BBC Children in Need – Lead The Change: supporting young people in Sunderland

About BBC Children in Need

Lead the Change is a new, three‑year initiative launched by BBC Children in Need, in partnership with Co‑op Foundation, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Henry Smith Foundation, Joseph Levy Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Postcode Justice Trust, UK Community Foundations and The National Lottery Community Fund. The programme supports young people to play a leading role in strengthening relationships, fostering understanding and building belonging in their communities.

Research shows that many young people feel disconnected, less heard by decision makers, and increasingly cautious about expressing themselves – especially online, where exposure to harmful or misleading content can be common. Combined with financial pressures facing families and communities, these factors can deepen isolation and weaken young people’s sense of belonging.

Lead the Change responds by investing directly in youth leadership, community connection and opportunity. The programme enables youth‑led projects, creates safe spaces, strengthens relationships across communities, and helps young people build skills, including navigating online information and shaping positive narratives.

What the Programme Aims to Achieve

Lead the Change aims to:

• Strengthen community connection and safety
• Empower young people as leaders, storytellers and changemakers
• Support young people to build digital literacy and challenge harmful narratives
• Increase opportunity through skills and leadership pathways
• Build a national movement for youth‑led connection and change

Key Information

• Grant amount – £123,353 funding for one organisation in Sunderland
• Grant length – 3 years (circa £41,000pa)
• Project grants to support the aims and delivery of work in Sunderland and which meets the criteria set out below
• Applicants will be required to demonstrate the strength of youth leadership and voice within their organisation, relevance to target communities (young people impacted by xenophobia, racism, and islamophobia) and programme aims, safeguarding and trauma-informed practice, capacity to deliver and sustain impact and a commitment to the six principles of high-quality youth social action. We particularly welcome applications from organisations led by people most impacted by xenophobia, racism and Islamophobia
• You can apply if you are already funded by BBC Children in Need or a Community Foundation, but you cannot apply for the same work that is already funded (or any work already funded by another organisation)
• You can only apply for and hold one Lead the Change grant

Who Can Apply

Lead the Change through Community Foundation North East is open to UK registered not‑for‑profit organisations that:

• Have an annual turnover of no more than £2m, unless you are a domestic abuse refuge or hospice
• Have at least three trustees/members of the governing body
• Work in, and are based in, Sunderland
• Work with children and young people aged 18 years and under
• Work in the heart of their communities and are trusted by young people
• Put the voices, experiences and skills of children and young people at the centre of everything they do, from design to delivery
• Can demonstrate strong Safeguarding and trauma‑informed practice
• Are keen to keep learning about and developing their work with children and young people

What the Programme Will Fund

Lead the Change will fund work that strengthens local relationships, builds confidence and belonging, and gives young people the tools to lead change.

We are keen to fund organisations that will support young people to drive positive change in their communities informed by local priorities.

Projects could include:

• Safe spaces for young people to meet and connect – youth clubs, sports, creative and cultural spaces
• Youth‑led community action and resilience – co‑designed projects, leadership development, intercultural initiatives to bring people together
• Pathways to opportunity – skills development, mentoring, training and connection to training or apprenticeships
• Narrative change and digital literacy – tackling misinformation and disinformation, storytelling and youth-created content

What the Programme Cannot Fund

Please read the document here for further information on what or who cannot be funded.

What Applicants Must Demonstrate

• Close alignment with the aims of ‘Lead the Change’
• A track record of working within their community and ability to show how their project will create meaningful, measurable change for local children and young people
• The strength of youth leadership and voice within their organisation (in design and/or delivery and/or governance)
• Relevance to target communities (young people impacted by xenophobia, racism, and islamophobia) and programme aims
• Safeguarding and trauma-informed practice, capacity to deliver and sustain impact and a commitment to the six principles of high-quality youth social action
• We particularly welcome applications from organisations led by people most impacted by xenophobia, racism and Islamophobia
• Strong local connections, including lived experience, community leadership, or volunteer involvement from the children, young people, and families they support
• Capacity to deliver safely and sustainably

The Application Process

You must be operating in Sunderland to apply via Community Foundation North East.

The Expression of interest form will be available in the ‘Calls for Applications’ section via our apply page here

If you are working in other places in England click here to see the full list of areas covered and how to apply to your local Community Foundation.

Stage 1: Expression of Interest (EOI)

You will have four weeks to submit your EOI and you will be asked for basic organisational information, a brief overview of your proposed work, and supporting documents, including current Safeguarding Policies.

You will be contacted by 13 May 2026 if you are invited to make a full application.

Stage 2: Full Application (Invitation Only)

Invitations will be sent to successful applicants on 13 May. You will have until 10 June 2026 to complete the full application.

Full applications will ask for more detail about your project, youth leadership, safeguarding, governance, finances and delivery plan. We will visit you as part of the assessment process.

You will hear the outcome of your application by the end of August 2026.

Please see our ‘Frequently asked Questions‘ document here, if you have any other questions please contact Pete Barrett.