ANNUAL REPORT 2019 //////////////// Funding Charities Realising Dreams CONTENTS KEY /////////////////////////////////////////////////// STATISTICS 2019 //////////////// Key Statistics 1 It has been a significant year for John Lyon’s Charity, with £13.5 Chair of Governors Foreword 2 million in grants being approved within the year. This represents Chair of the Grants Committee Foreword 3 259 individual grant requests from organisations based Chief Executive Officer’s Foreword 4 throughout the nine boroughs in the Charity’s Beneficial Area. Introduction: Funding Charities, Realising Dreams 6 The largest number of grants were approved under the Main Ensuring Access for All: the Charity’s approach to SEND 17 Grants Fund. The School Holiday Activity Fund, that provides Youth Work Works 23 small grants of up to £4,000 for activities during school holidays, 2019 Facts and Figures 27 is also very popular, with 85 grants awarded during the year. SHAF: tackling ‘Activity Hunger’ 31 Sport: from grassroots to performance pathways 37 Financial Summary 38 Grants Approved 42 Grants awarded Members and Advisers 46 2017/18 2018/19 About John Lyon’s Charity 47 Total number of grants requested 459 394 Total number of grants approved 260 259 Thank You 48 Total number of ongoing grants (more than one year) 87 114 Total grants approved £9,195,209 £13,499,141 Breakdown of approved grants Main Grants 110 £8,058,600 Capacity Building 8 £2,026,800 BARNET The Charity’s Beneficial Area consists of nine boroughs Bursaries 10 £1,884,994 HARROW in North and West London: Barnet, Brent, Camden, Schools in Partnership 10 £1,052,000 Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the Cities of School Holiday Activity 85 £326,922 BRENT CAMDEN London and Westminster. Information about the history Small Grants 33 £114,825 of John Lyon’s Charity can be found on page 47. School Explorer 3 £5,000 EALING CITY OF CITY WESTMINSTER Total 259 £13,499,141 KENSINGTON HAMMERSMITH & CHELSEA & FULHAM These figures represent grants approved in 2018/19 Total figures include grant payments approved for more than one year 1 CHAIR OF GOVERNORS CHAIR OF THE FOREWORD GRANTS COMMITTEE ////////////////////////////////////////// FOREWORD /////////////////////////////////////////// John Lyon’s Charity, together with The John Lyon School and A major endeavour this year has been our continued Harrow School is part of John Lyon’s Foundation. The Foundation commitment to help charities build capacity. Nearly £2 places education and opportunity at the heart of its ethos; the million was spent to enable organisations to strengthen their Boards, improve their fundraising, provide staff schools through providing a first-class education and the Charity training and create films about their work. We are very by the awarding of grants to local charities throughout its proud of our partnership with Media Trust, which for Beneficial Area. Although each element of the Foundation has the past three years has mentored 10 of our grantees separate aims and structures, they share the same governing annually, enabling them to create emotionally charged body and they work to achieve a wide range of educational and films about their work which can be used by them to It has been an exceptional year for charitable objectives, both individually and collectively as part tell their story and fundraise more effectively. John Lyon’s Charity. Nearly 600 charities We are proud to report that we now have a Young of the Foundation. are receiving support through our People’s Foundation in each of our boroughs, with expenditure of £12.25 million, an the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea being increase of 22% compared to last year’s established in March. The YPFs have not only made a Since becoming Chair of Governors, I have made it a priority to strive major impact on the sustainability of youth services, but funding at £10.07 million. Importantly, towards greater collaboration between the three organisations within through garnering financial support of local businesses John Lyon’s Foundation. A remarkable number of collaborative projects £327,000 was spent to enable and other funders, we are now seeing youth organisations have been developed and delivered to improve the lives of local boys and organisations to provide activities for improving the quality of their services and increasing girls throughout North and West London. By way of example,184 students young people during school holidays their output to provide vital resources to young people attended the university access course Lumina, run by Harrow School and through our SHAF (School Holiday at the local level. funded by John Lyon’s Charity; a partnership project between the London Activities Fund) Grants Fund. We know To ensure that young people with additional needs Chamber Orchestra, The John Lyon School, Harrow Music Hub and John have better access to the arts, we hosted the Change of that for many children and families, Lyon’s Charity saw children from