Youth grants

• The application deadline is 10am on Monday 25^th April 2022. Please note, applications for this grant opportunity have now closed. 

• Successful projects will be able to start in June and must be completed by the end of October 2022. If you are planning to run your own project at your school, college or university, please don't forget to factor in the summer holidays!

We're inviting young people aged 14-25 from across the country to... 

'Come up with a project idea to celebrate and share why UK native plants and/or fungi are so special'

We're looking for...

• Projects that focus on UK native plants and/or fungi.

• Projects that will get other people involved in some way. You should aim to share your project with at least 100 people. This may sound like a big number but it's not too difficult to achieve with online platforms and social media to help. 

How will other people benefit from your project ideas? Think about the positive impact you'll have and tell us all about it!

• Projects that will make good use of the £500 grant - tell us how you will use the money to create the biggest impact. 

Consider what you will need to buy or pay for if your application is successful. This can be any equipment or materials, training, resources, or expert help you need. Please note that the grant cannot be use to pay yourself a wage or salary. 

• Projects with a WOW-factor - be original and come up with something exciting!

Important: You’ll need permission from the landowner if your project involves any activity taking place in a public area. 

• You must nominate a youth, community or education-focused organisation to support you with your project. Think about any organisations you are already connected with. Or, if you don’t have an existing connection, could you reach out to an organisation based in your community? 

• Your Supporting Organisation will play an important role, helping you with the running of your project and holding the £500 grant on your behalf. Money cannot be placed in personal bank accounts or private business bank accounts.  

• When seeking support from an organisation, show them the guidance for Supporting Organisations, so they know what’s expected of them. Make sure you read this too, for more details about which organisations are eligible.

• Talk through your project ideas and work with your Supporting Organisation to make sure you can complete your project safely. Your safety, and the safety of everyone involved is most important, so you need to plan for this carefully. This includes taking necessary steps and precautions to safeguard any young or vulnerable people involved in your project and to reduce the risk of Covid-19. 

• How could you share your project online so people could get involved wherever they are?  Maybe you could create videos, a blog or even a newsletter?  

• How could you make your project more environmentally sustainable? For example, you could use peat-free compost only, harvest rainwater, use local suppliers, or work with recycled materials. 

• How will you ensure your project is achievable in the given time frame? Are there any holidays to consider which might impact its delivery?  

• Covid-19 continues to impact many people in different ways - how can you make sure everyone involved with your project feels comfortable, safe and included? 

Your video should be no longer than  two minutes. That’s it! 

You don’t need any fancy equipment for this – just a mobile phone is fine. We’re interested in your project ideas, not your film making skills, just present the information clearly. 

Please include: 

1. Your catchy project name 

2. Your project idea and why you want to do it

3. An explanation of how it will celebrate UK native plants and/or fungi

4. Details about where you will complete your project 

5. Details about who will be involved. What will they do or experience? 

6. A summary of how you will spend the £500

When your video is ready, include a link to it in your application form. Make sure the link is enabled for Grow Wild to view. 

Important: If using a video sharing site such as YouTube or Vimeo, make sure your video is not publicly discoverable. Only share the link with people who need to see it. 

Please ensure that you have consent from everyone featured in the video and inform them that it will be shared with Grow Wild. If you or any young people in the video application are under 18, a parent/guardian must give consent for their taking part. 

If making a video is difficult for you, please contact Grow Wild and let us know. We're happy to offer an alternative from those who have specific access needs.

iStock/Vera petrunia

Fill in the online form, including the link to your video.

• You’ll be asked to give contact details for you  and your Supporting Organisation. You should both be contactable throughout the summer. Ask your contact at the Supporting Organisation to help with this.  

• We will include you and your nominated Supporting Organisation in all communications about your application and project.

• If you are under 18 years old, please make sure that you have permission from your parent or guardian to do your project and to create and send your application video. We will provide a separate permission form for any online training sessions.  

After you apply, applications will be assessed by a youth panel- a group of young volunteers. The panel members are trained to assess applications and will together decide which projects receive funding. 

Grants will be allocated to project ideas which best meet the criteria set out by Grow Wild, please see ' 2- Read up on what're looking for?’ above, for full details. 

Grow Wild reserves the right to make the final decision around which applicants will receive a grant and no discussion will be entered into in relation to this decision. You will be notified about whether your application has been successful via email by the end of May. So please keep an eye on your inbox! 

Very best of luck!

Except for young people with additional needs, or those who need more support, we encourage the young person applying to take responsibility for their project.  

To enable this, each applicant must identify a Supporting Organisation with a named contact person to work with them.  

Grow Wild is not able to make payments to individuals – so eligible Supporting Organisations will receive the grant on behalf of the applicant they’re working with. They’ll also help with managing budget and spend.  

An important part of the role of the Supporting Organisation is to ensure that the young person is able to complete their project safely, providing necessary guidance and making sure that adequate health and safety and safeguarding procedures are in place and followed. 

