Small Grants for Smaller Organisations 2026 - Space2Grow #41

Awards

Following the panel meeting which took place on Wednesday 10th June, Young Barnet Foundation are pleased to be able announce that they are able to fund or part fund the following 10 projects:​​

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Kinspiration CIC - £6,000

Project Description: Provision of a targeted, in-school therapeutic arts/crafts, storytelling, drama and emotional wellbeing enrichment programme for children aged 5–11 who experience social, emotional and mental health challenges. Building on strong outcomes of a previous Space2Grow-funded pilot at Broadfields School this project represents a more focussed expansion into Colindale Primary. We will extend the support to new cohort of 40-60 children including pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), social emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs, Pupil Premium (free school meals) pupils, young carers and looked after children (LAC) who face additional barriers to emotional wellbeing, engagement and learning.

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Heritage Community Crafts CIC - £2,250

Project Description: Part funding to expand on previous ‘CraftyGals’ pilot project, Barnet Young Crafters will be a series of 12 creative Craft Workshops, teaching modern and traditional crafts skills to groups of teenage young men and women that are mostly: Young carers, Looked After / left the Care Home System / Have been excluded from mainstream education. We believe that group crafting sessions encourage informal sharing between participants. From experience we see that this helps to reduce stress, explores entrepreneurship, increases social skills, helps us explore new skills, and to grow in confidence and self-worth.

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Bread n Butter CIC - £6,000

Project Description: Funding to continue delivering our much sought-after cookery classes for the Elected Home Educated (EHE) community. Our classes aim to:

• provide an ‘out-of-home’ activity where children can interact with other home-schooled children in a safe space

• help alleviate feelings of isolation, loneliness and anxiety

• provide valuable life skills

• encourage healthy eating and address ‘poor’ eating habits

• provide an enjoyable sensory experience and the chance to try new ingredients/recipes • increase confidence and independence

• provide some respite for families

• support English, science and maths learning by bringing these skills seamlessly into everyday tasks

• allow safeguard opportunity. Offering 10, 2-hour classes, across two or three Barnet locations. We’ll run them at the time, frequency and venue as arranged with the groups. The course will be AQA accredited so participants gain certifications of achievement, which help with personal confidence and can help with future employment​

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Exposure Organisation Ltd - £6,000

Project Description: Beginning September 2026, Exposure will deliver a six-month, youth-led creative engagement and digital inclusion project for 25 marginalised young people aged 14–25 across Barnet, building skills, confidence, wellbeing and pathways into education, training and work. Supported by trained peer mentors, participants from diverse and marginalised backgrounds, including those experiencing poverty, discrimination, mental ill-health, or exclusion from mainstream services will

benefit. They will be recruited through pastoral teams, SENCOs, Alternative Provision, CAMHS, social services and peer referral. Alongside creative production, the project prioritises social and emotional development and takes a preventative approach. Through weekly creative workshops and mentoring in community settings, outside of school hours, young people will:

• Build confidence, resilience, communication and leadership skills

• Co-create films, podcasts and digital content that amplifies youth voice, celebrates achievements and strengthens community cohesion

• Develop pathways into education, training and employment

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Dare2Dance Company CIC - £2,250

Project Description: Part funding to deliver Dare2Dance’s Move, Play & Grow targeted early intervention programme developed in response to needs identified through our current delivery at Newstead Children’s Centre. Through ongoing sessions, feedback and observation, we have identified a group of children aged 2-4 who are struggling with early communication, confidence and social interaction, particularly in joining group activity, expressing themselves and engaging with others. This project responds by shifting from open-access sessions to a structured, small-group intervention with a clear developmental focus. Sessions are active and movement-based, supporting physical development (coordination, balance and body awareness) alongside social confidence. The programme will work with a referred group of children who would benefit most from additional support.

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BeLifted Now - £6,000

Project Description: Belifted’s ‘Girls & Mothers Empowerment Programme’ brings together young girls (aged 8–18) and their mothers to build resilience, improve wellbeing, and strengthen decision-making through early intervention and prevention. Delivered weekly in schools and community spaces across Barnet, including Saracens High School and surrounding areas, the programme supports families most affected by rising mental health challenges, bullying, and social media pressures. The programme benefits young girls and mothers from underserved communities, helping them build

confidence, strengthen relationships, and make informed, positive life choices.

