Are you a young person interested in getting involved in one of our opportunities?
Want to make a difference?
Whether you're a young changemaker or an organisation eager to support youth-led initiatives, the SNG #iwill Fund offers many ways to get involved.
From grants to events and community networks, we provide opportunities to create real, lasting impact.
Explore below to see how you can help build stronger communities and brighter futures.
For organisations
Are you an organisation in one of our communities that works with young people or is looking to engage young people? Kickstart your youth social action initiatives through the opportunities below.
A space for connection, collaboration, and creating change, the SNG Youth Social Action Network brings together individuals and organisations passionate about youth social action. It’s an opportunity to expand your network, share best practices, and explore new ways to empower young people.
In partnership with Beatfreeks 
the Network offers:
- Quarterly network meetings and Innovation Labs – Themed sessions featuring interactive discussions and activities. Network meetings focus on connection and resource sharing, while Innovation Labs co-create solutions to common challenges.
- Quarterly e-newsletters – Featuring inspiring stories, opportunities, resources, and a dedicated Youth Voice section.
- Shared resources and learning – Access a dedicated Zoom space for resource sharing and collaboration.
Find out more about our Youth Social Action Network here, or sign up using this form.
Our Wellbeing and Social Action Festivals aim to bring young people together to inspire action, break down mental health stigmas, and create positive change in their communities. These festivals provide pathways to youth social action and volunteering while fostering connection and collaboration.
For 2025, we're partnering with four trusted organisations to help young people plan and host their own wellbeing-themed social action events. Each festival includes a free, engaging event designed to spark momentum for further community action.
Find out more information about each festival this year below
2025 festival locations:
Looking ahead to 2026
Next year, we’ll expand to six more regions, engaging even more young people in planning and delivering their own festivals.
If you work in one of the below areas and are interested in collaborating or getting involved in your local festival, please contact us at iwillfund@sng.org.uk.
- North Hampshire & Surrey
- South Hampshire
- Dorset
- Wiltshire
- Hertfordshire
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Learn more about the six key areas we're focusing on in 2026.
Find out more about our Wellbeing and Social Action Festivals here.
The Wellbeing Champions Programme (WCP) offers grants of up to £10,000 to community organisations to run a 9-month programme empowering young people (ages 10-20) to become Wellbeing Champions.
Participants gain skills and lead their own youth social action projects focused on mental health and wellbeing.
Applications for our third and final round of funding closed on 12 June 2025.
The SNG #iwill Fund 2.0 – Wellbeing Champions Programme (or WCP) offers grants of up to £10,000 to community organisations to deliver our Wellbeing Champions Programme.
This is a 9-month programme focusing on up-skilling at least 15 young people aged 10-20 to become Wellbeing Champions while facilitating the space for them to plan and lead on a youth social action project of their choice around mental health and wellbeing.
Applications for our third round of funding closed in June 2025 with no further rounds currently planned.
Find out more information about our WCP here.
For young people
Are you a young person who wants to engage in youth social action activities? Check out the opportunities below to see how you can get involved.
If you’d like more information or want to take part in any of these, please complete this short contact form.
Join a youth social action project near you
Get involved in a social action project near you to meet new people, gain new skills, make a difference – while having fun! We currently offer two types of projects:
- Wellbeing Champions Programme (WCP) - focused on mental health and wellbeing
- Intergenerational Social Action (ISA) - Bringing different generations together through community action.
Locality 1 – Oxfordshire
Location: Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Ages: 16-20
Are you 16-20 and passionate about creating change in your community? This project is seeking youth ambassadors to champion wellbeing and social action. You'll identify key wellbeing issues, receive training to support yourself and others, and learn how to use your voice for positive change. Throughout the summer, you'll help plan and run events while mentoring the next group of young leaders, shaping the future of the project.
Get involved: Email Holly at The Abingdon Bridge or reach out on Instagram.
Learn more: Visit their website.