state primary schools and pupils from Perspective Conference in March, bringing together arts The John Lyon School work together on a large scale music programme; school holidays present a serious organisations, music hubs and special schools. What’s and Harrow School has opened its doors to young people from all walks problem when there are not enough very exciting at these events is the new ideas that are of life, from primary school Shakespeare performances to young people activities to engage young people. SHAF generated and the collaborations that form. Several of looked after. funding not only allowed thousands of these new partnerships will now receive funding from These projects would not have happened without the combination young people to participate in a huge John Lyon’s Charity to make those ideas a reality. of skills, talent and resources from each of the three entities, and I look range of activities, from horse riding to Being Chair of the Grants Committee is a great forward to seeing what exciting partnership initiatives can develop in privilege. I honestly don’t know any other funder that snow sports, but as the funding process future years. does a better job of understanding its patch, identifying its is uncomplicated, it’s often the starting needs, creating sustained relationships with stakeholders point for a small charity to begin a and taking a proactive approach to bringing organisations dialogue and relationship with John together to solve problems. The greatest aspect of John Lyon’s Charity. Lyon’s Charity is that it is a listening charity, without ever John Batting hesitating to ask difficult or probing questions. I have Chair of Governors enormous respect and admiration for the dedicated staff team who are the listeners and ultimately through their knowledge and creativity, are the positive change-makers. A huge thank you to them for all they do to improve the lives of young people. Susan Whiddington Chair of the Grants Committee 2 3 CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S FOREWORD ////////////////////////////////////////// A total of 259 grants were approved within Our approach has always been to focus on opportunity the year, with only 135 applications declined, giving a 65% approval rate. The approval rate rather than disadvantage. By doing so we seek to reach is so high because our focus is on building out to all children and young people. relationships with grantees for the long term; we do our grant making by walking around our ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Beneficial Area. The number and total value of grants awarded over £40,000 has increased from 34 to 48 and from £2.1M to £4.2M respectively. In line with the current strategy, we are giving organisations to deliver fun and accessible Beneficial Area between Arts organisations, larger capacity building grants to really make activities for children and young people during Music Hubs and Special Educational Needs & a difference to organisations to ensure success the school holidays, often with a healthy meal Disabilities (SEND) schools. Cuts to the SEND and sustainability for the long term. Our included. We are not embarrassed to say that sector has made this work even more pertinent. approach is to fund organisations that create within the Charity we call this our ‘FUN’ fund. As a leading supporter of the Cultural Inclusion opportunities for young people that would The Fund is dedicated to allowing children and Manifesto (www.culturalinclusion.uk) we believe As the largest independent funder otherwise not exist, build their potential and young people the opportunity to be able to do it is imperative to highlight good practice and to for children and young people in North create resilience for the longer term. something exciting, entertaining and to relax lead by example. and West London, John Lyon’s Charity 2018 was a year which saw a focus in the and learn through play. Through this Fund, Going forward, our priority is to establish media on urban youth crime, with many authors we know we are making a real difference to John Lyon’s Charity Internships, which will have continues to be concerned by the and publications giving their view on what are children’s lives and when they return to school, a focus on diversifying the entry routes into jobs impact of austerity on local authority the underlying issues causing violence amongst they do so having been well-fed both with within the Arts and the youth sector, which a budgets and, in particular, the support young people. There are over 9.5 million young food and stories to tell and share. particular focus on those with SEND, to give available for the voluntary sector. people in the UK, aged 10-24 (ONS: Population Our Young People’s Foundations (YPF) much needed support for entering employment. continue to grow, with the establishment of We remain driven and optimistic for our Funding cuts to children and youth Projections, 2018), and they are not all carrying knives or guns.