Foundation

The first round of applications is now closed. If you have submitted your eligibility quiz, please proceed to the next step by completing the Expression of Interest (EOI) form before the deadline on November 21. Check back for an opportunity to apply in spring 2024 if you haven’t submitted your eligibility quiz.

About the pillar

Our Foundation grants focus on support and sustainability. We will fund projects that support more children and young people to take part in sport and physical activity, and that improve the sustainability of the groups delivering these activities so they can become more resilient in the future. 

  • Grants of up to £40,000 for a maximum of two years (but we expect the average grant to be between £25,000 and £30,000) 
  • Available for community groups and organisations trusted by underserved children and young Londoners 
  • Funding can be for project-based costs, core organisational costs, or both 
  • Funding can support existing projects that are already taking place. 
  • The second round of Foundation grant applications open in October 2023 and two more rounds in 2024 – join our mailing list to be the first to know! 

You should apply for a Foundation grant if you are an organisation looking to continue delivering impactful work in physical activity and sport, reach more young people, and become more resilient and sustainable. Priority will be given to applications which are:  

  • From equity-led groups/organisations (led by marginalised groups) and those developed or informed by young people, and/or organisations that amplify youth voice 
  • From groups/organisations that are trusted by underserved communities and young people 
  • Focused on reducing barriers to sport and physical activity for underserved children and young people with high needs 
  • Clear about the role which sport and physical activity can play in achieving social change  
  • Locally based, or from organisations with a direct connection with children and young people 
  • Addressing gaps in provision and make the most of local facilities and existing infrastructure  
  • Including additional wrap-around support for young people, such as supportive discussions or mentoring provision, to achieve the fund’s social outcomes  
  • Focused on future sustainability of the organisation and activities, including a commitment to complete and act on Go! London’s organisational health check. 

Round 2 Applications

Applications opened on October 11th 2023. See the full application journey below.

Application Guidance

For more information about how to apply and our fund guidelines, download the PDF below.

Application Journey

Step One – Programme Launch
Guidance, FAQs and application forms available
11 October 2023
Step Two – Submit Fit to Fund quiz
Ineligible applicants referred to application/organisational development support

Eligible applicants are invited to complete an application form (within 72 hours of completing the quiz)
Final deadline 2pm on 10 November 2023
Step Three – Submit application form
Final deadline:
2pm on 21 November 2023
Step Four – Outcome of written application stage
Shortlisted applicants invited to Stage 3 clarification meetings, or if unsuccessful, referred to application/organisation development support
Mid-December 2023
Step Five – Clarification meetings
30-minute meetings held to discuss the application and any clarification points
4-10 January 2023
Step Six – Decisions
Approval in principle offer letters and further due dilligence with successful applicants. Unsuccessful applicants referred to application/organisation development support
February 2024
Project per borough

London Borough of Barking & Dagenham 

  • The Future Focus Network (£33,420, Foundation grant) – weekly physical activities and monthly coaching and mentoring sessions for young people in Barking and Dagenham. 

London Borough of Bexley 

  • Michael Streete Foundation (£28,080, Foundation grant) – to fund a Fitness Coach Mentor for one year to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of young people. 

London Borough of Brent 

  • Sunahs Crisis Team (£27,500, Foundation grant) – to establish a twice-weekly mixed sports club including football, basketball, and badminton for young Muslim women in deprived areas of Brent. 

London Borough of Camden 

  • Samuel Lithgow Youth Centre (£11,573, Foundation grant) – to fund a Holiday Programme for two years, providing a range of activities including sports, music, dance and team building for 200 disadvantaged young people. 
  • The Pirate Castle (£35,000, Foundation grant) – to contribute towards staffing and overhead costs for two-years, to engage more than 2,600 children and young people in water-based activities (including kayaking and paddleboarding). 

London Borough of Ealing 

  • MEM Academy CIC (£36,730, Foundation grant) – to increase sport and mentoring services for vulnerable young people in the most deprived areas in Ealing, with core funding to support rent and staffing costs for a business development manager. 

London Borough of Enfield 

  • Holistic Education and Sport Support Services CIC (£27,665, Foundation grant) – to deliver the Young Kickers sports initiative, providing a safe and positive environment for 250 children in Enfield to engage in physical activities, build social skills, and boost their confidence. 

London Borough of Hackney  

  • Crohn’s and Colitis Relief (£20,000, Foundation grant) – to provide free, safe and accessible swimming sessions for 40 teenagers with Inflammatory Bowel Disease/Syndrome. 
  • H.O.P.E. (£27,320, Foundation grant) – to deliver a fitness programme for underserved young people from the Morningside Estate. 
  • Hackney Laces Community Club (£40,000, Foundation grant) – to fund core costs to strengthen the football club’s operations and sustainability, to deepen their impact on women and girls for years to come. 

London Borough of Haringey  

  • Haringey Basketball for All (£39,225, Foundation grant) – to deliver free basketball, volleyball, netball sessions and sports coaching qualifications for young people in East Haringey, and to support the three delivery organisations to establish a more formal partnership. 
  • Haringey Play Association (£26,200, Foundation grant) – to pilot partnership working to deliver play activities targeting girls (aged 10 to 18) and also families at the Sommerford Grove Adventure Playground. 