Location: Didcot, Oxfordshire
Ages: 5-20
Are you aged 5-20 and passionate about connecting generations to tackle local issues? This project is seeking young Community Ambassadors to bring together older and younger residents to collaborate on creating more connected communities. You’ll receive the tools, resources, and support to make a lasting impact, develop new skills, and build meaningful connections.
Get involved: Email TRAIN, text or call them on 07458306361 or visit a youth worker at Didcot TRAIN, Unit 1A, Market Place, OX11 7LE
Learn more: Visit their website.
Location: Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
Ages: 5-20
Are you aged 5-20 and eager to connect different generations in your community? This project is looking for Community Ambassadors to help bring together older and younger residents to tackle local issues and create more connected communities. You’ll receive the tools and support to make a lasting impact, while gaining new skills and building friendships.
Get involved: Send them a message on their Facebook page.
Learn more: Visit their website.
Locality 2 – Berkshire
Location: Lambourne, Berkshire
Ages: 15-20
Are you aged 11-17 and interested in making a change in your community? The Lambourn Youth Council (LYC) offers the chance to represent young people’s voices, discussing key issues like youth services, mental health, the environment, and public safety. You’ll help plan wellbeing projects, learn about governance and decision-making, and amplify youth concerns to local authorities. The council focuses on building leadership, civic responsibility, and empowering young people. You can also log hours for community service and awards like the Duke of Edinburgh.
Currently, all 16 council spots are filled, but vacancies may open throughout the year.
Get involved: If you are interested in joining when places become available, please email Lambourn Junction CIC.
Find more: Visit their website.
Location: Newbury, Oxford
Ages: 5-20
Are you passionate about connecting older and younger residents to address local issues and build stronger communities? This project is looking for young people to become Community Ambassadors. You’ll receive the tools, resources, and support to make a lasting impact while gaining valuable skills and forming new friendships.
Get involved: Email Kerrie at Berkshire Youth.
Learn more: Visit their website.
Location: Wokingham and Reading, Berkshire
Ages: 12-14
If you’re interested in supporting mental health, this project invites young people to become Mental Health Champions. You’ll receive training, contribute to social action projects, and help plan activities like Health Engagement Days or disability inclusion festivals. The focus is on building mental health awareness and developing leadership skills.
Get involved: Email Ramona at Me2Club or give them a call on 0118 969 6369.
Learn more: Visit their website.
Location: Slough, Berkshire
Ages: 5-20
This project invites young people to become Community Ambassadors and connect generations through activities that address local issues. You’ll receive support and resources to create meaningful change while developing skills and making new connections.
Get involved: Complete this sign up form.
Learn more: Visit their website.
Location: Reading, Berkshire
Ages: 10-16
If you're a young man interested in cooking and learning about health, this project focuses on using cookery to discuss healthy eating, mental health, and wellbeing. After cooking affordable meals, you'll enjoy them with peers and hear from local experts on health topics. You'll also get training to plan your own social action project.
Get involved: Email The Black Boy Joy Club.
Learn more: Visit their Facebook group.
Locality 3 – Basingstoke & Deane
Location: Basingstoke, Hampshire
Ages: 11-17
Are you passionate about making a difference? This project brings together 15 young people as wellbeing champions and 30 to form a Youth Advisory Board. The Board will lead youth-led social action projects, advise the voluntary sector, and share views on local issues with the Basingstoke Local Children’s Partnership. You'll receive training in mental health and wellbeing, and support to set up, deliver, and evaluate your project. At the end, all participants can become wellbeing champions with ongoing support.
Get involved: Email Stacey at RMD Adventure Learning.
Learn more: Visit their website.
Locality 4 – South Hampshire
Location: Southampton, Hampshire
Ages: 16-20
This project invites 20 young people to join Light UP, a youth theatre, to create and share mental health and wellbeing practices based on personal experiences. Together, you'll design a social action project to introduce creative health practices and empower young people to embrace their true selves, regardless of gender identity, sexuality, or mental health diagnosis. A wellbeing lead will be appointed to the Youth Board to evaluate the project's impact.
