CiviAct: Supporting community-led youth organisations

CiviAct is a coalition of community-led organisations in Sheffield and Manchester set up to respond to the enduring social, economic and justice inequalities experienced by minoritised children and young people.

The initiative, which is led by Dr Will Mason from the Sheffield Methods Institute, helps charities such as Unity Gym apply for funds as a collaborative group, which makes them more attractive to funders. This means they can represent better value for money and can demonstrate a wider range of impact across different regions.

The collective experiences of the harms of inequality highlight the urgency for radically different and transformative approaches undertaken by organisations accountable to communities, on their own terms. CiviAct recognises the talent, creativity and strengths of young people and their capacity to define the future. The project helps to support young people to transcend obstacles, resist injustice and challenge the status quo.