The Pathways to Independence: Care Leavers fund has been created by Northamptonshire Community Foundation to support projects across Northamptonshire working with young people (aged 18-25) who are Care Leavers. The fund is part of a national programme supported by the Henry Smith Foundation and local matched funds to help provide a fairer start for young people leaving care.

Grants awards will be up to £8,000, and projects should look to address one or more of the following priorities:

• Strong Relationships with Mentors – projects providing consistent weekly contact, building one-to-one trusted relationships with safe, qualified mentors and youth workers.

• Life and Financial Skills – projects that help build life skills such as understanding housing, cooking, first aid, cleaning, laundry and basic home repairs, as well as financial resilience such as budgeting, managing bank accounts, understanding debit/credit, paying bills and navigating benefits/entitlements.

• Improving Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing – providing access to counselling, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and other trauma-informed mental health support. Increasing access to structured positive activities to build social and emotional skills.

• Supporting Education, Employment and Training – this could include projects that provide career coaching and employability workshops, supporting young people transition from school to further or higher education, partnering with organisations to provide work placements and helping with transport or interview clothing.

• Digital Inclusion – Increasing access to laptops, and essential digital tools enabling engagement with education, training, and employment opportunities.

• Empowerment and Voice – Care leavers participating in co-design and feedback, helping shape the programmes and services that affect them, fostering confidence and agency.

What can the grant be spent on?

• Staff costs – staff time, training etc.

• Volunteer costs - reimbursements of expenses, e.g. telephone calls, travel and meals

• Activity costs - resources to facilitate a project/activity (which are not already included as part of volunteer or staffing costs)

• Overhead costs – venue/office costs, insurance etc.

• Capital costs - small scale equipment, such as tools are acceptable up to 10% of the requested grant

Funding decisions will be made at a grants panel taking place at the end of April. Therefore, projects should not look to start until after the 15th May 2026.

Follow this link to make an application: Pathways to Independence: Care Leavers Fund

Is my group eligible?

• Your group must be a small, locally managed VCSE organisation such as a  charity, constituted community group, social enterprise such as a Community Interest Company (CIC), or a company limited by guarantee with charitable aims. Please note that as a general exclusion, we do not fund social enterprises that have a  person  with significant control (PSC).  
• You must be based in Northamptonshire
• You must have a set of written rules or constitution that your group adheres to, that contains a dissolution clause. We can help advise you on how to do this especially if you are a new group
• You must have safeguarding policies in place if relevant to your work and all groups must have an equalities policy in place

For more information about eligibility and information on supporting documents, please visit our Help for Groups section.

Please read the guidance notes and download the reference form and supporting documents' checklist at the bottom of the page before applying.

Northamptonshire Community Foundation can provide advice and guidance during the application process as well as viewing draft applications prior to submission. Call the grants team on 01604 230033 for more information.

Please click here to view our Diversity Statement applicable to our grant awards.

Our funds and programmes are working towards the 10 UN SDGs we have adopted into our charitable activities. For more information please click here