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Primark announces 11 UK grant recipients for its Community Impact Fund with UK Youth
Primark is working with UK Youth, the UK’s leading youth work charity, to help support and enrich young people’s lives across local communities.
Primark began working with working with UK Youth in October 2024 as it marked 50 years of Primark on the British high street and wanted to do more to give back to young people and the local communities it serves.
Together, Primark and UK Youth, launched the fund worth £175,000 to encourage youth organisations to apply for unrestricted funding that will allow them to continue to their great work in supporting the lives of young people up and down the country.
In January 2025, the fund was distributed to 11 successful grant recipients as small grants – click here to find out more about them:
77th Glasgow Disabled Scouts, Glasgow
The only disabled scout group in the region. Supports children and young adults with disabilities in Glasgow to go on adventures and gain skills for life.
Ashdon Jazz Academy, London
Working in partnership with vulnerable girls and young women aged between 11-21 and providing a dedicated emotional well-being service through a mentoring scheme, promoting positive mental health.
Breaking Barriers Building Bridges, Nottingham
Breaking Barriers Building Bridges runs a wide variety of services across Nottingham, all aimed at changing the lives of the city’s young people. Services include football matches, holiday play schemes, youth clubs and outreach work.
Brighton Youth Centre, Brighton
One of Brighton & Hove’s longest running and best-used youth services. They offer a safe space where 1,500 young people have the freedom to be themselves, come together, learn from each other and challenge themselves to make a difference.
Conscious Youth CIC, Huddersfield
Conscious Youth CIC is an award-winning youth-led social enterprise based in Kirklees. They aim to inspire young adults through community participation including mentorship, sports, arts education, cultural exploration, health & wellbeing and public service.
Gina (The Gina Project CIC), Birmingham
GINA brings accessible and tailored immediate specialist support for individuals subjected to sexual violence & abuse.
Northbourne Youth Initiative, Newcastle
Northbourne Youth Initiative’s aim is to offer children and young people 8-25 opportunities to further their social development. They provide a wide range of activities for children and young people to engage in from play, gaining certificates, camping, cooking, The Duke of Edinburgh Award and leisure activities.
Shadwell Community Project, London
Based in Tower Hamlets and known for their heritage adventure playground, which has been providing a space for children and young people to play freely for the last thirty years. They also have a healthy eating café where young people learn how to grow, prepare, cook and eat vegetarian food.
Swansea MAD, Swansea
Swansea MAD has been supporting young people and communities in Swansea and across Wales, since 2009. They develop inclusive safe spaces for people to access advocacy, creative arts, education, digital access, employability support, and training.
Whitton Youth Partnership, Ipswich
Whitton Youth Partnership supports and works with children and young people of Ipswich. They spend time listening to and talking with young people and developing activities together, such as trips and residentials, projects, workshops, accredited learning, volunteering and community action.
Wonder Arts, St Helens
Wonder Arts is a children and families organisation providing high quality arts experiences for people in St Helens.
Kari Rodgers, UK Retail Director at Primark said: “For many young people Primark might be their first job or a place they shop with their friends and as a high street retailer we place a lot of importance on the communities surrounding our stores. We want to find new ways to support critical youth services and organisations who are helping young people to thrive. The standard of applications was high, and I was struck by the variety of impactful youth work being delivered up and down the country. I hope each grant will go some way towards supporting these organisations with their vital work in making a real difference in our local communities. With the support from UK Youth, we’re looking forward to seeing the impact we’ll make together in the months ahead.”
Thora Ebert, UK Youth director of network delivery, added: “The opportunity to support a wide range of youth organisations with unrestricted funding is incredible. The partnership with Primark is allowing much needed financial support to reach communities across the UK. The 11 organisations who have received funding will all now be able to continue their invaluable services to young people. Unrestricted funding is a life-line to youth organisations. We look forward to working with Primark and the youth organisations over the coming months.”
And what do our some of our grantees think?
77th Glasgow Disabled Scouts
"This funding will enable us to expand our capacity to support up to 80 young people per year, helping us meet the high demand for our services. Increasing the number of weekend camps we deliver each year will provide essential respite for families and carers, while young people engage in activities that promote independence, confidence, and essential life skills in a safe, supportive environment. We are delighted to be awarded this grant and it will make a huge difference to our members."
Ashdon Jazz Academy
"The fund will make a significant contribution towards us continuing our full offer to girls and young women across the four boroughs we provide support in. We have noted an increase in referrals and the complexities of issues presented by the young women we support (e.g. increase in harmful behaviours, such as, eating disorders and self-harm). We have tried to respond to this rise in demand by starting drop-in sessions in Merton and increasing the number of places during holiday programmes. We have however regularly needed to place girls on a waiting list for mentoring...With this grant are confident that we will be able to start to expand our offer so we can support more girls and young women across the four boroughs we currently work in."
Swansea MAD
"Our grassroots charity was established for the prevention of poverty and the advancement of social justice and equity; working with young people who are marginalised by systemic oppression to dismantle structures which support discrimination. This funding will support our charity and team to learn, develop and share/contribute to best youth work practice. By securing essential funding for organisational running costs and salaries, we can devote more of our time and energy to direct work and time spent with young people and support positive outcomes for young people."
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