London Borough of Havering  

  • Sports and Life Skills CIC (£39,947, Foundation grant) – to run weekly football training sessions and a series of tournaments for children and young people with Down Syndrome in Havering, plus expanding their programme of volunteering, specialist training and coach mentoring. 

London Borough of Hounslow  

  • Speak Out in Hounslow (£20,196, Foundation grant) – to provide inclusive walking football sessions for young people aged 18 to 24 with learning disabilities. 

London Borough of Islington  

  • Copenhagen Youth Project (£39,908, Foundation grant) – to deliver the transformational Football 4 Life project for 120 young people, involving football activities and wellbeing sessions such as how to deal with stop and search requests. 

London Borough of Lambeth 

  • London Basketball Association (£33,750, Foundation grant) – to run a range of basketball sessions, including female-only sessions, at Black Prince Trust, targeting underserved and inactive young people aged 14 to 24 from marginalised communities. 
  • The St Matthew’s Project (£37,296, Foundation grant) – to fund an Assistant Project Coordinator for three years to develop a bespoke coaching programme for vulnerable children and young people with complex needs. 

London Borough of Lewisham 

  • Carers Lewisham (£33,636, Foundation grant) – to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of Young Carers in Lewisham, giving them a break from their caring responsibilities through holiday clubs and monthly support sessions. 
  • Thai Boxing Community Centre (£30,000, Foundation grant) – to engage young people from ethnically diverse backgrounds in free, regular Thai Boxing sessions in Lewisham, to support their physical, mental and social wellbeing. 

London Borough of Merton 

  • Wimbledon District Woodcraft Folk (£30,000, Foundation grant) – to develop weekly climbing sessions and provide a safe environment for socialising, focusing on women and girls and LGBTQ+ young people. 

London Borough of Newham 

  • ANKH Place CIC (£39,900, Foundation grant) – to provide physical activity and wellbeing sessions for two years for young people aged 14 to 25 in Newham who are less likely to be active. 

London Borough of Waltham Forest 

  • Project Zero WF (£32,000, Foundation grant) – to grow their physical activity provision by employing a Sport Coordinator and additional coaching roles, to promote social inclusion and reduce antisocial behaviour.   
  • Queens Boundary Community (£39,350, Foundation grant) – to support two years of sustained activities including football and archery in the local park, along with signposting young people to additional support such as youth mentoring programmes, to reduce youth based antisocial behaviour. 

London Borough of Wandsworth 

  • Active Living Support CIC (£29,952, Foundation grant) – to deliver activities including Boxercise and Dancercise for young people with special educational needs or from low-income and ethnically diverse backgrounds in Lambeth and Wandsworth, plus core funding to support project management and staff costs. 

London Borough of Westminster 

  • Step Up 2 Fitness (£29,160, Foundation grant) – to make a range of activities more accessible for young women and girls and provide training opportunities for future young leaders to support the sustainability of their organisation.  
Multi-borough projects

The list below includes 15 grants awarded in principle that will deliver activities in more than one borough. 

  • FUTURE STARS (£37,266, Foundation grant) – to run activity sessions that will improve the mobility and physical wellbeing of young people with a range of disabilities in Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow.  
  • Human Rights Solidarity (£29,325, Foundation grant) – to deliver an 18-month community support and integration project for young immigrants in Greater London, including monthly breakfast sessions, learning sessions and hikes. 
  • London Inclusion Sports Academy (£25,475, Foundation grant) – to provide sport and physical activity as health interventions for children and young people with special educational needs, disabilities and those in Hospital Schools in Barnet, Brent, Camden, Enfield, Haringey, Islington and Tower Hamlets. 
  • Queens Park Bangladesh Association (£32,000, Foundation grant) – to provide a range of physical activities, essential skills training and mentoring workshops for more than 150 children & young people from predominately Bangladeshi & Arabic speaking communities in Brent, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster. 
  • RAaW Foundation (£27,387, Foundation grant) – to run weekly activities like dance and martial arts plus wellness workshops in Brent, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Westminster, for 180 young people who experience barriers to being active due to mental health challenges and lack of opportunities. 
  • Sendtivate (£38,934, Foundation grant) – to deliver their two-year SENDability Sports project, tackling inactivity among children and young people with special educational needs in Bexley and Greenwich, through low level contact sports and sensory activities. 
  • South London Renegades (29,296, Foundation grant) – to continue running basketball and American Football sessions for another two years for young people in Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark. 
  • Spencer Lynx (£22,273, Foundation grant) – to deliver hockey sessions in schools with high levels of pupil premium in Lambeth and Wandsworth, plus additional opportunities for 100 children to take part in a free two-year programme of weekend hockey training and fixtures. 
  • Swimunity CIC (£39,700, Foundation grant) – to continue delivering the free Saturday Learn-to-Swim programme, giving marginalised young people the opportunity to learn how to swim and become water confident in Brent, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster. 
  • The Outrunners (£34,380, Foundation grant) – to continue delivering the free Outrunners Youth Running, Movement and fitness groups and wider programme of social support for young people in Hackney and Newham. 
  • The Running Charity (£35,800, Foundation grant) – to sustain their running and mental health service for young people experiencing homelessness and complex needs, across fifteen London Boroughs.