Get involved: Email Courtney or complete this sign up form. Read the Unexpected Places’ Information Pack to find out more about the programme [pdf, 1.55MB] .
Locality 5 – Isle of Wight
Location: Ryde, IOW
Ages: 5-20
Are you passionate about connecting generations and tackling local issues? The Community Ambassador Programme invites young people to lead projects that foster collaboration between older and younger residents, creating more connected communities. You'll receive support and resources to drive social action, while gaining valuable skills and friendships.
Get involved: Email the SNG #iwill Fund team.
Locality 6 – Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole (BCP)
Location: Boscombe, Bournemouth
Ages: 10-11
This project offers mental health sessions at a café, empowering young people to support their own and others' wellbeing. The project includes 4 series of weekly sessions over 8 weeks, with groups of 5-6 participants. Young people will practice mindfulness and discuss mental health topics alongside guest speakers on some sessions. You'll also plan and deliver a youth social action project, mentoring new members along the way.
Get involved: Email Charlotte at The Joy Café or get in touch on Instagram or Facebook.
Location: Boscombe, Bournemouth
Ages: 13-15
This project gives young people with lived experience of poverty a platform to discuss important issues through podcasting. Inspired by a podcast workshop, the group ""The Pod Squad"" will use digital tools to create an online campaign that challenges perceptions about the impact of poverty on children’s mental health. They’ll work with Soniche Productions, who will provide sessions, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities.
Get involved: Email Poppy at Creative Kids with the subject “Podcasting Project” or contact her on 07932772905.
Learn more: Visit their website.
Location: Bournemouth
Ages: 15-20
The project will set up a peer mentoring programme in the Bournemouth area, training young people to educate their peers about county lines. Participants will choose the format of their social action project, either by creating a presentation for small groups or through an art project.
Get involved: Email Escapeline. (usually by referral from a school or professional)
Learn more: Visit their website.
Location: Bournemouth
Ages: 10-20
For young carers, this project focuses on creating resources to ease transitions from primary to secondary school and from college to university. You’ll become a wellbeing champion, researching the challenges young carers face and using this information to shape a social action project. The resources will be shared to help young carers across the UK.
Get involved: Email MYTIME Young Carers or give them a call on 01202 710701. (for carers under-18 only)
Learn more: Visit their website.
Locality 7 – Dorset
Location: Gillingham, Dorset
Ages: 11-16
This project allows young people to drive positive change by developing new skills. You'll start with a launch event, followed by workshops on leadership and project management. You'll lead a social media campaign for neighborhood clean-ups, create mental health resources, and organize a mental health day. Other activities include designing a mural, building a community garden, fundraising, and hosting a skills swap day. The project concludes with a celebration event.
Get involved: Email Gillingham Youth Club or get in touch on Facebook.
Learn more: Visit their Facebook page.
Location: Dorchester, Dorset
Ages: 10-20
For young people aged 15-19 with special educational needs, a disability, or neurodivergence, this project offers volunteering opportunities. You'll be paired with a hospital mentor to become a Wellbeing Buddy, supporting young patients aged 5-18. The project includes workshops on career planning, emotional wellbeing, and mindfulness. You'll gain vocational experience and social skills while contributing to the community.
Get involved: Email Hayley or give her a call on 07915247429.
Learn more: Visit their website.
Locality 8 - Devon
Location: Exeter
Ages: 10-16
This project will give you the chance to explore mental wellbeing, emotional regulation, and physical health, learning how they all connect and impact your life and those around you. After training, you'll have the chance to create and deliver your own youth social action project, leading community outreach to improve wellbeing and inspire others to act.
Get involved: Complete this sign-up form or email Exeter City Community Trust.
Learn more: Visit their website.