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​Live Unlimited - £6,000

Project Description: Outdoor Club offers care experienced children aged 7–15 in Barnet a supportive, nature focused space to grow in confidence, build friendships, and enjoy the outdoors. Through hands on activities, therapeutic partnerships, and creative exploration, the programme helps young people develop resilience while having fun in a safe and nurturing environment. A summary is below: 

 

• Sessions will take place at GROW in Barnet, a large community farm and horticulture site.

• Children take part in hands on activities including: o Planting and harvesting o Cooking o Caring for animals o Exploring wildlife o Confidence building outdoor play

• We will repeat our offering with Strength and Learning Through Horses, where participants meet a horse for one session in the programme, to help children reduce anxiety and build confidence.

• A new element will be piloted: three nature photography workshops in weeks 2, 4 and 6 of the project, teaching wildlife observation, use of light, composition, and bird call recognition.

• Working with a relatively small group of 10 children per term will allow us to work intensely with participants. Sessions run over several weeks and allow for consistent, personalised support and trusting relationships to develop. This level of individual attention is rarely available to care experienced children and enables deeper engagement and more long‑lasting positive impact.

• Outdoor Club addresses key needs for care‑experienced children, including anxiety, low confidence, isolation, and limited access to safe outdoor activities. • The programme will benefit 10 children per term, with carers also receiving respite while the activities take place—directly impacting approximately 20–30 people in total.​​

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Canons CC - £6,000

Project Description: To train six age-groups of keen girls (GU10, GU11, GU12, GU13, GU14, GU15), with each squad comprising 14 unique children, in a programme that covers basic to intermediate skills in cricket, so that the children can become role-models in LB Barnet - for excellence by girls in junior sports, by demonstrating performance in league games, girls teams competing in boys’ league competitions for the first time, with a possible selection to the Middlesex regional, hub and main junior squads. In a summer when England hosts the ICC Cricket World Cup, these children from our local families can inspire others in their schools and neighbourhoods, to participate in sports opportunities for an active and healthier borough, towards a Fit & Active Barnet. These teams will play reputed summer competitions until July and the indoor competitions at various London venues from October to December.

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Bulldogs Basketball CIC - £4,000

Project Description: We will deliver weekly inclusive basketball sessions for young people aged 11–19 with low to moderate SEND in Barnet. The project builds on our Sport England-funded pilot (2025/26), which demonstrated strong demand and engagement from participants and families. Sessions will be delivered by qualified, experienced coaches, supported by a dedicated support worker from Dynamic People Ltd, ensuring participants receive appropriate guidance and support. We will increase our provision from 10 to 15 participants per session, working with local SEND schools and parents to grow and sustain attendance. Additional delivery includes: Taster sessions in SEND schools to introduce the programme A SEND basketball workshop at our annual festival to engage new participants. The project addresses a lack of accessible, inclusive sports provision locally, with many young people facing barriers to mainstream activity It will improve physical activity levels, confidence, communication and social interaction, while providing a consistent and supportive environment.

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Center of Excellence CIC - £5,500

Project Description: Our Girls Football Academy will be delivered by our organisation to establish a dedicated female-led football provision for 40 girls aged 6–16 in Grahame Park. The project responds to unmet demand within our existing programme, where participation exceeds capacity but girls remain underrepresented due to confidence, cultural barriers, and lack of girls-only provision.

Over 40 weeks, the project will deliver structured weekly sessions at Saracens Sports Centre, Colindale, providing a safe and high-quality environment for participation. Activities will include: • Weekly football training sessions delivered by an all-female team (2 female FA-qualified coaches and 2 female trained volunteers recruited locally and supported into formal qualifications and paid roles) • Small-sided fixtures and skill development • Termly tournaments and community events engaging families • Light-touch mentoring and workshops focused on confidence, teamwork, and pathways in sport Participants will engage for a minimum of 20 weeks, with many continuing across the full 40 week to ensure consistency and depth of impact. The project will: • Increase girls’ participation in physical activity • Improve confidence, wellbeing, and social connection • Provide early exposure to pathways in sport and leadership This project ensures targeted expansion of existing high-demand programme, creating equal access and sustainable engagement for girls in local community.

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