Furthering education and careers support for care-experienced children and young people

The Leathersellers’ Foundation has awarded £120,000 of grants as part of a new single-year programme to improve educational outcomes for children and young people currently in care, or care leavers.

The single-year grants are focused on interventions with the greatest short-term impact from tutoring and academic school age support to careers, the power of mentoring, and activities that build confidence and self-esteem.

18 organisations were identified as fulfilling these targeted delivery areas and were invited to apply. Seven grants were awarded to organisations that can make a difference to the education of care-experienced children and young people over the course of the next year.

Programmes include ‘Reading Heroes’ from charity The Reader, which matches trained volunteers with care-experienced young people to deliver digital shared reading sessions; a course built on lived experienced from Power2Prevail to help care leavers develop skills and knowledge on their journey to independence and adulthood; and ‘Grandmentors’ delivered by charity Volunteering Matters, which matches care leavers with older mentors, supporting young people through a trauma informed approach to achieve practical goals such as stable education or employment.

Natalia Rymaszewska, Head of Grants at The Leathersellers’ Foundation says: “This single-year grants programme builds on and develops existing support for care leavers as part of our objective to improve social mobility. The ambition is that this short-term funding will allow these charities to pilot, extend their reach and/or learn about what works in the specific context of care. Where possible we look forward to adding value to these relationships and facilitating opportunities to share knowledge and experience.”

Charities and grant information

Care to Dance CIC
£ per year: £19,500
Area: North East and West Midlands

Caudwell Youth
£ per year: £16,310
Area: East and South East

Volunteering Matters
£ per year: £16,310
Area: Scotland and England

Power2Prevail
£ per year: £20,000
Area: London

The Reader
£ per year: £19,800
Area: North West

Team UP for Social Mobility
£ per year: £10,400
Area: East

RISE UP (Talent RISE)
£ per year: £20,000
Area: North West

Total: £120,000

Learn more about our Education portfolio of funding and how we help to improve social mobility