Locality 9 – Bristol & Gloucester
Location: Bristol
Ages: 10-20
Summary: Are you aged 12-14 and interested in tackling environmental issues while supporting mental health? This project will help you explore how environmental sustainability and concerns about the future affect mental wellbeing.
You’ll attend workshops on sustainability, mental health, and coping strategies for anxiety, with guest speakers providing valuable insights. Then, you’ll work in teams to identify local environmental issues and create your own youth social action initiative to lead.
You’ll also be part of peer support groups, offering and receiving support in a safe space. At the end of the programme, you’ll present your project to the community and gather feedback.
Take Part By: Complete this sign-up form or complete their ‘Contact Us’ form.
Location: Bristol
Ages: 13-19
Summary: Are you aged 13-19 and interested in the connection between physical and mental wellbeing? This project focuses on improving both, led by peers.
You’ll receive training on social action and develop your own ideas. You’ll work in two teams: one will deliver physical activity sessions to other young people, while the other will lead mental health awareness workshops at youth clubs, schools, and more.
You’ll also take part in healthy eating and cooking workshops to link physical and mental health. At the end, you’ll train the next group of young people and contribute to building a youth gym in Bristol.
Take Part By: Email Levi at Youth Moves or give them a call on 0117 363 4969.
Locality 10 – Wiltshire
Location: Swindon, Wiltshire
Ages: 10-16
If you're aged 10-16 and want to make an impact, this project offers a chance to pitch a peer mentoring programme to students and school leaders. Afterward, you'll receive Mental Health First Aid training and help peers at another school mentor Year 7 students. You'll also design and lead your own youth social action project to make a difference in your community.
Get involved: Young people are usually referred to the project through their school. However, if you are aged 16 or over from Swindon, email Luke from SMASH Youth Project with the subject “#iwill Peer Mentoring” or call on 07884270976.
Learn more: Visit their website.
Locality 11 – London
Location: Stockwell, London
Ages: 16-24
If you're aged 10-16 and passionate about art and social change, this project helps you develop as a community activist and leader. You'll create art focused on local issues and sustainability, working with trained facilitators in mental health and SEND support. The project ends with a community showcase of your work.
Take Part By: Email Art4Space. (Young people are usually referred to the project through their school).
Learn more: Visit their website.
Location: Tower Hamlets, London
Ages: 15-19
Summary: Are you aged 15-20 and interested in becoming a Mental Health Wellbeing Champion? In this project, you’ll receive training as a Mental Health First Aider and Wellbeing Champion, equipping you with skills in research, community engagement, and project management.
You’ll then join a Youth Mental Health Board, split into teams, and develop social action projects to address local mental health needs. Along the way, you’ll earn an OCN Level 1 Project Management qualification. The project will wrap up with a Youth Showcase to celebrate all your achievements!
Get involved: Complete this sign-up form or complete this ‘Contact Us’ form
Learn more: Visit their website.
Location: Newham, London
Ages: 14-16
If you're aged 11-16 and want to make a difference, this project helps you become a wellbeing champion. You'll gain skills in mental health, peer support, leadership, and social action, and then work in teams to design and lead mental health advocacy projects. The programme includes skill-building activities, and it ends with a celebration event recognising your efforts.
Get involved: Complete this ‘Contact Us’ form if you're interested though young people are usually referred to the project through their school or other agency.
Learn more: Visit their website.
Location: Hackney and Across London
Ages: 16-20
This project helps you develop leadership skills by joining the Eat Club’s Young Leaders Programme. You'll learn about project planning, mental health, communication, budgeting, and resource management while creating social action projects focused on food, health, and wellbeing. After implementing your project, there will be a follow-up session to continue your leadership journey.
Get involved: All places on the project are currently taken. However, if you are interested in joining, email Eat Club or complete their ‘Contact Us’ form .
Learn more: Visit their website.