You can support more than one young person, as long as their projects are clearly different.  

It’s important to note that whilst the Grow Wild team are very happy to help with general support around using the grant and project process, we are not able to offer advice on day-to-day running of the project, or technical practicalities. This is where the Supporting Organisation comes in. 

Previous Grow Wild grant recipient, Ines Stuart-Davidson/ RGB Kew

As a Supporting Organisation you must be:

1. An established and relevant organisation that is charitable in purpose or not for profit. In particular:

• Voluntary, youth or community group

• Education body (excluding primary schools)

• Arts charity 

• Local Authority or other council body

• Health Authority

2. Able to provide a member of staff or volunteer: 

• to liase with Grow Wild

• to support the young person as required e.g access to facilities and equipment, publicity of activities, advice and guidance

• who's contactable during the full project period

3. Financially responsible for the project with:

• a bank account in the name of their organisation or in the name of the local authority or public sector body where relevant

The following organisations are not eligible:

• Private businesses that operate for profit and have no social purpose

• Organisations with a solely commercial purpose

It is the responsibility of all Supporting Organisations to:

• receive the grant award on behalf of the young person applying.

• ensure that the funding is spent in the way outlined in the application.

• contact Grow Wild if you become aware that the project is not being delivered as planned.

• support the young person with the day-to-day delivery of the project including meeting regularly with the young person to discuss the project and providing advice and guidance as required. 

• ensure the health, safety and well-being of everyone participating in the project. This includes consideration of safeguarding and Covid-19.

As part of this responsibility, Grow Wild will need to see a copy of the following documents before funding will be released: 

• Constitution (or a similar document agreed by the group) with the group’s purpose and objectives, or evidence that the organisation is part of a Local Authority or other public sector body. 

Copies of the following documents and evidence of relevant disclosure checks (specific to the country) may also be requested if an application is successful: 

• Equal opportunities policy. 

• Health and safety policy and procedures. 

• Public liability insurance suitable for the proposed project. 

• Volunteering guidelines (if important to the project). 

• Safeguarding policy and procedures. 

Where the project is working with young people under 18, individuals and groups with additional needs and/or vulnerable adults, it is the additional responsibility of the Supporting Organisation to: 

• ensure that the parent/guardian of the young person applying to Grow Wild is aware of the project and has given consent for their child to be the nominated project leader (*see note below) 

• ensure that all young people (in any of the groups outlined above) who feature in a video application have consent from a parent/guardian to take part 

• ensure consent for all young people under 18 to participate in activities delivered as part of the project (including an application video) 

• ensure that all staff and volunteers working with the project have a disclosure check (that is relevant for their UK location and related activities) and have received the appropriate training to support the group and activities 

• ensure the project is accessible to all participants – with specific consideration of groups and individuals with additional needs (** see note below) 

• safeguard children under 18 and/or vulnerable adults whilst they are taking part in the project (including any related online and social media activity). 

* Due to Kew’s data protection and safeguarding policies, where the project leader is under 18, Grow Wild will always contact you as the Supporting Organisation in all communications about the project leader’s application and, if funded, the project. 

** If you are supporting an application from a young person  with additional needs, please contact Grow Wild to let us know, so we can ensure this is taken into account. 

When approached by a young person with a project idea, it is important to discuss and plan with them how the project will be delivered safely, including procedures to safeguard any participants under 18 or vulnerable adults.   

If their application is successful, you may be asked to provide Grow Wild with copies of your health and safety and safeguarding policies and procedures, so please ensure these are up to date.  

Grow Wild asks young people to create a two minute video, to tell us why they’re applying for a grant.  

Applicants share a link to their video with Grow Wild when they complete and submit their short application form. The application videos are only watched by staff at Grow Wild and the panel of young people who decide which projects will be funded.   

If making a video is difficult for the young person you are supporting, please contact Grow Wild and let us know. We’re pleased to offer an alternative for those who have specific access needs.

For more details and tips about making a video, please read our guidance for applicants.

This year we are offering each Youth project leader the opportunity to take part in the new Kew Youth Environmental Leaders Award.  

This Kew recognised award and training programme will upskill, empower and build confidence in young leaders to share their passion for the natural world and drive environmental change in their communities. The award has been designed to work alongside their Grow Wild funded project at every stage, helping them to get the most out of this grant opportunity and successfully deliver their project. 

We encourage you to support your young person if they would like to take part. Dedicated online training sessions, access to resources and final submission feedback will be provided by Grow Wild, therefore there won’t be loads of extra work on your plate! However, it will be down to you to assist with day-to-day support or questions and plan progress check-ins to ensure the young person can complete the award on time.

We are committed to ensuring this opportunity is accessible to all. If you are supporting a young person with additional needs or a vulnerable adult, Grow Wild is happy to offer extra support and alternative arrangements where necessary.  

Please email Grow Wild or call 020 45264885 to discuss how best to support your young person.