John Lyon’s Charity (JLC) has pledged to provide “longer and larger grants” to the children’s and young people’s charities it supports to avert “the very real possibility” of them “having to pack up and close their doors”.

The grant maker warns that youth charities are struggling to survive following the Covid-19 pandemic and amid the cost-of-living crisis.

As a result, it has this week launched a five-year strategy promising more funding over a longer period to ensure their survival. The funder also pledges to simplify its grant-making, to further help charities.

“Survival has been the most common concern flagged to John Lyon's Charity since 2020, and the reality is, things aren’t getting easier,” said the grant maker.

“Despite government commitment and fundraising initiatives, John Lyon’s Charity can see that there simply isn’t enough national support to protect vital services and the charity has therefore changed its way of grant-making to help ensure the longevity of the children and young people (CYP) sector.”

JLC chief executive Lynne Guyton added: “It has been a succession of one financial travesty after another for the sector– from austerity to Covid to Cost of Living - and the reality is, we cannot fund every charity.

“However, our new strategy will help us focus our funds where they can have the most impact. Our new funding approach will mean organisations can request larger grants for longer periods of time to help alleviate the financial pressures and worries of the current climate.

“We hope that this new focus will help the CYP sector rebuild and be strong, and that charities survive this incredibly uncertain time.”

Among recipients of JLC funding is the charity Somali Bravanese Welfare Association. Its project co-ordinator Roda Imam said: “The demand for our service has increased and most of the families we work with come from a low-income background.

“We are having to do much more than we can cope with in terms of the extra hours staff are working to keep up with the demand. Funding from John Lyon’s Charity has been a lifeline for Somali Bravanese Welfare Association and this new way of funding will really help in the long-term.”

Since 1991 JLC has handed out more than £179m in grants to charities that support children and young people.

Research published last December by IVAR, called on funders to do more to help charities tackle recruitment and retention challenges during the cost-of-living crisis by offering long term unrestricted funding to support the sector.

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