creative spaces for children and young people to develop positive social and emotional skills.
• Projects empowering young people to develop and deliver initiatives on LGBTQ+ inclusion within their schools.
• Consultations and outreach programmes designed to engage young people and gather their views to inform future activities.

Impact since inception

Since its launch in 2017, the Pears Youth Fund has awarded 91 grants totalling more than £930,000. Nearly 9,000 young people have participated in activities supported by the fund during this period.

These investments reflect ongoing efforts to enhance youth engagement and provide opportunities for young people across Leeds and Bradford.

Source: Leeds Community Foundation