Location: Lambeth, London
Ages: 14-16
If you're aged 14-16 and want to create change in your community, this project helps you become a wellbeing champion. You'll develop social action, public speaking, and mental health awareness skills while working with your team to create and present a project. The winning team gets £500 to implement their project, and you can join Sculpt's online community to continue your social action work.
Get involved: Young people are usually referred to the project through their school. However, if you interested getting involved complete Sculpt’s ‘Contact Us’ form or email the SNG #iwill Fund team . View Sculpt's poster about the programme to find out more [pdf, 280KB] .
Learn more: Visit their website
Locality 12 – Hertfordshire
Get involved in a Wellbeing & Social Action Festival
Our Wellbeing and Social Action Festivals aim to inspire and empower young people by providing pathways to engage in youth social action and volunteering. The festivals also serve to bridge community divides and challenge mental health stigmas.
This year, we're partnering with four trusted community organisations to offer young people meaningful experiences in planning social action and wellbeing events for their peers. These festivals will also provide a fun, free opportunity to create momentum for future social action in local areas.
Find out more about each festival this year below.
2025 festival locations:
Looking ahead to 2026
Next year, we’ll expand to six more areas, engaging even more young people in planning and delivering their own festivals.
If you live in one of the below areas and are interested in staying updated with more details about your local festival, which will take place next summer, please complete our Get Involved Form .
- Basingstoke
- Southampton
- Dorset
- Swindon
- Hertfordshire
- Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole
Find out more about our Wellbeing and Social Action Festivals here.
Help us choose future projects
At SNG, we believe young people’s voices should guide our decisions - especially when it comes to choosing which projects to fund. That’s why we’re inviting young people aged under 25 to help vote on the projects we support. This way, we can ensure the projects truly reflect the needs and interests of young people.
If you're interested in taking part in future scoring opportunities, please register by completing our Get Involved Form .
Start your own youth social action project
Do you see something in your community that needs change? Maybe there’s an issue you’re passionate about or an isolated group you’d like to support. Starting a youth social action project can make a big difference. From creating green spaces in your area to supporting mental health, your initiative can positively impact your community, build your skills and confidence, and boost wellbeing.
Through your project, you’ll not only improve your environment but also inspire others and foster social cohesion. For guidance on starting your own youth social action project, check out this toolkit from UK Youth [PDF, 1.9MB].
Become an #iwill Changemaker
The #iwill movement - with over 1,000 organisations and 700 young Ambassadors and Changemakers - empowers young people to make a positive difference in their communities. As an #iwill Changemaker, you’ll have access to resources, training, and opportunities to drive social change.
If you're aged 10-25 and want to lead a social action initiative, join the #iwill Changemakers. Whether you're starting or already involved in a project, becoming a Changemaker is a great way to continue making an impact. Find out more about signing up to be an #iwill Changemaker here.
Become an #iwill Ambassador
Each year, #iwill recruits 50 Ambassadors to guide the movement’s strategy, inspire others, and collaborate with partners. Ambassadors develop valuable leadership skills and help shape national change.
Through youth social action, Ambassadors inspire other young people to join the movement, and collaborate with partners and organisations, playing a pivotal role in shaping and leading change.
Find out more about applying to be an #iwill Ambassador here.
Look after your own mental health and wellbeing and support others
Improving your mental wellbeing and supporting others can be as simple as following five key steps:
- Connect – Build strong relationships by spending time with others and engaging in community activities.
- Be active – Physical activity can boost your mood and self-esteem.
- Learn new skills – Try new hobbies or take on responsibilities to expand your skills.
- Give – Small acts of kindness can improve your wellbeing. Volunteering is also a great way to make a difference.
- Be mindful – Practice mindfulness to improve your self-awareness and handle challenges more effectively.
Find out more about the NHS 5 Ways to Wellbeing.
Young Minds also provides valuable advice on supporting others' mental health, including how to listen, share resources, and encourage professional help when needed.
Find more information on how to support someone with their mental health and wellbeing.
