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Money for your ideas

When the government did a survey about local facilities for young people in 2005, you said you would like to have a bigger say in what projects were given the go ahead. So to make sure that your voice is heard, the Youth Opportunity and Youth Capital Funds have been introduced. The two pots of money give you the opportunity to give your local facilities a bit of a makeover.

All the money has got to be spent by March 2011. Here are the best bits:

• you come up with the ideas
• young people like you decide who gets what
• your local authority has got to spend Youth Fund money on projects for teenagers in your area

The money is there to help 13 -19 year olds in England just like you to:

• take a lead role in improving youth facilities
• enjoy your life and spare time
• learn new skills that look great on a CV or college application form

You apply for Youth Funds through your local authority - it doesn't matter who you are, everyone can have their say and get involved.

All you need to do is:

• show how your project can improve your area
• fill in the application pack
• send it in to your local authority

Don’t forget to check the funding conditions to make sure your idea qualifies.

If everyone in your group is under 18, you may need to have an adult to sign the form.

• Making a great Youth Fund application

Who decides who gets the money?

Young people also get to decide where the money goes. Some local authorities have set up panels of teenagers from their area to help choose the best projects. Others are asking all young people in their area what they think the money should be spent on.

Your local authority will have a ‘Youth Funds co-ordinator’, or ‘YOF co-ordinator’ working for them. They will be able to tell you how the decision in your area will be made. If you want to get involved in your local Youth Panel, find out how other members think they've benefited by watching a video

• Download an interview with Youth Panel members and find out why they think it's a great idea (WMV, 13107K)
• Read a transcript of an interview with Youth Panel members and find out why they think it's a great idea

What's in it for you?

Don't worry if you've never done anything like this before. Coming up with a project plan involves a number of people and you can decide how much responsibility you want to take on.

What's good about Youth Funds is that you can get together with your mates and work out what's missing in your area. You can have a say in what activities and facilities are needed, get involved and see your plan come to life.

If you know your neighbourhood could do with a few improvements, but you're struggling to come up with a specific idea, have a look at our real-life examples pages to see what projects are already running around the country and how Youth Fund money has helped them.

• Youth Funds - what's been going on?
• Download an interview with young people who received Youth Funds money for their project (WMV, 8583K)
• Read the transcript of an interview with young people who received Youth Funds money for their project

What does YOF and YCF stand for?

YOF stands for the Youth Opportunity Fund. YOF money is usually awarded to the projects themselves and the money can be used to buy equipment.

YCF stands for  the Youth Capital Fund. YCF projects tend to be larger in size than YOF ones. YCF money pays for the buildings and facilities that each project needs, as opposed to the cost of running a project.

Don’t worry about these terms. The most important thing is to come up with a top idea and get in contact with your local authority. Their Youth Funds co-ordinator will be able to help you with the finer details.