Across the country, young people are leading some of the most imaginative and necessary work to tackle injustice. Yet too often, their ideas stall for lack of support at the moment they need stability, time, and long-term belief. At Blagrave, we created the Pathways Fund to change that.
Launched in 2023, the Pathways Fund grew out of the pilot of Challenge and Change – our first youth-led funding programme that backs young people directly with one year of funding of up to £10,000. At the end of the year, when several partners were reaching a crucial tipping point in their development and needed the next step, we listened. They needed multi-year core funding, wellbeing support, organisational development, and a relationship with funders built on trust rather than scrutiny. So we built a model around exactly that.
Over the past three years, the Pathways Fund has supported 20 youth-led organisations with long-term, flexible support of £20,000–£30,000 per year along with a significant support offer.
In April, we commissioned a storyteller to work with 10 Pathways Fund partners to produce storytelling content — both for their own use and for the programme. Part of this content is the Pathways Fund Impact Report: A Route for Youth Led Change to Flourish. In this blog we are sharing some the learning we’ve gathered along the way.
A clear “triple-line benefit”
The Pathways Fund delivers a triple-line benefit: leadership development, tackling systemic injustice, and reshaping civil society.
1. Leadership Development
Young founders have evolved into confident, strategic leaders, building sustainable organisations grounded in care, courage, and collaboration. Many have moved from working alone to leading teams, developing governance, and influencing policy spaces once closed to them.
2. Tackling Social Injustice
Every partner is challenging systemic inequality — from environmental justice and migrant rights to racial equity, gender reform, and inclusive arts. Their work spans influencing policy and legislation, reframing harmful narratives, creating safe community spaces, and equipping others through education. From Our Streets Now’s role in passing the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment Act to the Halo Code’s adoption in over 1,000 schools, their collective impact shows how youth-led organising delivers measurable change.
3. Reshaping Civil Society
Together, these organisations are building the foundations of a more representative and just sector – one that trusts young, lived-experience leaders to define priorities and shape solutions. The Fund’s legacy lies not just in the organisations it has grown, but in the ecosystem, it is helping to build – one where power, resources, and leadership are with those rooted in their community.
Learning and Themes
There are eight key learnings and themes coming out of the report.
- The jump from project to organisation takes time
- Centre wellbeing and care
- Build flexibility into your grant processes
- Funding movement building requires a different approach
- Invest in building trusting relationships
- Impact looks different and reporting should reflect this
- Embed access and inclusion
- Funders must model the change they see
Read more reflections and analysis of these themes in our report.
Looking Ahead
The Pathways Fund has grown far beyond its pilot phase: through multi-year, trust-based investment, and a significant support offer, it has supported a generation of young changemakers who are tackling injustice, developing as leaders, and reshaping civil society.
This report demonstrates the value of long-term, flexible, trust-based investment in youth and lived-experience-led organisations. The programme is filling a critical gap between early-stage seed funding and mainstream philanthropy, offering young leaders the time, confidence, and infrastructure to embed lasting change.
As we move forward, we’ll continue to embed this learning and evolve our approach. This will include appointing an advisory panel of previous grant partners in 2026 to shape the next iteration of the Pathways Fund which is locked into our upcoming strategy. Wach this space!