National Express Foundation provides £200,000 funding to help young people recover from the pandemic

Applications are invited from community groups for a share of a new pot of funding which is being made available to help young people in the West Midlands ‘make-up’ for time lost during the pandemic. 

Covid-19 had a significant impact on the delivery of community services which support young people. Delivery was either suspended or moved online which proved challenging to access for some young people. As we now build out of the pandemic, the Foundation is ready to support initiatives which play a vital role in helping young people to succeed in life.

The pandemic was particularly difficult for young people with special needs - many of whom rely on face-to-face support. Applications which look to address their specific needs are particularly welcome.

The National Express Foundation has been supporting young people in the West Midlands region since 2012, and is delighted to be able to offer more help after what has been a very challenging time for everyone.

The application process for community groups will involve two stages. Initially, groups will simply be asked to provide a single paragraph setting out the proposed activity. This application form can be found here with a deadline of 29th October 2021. These applications will be assessed, and those which are considered most likely to succeed will be invited to submit a more detailed application.

James Donnan, Foundation General Manager said: “The pandemic has presented so many challenges to all of us. For young people it has even been harder as they have missed out on so many things they would normally have done, and the experiences which shape their lives.

“We want to support community groups that can help young people gain the qualifications they need, to build the skills that will help them get jobs, and to help them develop constructive social networks outside of education or work.”

The deadline for first round community group applications is 29th October 2021, with successful groups being invited to complete a second round form on 5th November before a second stage deadline of 19th November. For full details of the respective projects that can be supported by Foundation funding this year please visit www.nationalexpressgroup.com/foundation