Launching new funding for disabled and neurodivergent young people’s projects

We are working with partner charity Young Manchester to create new exciting opportunities for young disabled people to have a voice and create their own youth projects.

To fund this programme £25,000 has been provided to give to groups led by disabled and neurodivergent young people to design and deliver social action projects across the city. 

The grants for this programme have been made possible by Manchester City Councils SEND Local Offer programme and GMYN’s disability offer, funded by #iWill, a national movement supporting youth social action.

The SEND Local Offer, GMYN and Young Manchester have been working together to create more opportunities for young disabled people to do youth voice and youth-led social action.

This will be a fantastic opportunity for young people to lead on taking direct action to change the world around them, using their lived experience to recognise and tackle some of the challenges young people can face, all while getting hands-on experience and developing some brilliant life skills in the process. 

Any groups led by disabled and neurodivergent young people can apply from grants ranging from £500 to £3000.

GMYN are proud that this opportunity has been made possible, after months of planning and designing. The grants programme will be led, and funding decisions made by a group of young people called “Changemakers”. These are disabled and neurodivergent young people, supported by GMYN to have a voice and make a difference for other young people with disabilities.

GMYN has been delivering programmes for young people with additional needs for over seven years. Their programmes support disabled and neurodiverse young people to participate in social and developmental activities, have an active voice in their community and improve their wellbeing.

GMYN’s message is clear, all young people should have equal access to high-quality youth provision, but we know that this is currently not the case. New programmes like this grants opportunity will help make a huge impact going forward.

Alex Fairweather, CEO and Founder of GMYN, says: “I am very proud that this new grant programme is now live ready for applications. It’s great that our partnership made up of local youth charities and the city council have been able to create this new exciting opportunity for young disabled people”.

Maria Simpkin, Local Offer Coordinator says: “Manchester City Council is thrilled to be part of this youth led project. We’re intrigued and excited to know what social action projects our SEND young people come up with.”

 You can apply for grants via Young Manchester – SEND Social Action Grants (youngmanchester.org)