Our Talent Bond fund awards young people with up to £300 to grow a talent, build a skill or develop a dream.
Talent Bonds might be used for starting up a project, paying for classes or a course, an initial cash injection for an enterprise, or equipment needed to further their abilities. We ask you to be creative, brave, thoughtful and organised to start up the project, run with it and make it happen!
Talent Bonds are available to young people aged 16-25 who currently live in one of our member services.
To be considered, ideas must:
Come from a young person, or a group of young people
Showcase or develop a talent or skill that will help the young person/people to build for the future.
This could include…
Buying clothes and/or equipment for a work or sports activity
Purchasing books for learning or pleasure
Funding musical instruments to learn how to play
Purchasing a CSCS card to fast track a career
Paying for an online course.
Since the fund was launched in January 2019, we’ve funded 72 young people’s ideas. These include:
Swimming lessons for a young person who wants to work as a flight attendant.
Supplies for an artist who wanted to put on an exhibition of local work in her Foyer.
Equipment to create a thriving garden to encourage bonding and quality social time for young mothers and their babies.
SIA security course and essential clothing to support a young person’s dream of entering employment.
Funds for a group of young people to run cooking classes to build their culinary skills and confidence and provide opportunities for young people to meet new people.
Boxing classes and equipment to help a young person improve fitness, technique and experience.
We’re not currently accepting applications but we usually open up the fund every few months. Check back later in the year for our next round of Talent Bonds funding.
All applications are reviewed by a panel of fellow young people who have experience of living in a Foyer. This panel works together to decide how the money should be allocated – a process that puts real financial decision making power into young people’s hands.
Once you have applied, a panel of young consultants will review your application and we will let you know if you have been successful. If you applied for our February fund, you will be informed by Monday 10th March 2025.
If you have been successful, you will receive the funds within 3 weeks.
