‘If I wasn’t here, I’d have fallen into the wrong crowd’: The Bristol youth centre providing space and support for local young people

• ‘Youth Moves’, located in South Bristol, was awarded nearly £500,000 of National Lottery funding to continue its ground-breaking work nurturing young people who would otherwise have no place to go.
• Bristol received a further £850,000 of National Lottery funding over the last year to 16 projects involving young people*.
• The National Lottery Community Fund has awarded almost £100 million to 1,355 community organisations involving young people across England over the last year*.

This International Youth Day (12 August) The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, is highlighting the positive impact National Lottery funding has had on community projects and charities like Youth Moves, and is celebrating the difference they have made.

Elliot, 18, has been attending ‘Youth Moves’ for two years. He said: “There is nothing to do in Knowles, if it wasn’t for Youth Moves I’d be hanging out with the wrong crowd.”

Encouraged by his college and the mentors at Youth Moves, he will be attending university this Autumn to study graphic design. “I won’t be going to Youth Moves after this summer, but I’d like to come back to volunteer.”

Macy, also 18, found out about Youth Moves from her school and has dreams of being a hairdresser. “If I couldn’t come here I’d be in bed watching Netflix, or going for a walk. Here is much better, everyone is really friendly and they listen to what you have to say.”

Today it was announced that The National Lottery Community Fund, has awarded almost £100 million to 1,355 community organisations involving young people across England over the last year*. Over the past five years The National Lottery Community Fund awarded £1.2 billion across 14,600 projects involving young people in the UK.

Bristol isn’t alone in benefiting from National Lottery funding. In total, charities and community groups across the South West involving young people have been awarded more than £11 million of National Lottery funding throughout 20/21 so far*.

Youth Moves in Bristol is just one of many local groups that have stepped up to support young people during this challenging time. It has been awarded almost £500,000 of National Lottery funding to continue its work nurturing it’s young participants.

Denise Clifford, Head of Youth Work Delivery at Youth Moves, said: “"Having the National Lottery Funding has been invaluable to Youth Moves in providing a quality service to young people. It has enabled us to give more young people a safe place to go and the support they need. This has been even more important over lockdown, as this funding has enabled us to continue to reach out and support vulnerable young people at a time when they needed it most."

Rowan Miller, Head of Funding for the South West at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “It is great to see the positive impact this funding is having on young people in communities across Bristol. The past year has highlighted the many challenges they have to face, and how groups like Youth Moves have dedicated themselves to helping young people in the community to prosper and thrive.

“On International Youth Day, it is important we recognise and celebrate the difference these community groups, and the young people involved, are making to their communities. Thanks to National Lottery players, this funding has given a much-needed boost after what has been an extremely difficult time for so many.”

In 2020, The National Lottery Community Fund set up a Young People in the Lead Advisory Panel (YPiL), comprised of 10 young people recruited from across National Lottery funded projects with a passion for Youth Voice. YPiL works to make sure that young people’s voices are included across The National Lottery Community Fund’s work, whether it’s through the grants they make, the people they influence or the things they learn.

Due to the success of YPiL England, The National Lottery Community Fund has now invested in setting up a YPiL for each country in the UK to ensure Youth Voice is represented across their funding so that decisions made about young people are led and decided by young people.

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes. National Lottery players raise £36 million each week for good causes throughout the UK*. Thanks to National Lottery players, last year we awarded over half a billion pounds (£588.2 million) of life-changing funding to communities across the UK. Over eight in ten (83%) of our grants are for under £10,000 – going to grassroots groups and charities across the UK that are bringing to life amazing ideas that matter to their communities.

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk