TODAY, BBC Children in Need, in partnership with City Bridge Foundation, The National Lottery Community Fund and Pears Foundation, has announced the first four locations set to benefit from Communities for Children – a major £15 million funding programme supporting community-led change to reduce the impact of child poverty.
Communities for Children will support ten areas across the UK with high levels of child poverty, providing long-term funding to help local communities design and deliver their own solutions.
By placing power and resources directly in the hands of communities, the programme aims to create lasting change for children and families, addressing local challenges while building the leadership, partnerships and learning needed to influence wider policy and practice.
The first four locations and organisations, each set to receive £1.5 million over five years, are:
- Wishaw, North Lanarkshire (Scotland) – Corra Foundation, which works with people in their communities to encourage positive change, opportunities, fairness and growth of aspirations, which improve quality of life.
- Holyhead, Anglesey (Wales) – Medrwn Môn which supports communities and voluntary groups across Anglesey to become independent, resilient and resourceful.
- Hackney (London) – Coffee Afrik CIC which creates spaces where young people are recognised for their strengths, aspirations and leadership.
- Seacombe, Wallasey (Liverpool City Region) – Right to Succeed, which works to ensure every child and young person has the opportunity to succeed, no matter where they live.
Child poverty remains one of the UK’s most urgent and entrenched social challenges. The latest figures show that more than 4 million children are growing up in poverty across the UK – over 1 in 4 children (27%).*
While addressing the complex systemic issues which cause child poverty requires action at national and regional levels, Communities for Children recognises that much can be achieved locally. This means working closely with communities to respond to their unique challenges and opportunities in order to drive sustainable change for children and young people.
Communities for Children will build strong local partnerships, support community leadership and amplify the voices of children and young people – particularly those who are too often left unheard.
Through this approach, the programme aims to challenge stigma around child poverty, empower communities to address the barriers that make it harder for families to thrive, create more connected systems of support, and share learning to benefit communities across the UK.
The programme’s Learning and Support Partners – Dartington Service Design Lab and Place Matters – will work alongside local partnerships, supporting them in their work towards the programme goals of reducing the impact of child poverty, and where possible, addressing the root causes. They will also support organisations to capture and share learning to inform ongoing local and programme development.
Backed by a £15 million investment, Communities for Children is being rolled out in phases, starting with the first four locations announced today and expanding to ten areas across the UK in 2027. This includes a significant investment from The National Lottery Community Fund, made possible by National Lottery players, alongside BBC Children in Need, City Bridge Foundation and Pears Foundation.
The programme is part of BBC Children in Need’s portfolio of funding. Whilst Communities for Children is focused on long-term solutions to systemic issues, there are other programmes such as Emergency Essentials which respond to immediate need, supporting families and children at moments of crisis.
*Source: DWP Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2025 March 2026.
