Corporate report

Grants awarded under Section 70 of the Charities Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2025

Published 25 March 2026

Presented to Parliament pursuant to Section 70 of the Charities Act 2006.

Laid before Parliament on 25 March 2026.

1. Overview

Section 70 of the Charities Act 2006 (the Act) sets out the powers for Ministers to give financial assistance to charitable, benevolent or philanthropic institutions and requires that payments made under this power are reported.

The funding matched both the aims and objectives of the department. This spending does not represent the total amount of grant funding provided to the Voluntary and Community Sector, as many other grants have been paid to this sector under the powers conferred by alternative legislation.

2. 2024 to 2025

Table below sets out the financial assistance provided by the Secretary of State under these powers for 2024-25:

Please note these exclude entities consolidated into the DCMS accounts who have been provided Grant-In-Aid, further details of these entities are within the DCMS annual report and accounts. In prior years these have been included within the section 70 report as well as the annual report and accounts.

Grant Recipient	Payments £’000	Purpose
Social Investment Business - Youth Investment Fund Phase 2 Main Agreement	168,748	The aims of this grant are to provide youth facilities, including small community youth spaces, youth centres and activity centres in some of the most underprivileged areas across the country.
Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme	42,000	This demand-led grant scheme has delivered £41,999,941.89 in funding to listed places of worship across the UK, ensuring their protection and financial resilience through reclaimed VAT on essential conservation work.
The Federation of Groundwork Trusts - VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme	21,835	The overarching aim of the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSE) Energy Efficiency Scheme is to support frontline VCSE organisations to be more sustainable and lower their energy costs, enabling them to become more efficient in the delivery of frontline services.
British Council - Cultural Protection Scheme	8,537	The outcomes of the Cultural Protection Fund are cultural heritage protection, training and capacity building and advocacy and education.
The National Lottery Community Funds’ Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan - Million Hours Fund	6,996	As part of the Anti Social Behaviour (ASB) Action Plan, the Government confirmed its commitment to an additional million hours of positive activities for young people in ASB hotspots.
UK Community Foundations - Know Your Neighbourhood Fund	5,917	The overarching aim of this fund is to improve well-being and pride in place in a selection of high-deprivation local authority areas by providing funding for sustained community action on volunteering and loneliness.
The National Lottery Community Fund - Life Chances Fund	4,232	The grant supports outcomes payments in individual contracts for the 29 Life Chances Fund (LCF) projects that were completing their programme delivery up to October 2024. Each project was commissioned in a local area, with LCF funding matched by (>50%) local funding. Each project has pre-agreed outcome metrics which were only paid for once outcomes were achieved. This payment by results approach meant that spend was targeted at specific deliverables, including example outcomes such as entry to and sustaining employment, entry to and sustaining safe and secure housing, reduction in drug and alcohol misuse. The funding also covered administrative costs and ‘transition grants’ which helped projects to plan for their future, post-LCF funding.
The Scout Association - Uniformed Youth Fund 2022-25	2,841	The objectives of the Uniformed Youth Fund are to: increase the capacity of non-military uniformed youth group provision in areas with unmet demand, by creating approximately 23,393 new places across the scheme for young people on existing waiting lists aged 10 - 18 by March 2025; prioritising those in deprived areas; improve the wellbeing of young people and help them to develop skills for life and work; and to support Uniformed Youth Organisations to build their internal capacity to scale up sustainably and ensure organisations can continue to meet demand beyond 2025.
National Film and Television School	2,360	This grant contributes to eligible expenditure itemised in the organizations annual delivery plan.
The National Lottery Community Fund - #iwill Fund Grant 22/23 - 24/25	2,060	To deliver the #iwill Fund - a joint investment between DCMS and The National Lottery Community Fund (TNLCF) which creates social action opportunities for young people across England.
UK Youth - Adventures Away from Home 3 Fund FY 24-25	1,500	The purpose of this grant is to provide bursaries for disadvantaged and/or vulnerable young people to take part in adventures away from home, which include a range of residential experiences and outdoor activities, for FY 24/25.
National Youth Agency - The NYA Core Grant	1,467	This funding supports the National Youth Agency (NYA) to deliver their core functions; youth work qualifications, a youth worker and youth services registry and safeguarding support between FY 22/23 - FY 24/25.
Youth Endowment Fund - Summer Jobs Programme	1,377	This grant aims to co-fund the £10m Summer Jobs programme with the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) in partnership with The Youth Futures Foundation (YFF).
UK National Commission for UNESCO - Climate Change and UNESCO Heritage	1,190	The objectives of this grant are to deliver the Shared Outcomes Fund pilot, bringing public and private bodies and their data together to develop cross-cutting solutions to the impacts of climate change in three UK UNESCO heritage sites, in order to develop shareable tools and models for heritage sites worldwide.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Fund	1,135	The overarching ambition of this grant is to increase access to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE), through supporting mainstream schools, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision and community organisations to deliver the DofE. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Fund will identify and remove barriers for schools to start delivering the DofE through a tailored package of support. The fund will develop a new strategic partnership approach to establish a sustainable DofE offer at a grassroots community level, through a programme of targeted operational and financial support.
Girlguiding - Uniformed Youth Fund 2022-25	927	The objectives of the Uniformed Youth Fund are to: increase the capacity of non-military uniformed youth group provision in areas with unmet demand, by creating approximately 23,393 new places across the scheme for young people on existing waiting lists aged 10 - 18 by March 2025; prioritising those in deprived areas; improve the wellbeing of young people and help them to develop skills for life and work; and to support Uniformed Youth Organisations to build their internal capacity to scale up sustainably and ensure organisations can continue to meet demand beyond 2025.
St John Ambulance - Uniformed Youth Fund 2022-25	807	The objectives of the Uniformed Youth Fund are to: increase the capacity of non-military uniformed youth group provision in areas with unmet demand, by creating approximately 23,393 new places across the scheme for young people on existing waiting lists aged 10 - 18 by March 2025; prioritising those in deprived areas; improve the wellbeing of young people and help them to develop skills for life and work; and to support Uniformed Youth Organisations to build their internal capacity to scale up sustainably and ensure organisations can continue to meet demand beyond 2025.
National Youth Agency - Youth Worker Bursary Fund	733	The strategic objective of this work is to further support a sufficiently qualified youth sector workforce, which will support young people to develop skills for life and work and improve their mental and physical wellbeing, alongside meeting government priorities to reduce wider societal challenges such as young people not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) and serious youth violence.
Government Outcomes Lab Programme	730	The aim of this grant is to conduct research and engagement work to enhance and share evidence on outcomes-based contracting and partnership working.
First Port for Social Entrepreneurs Limited - Social Enterprise Boost Fund	595	The objectives of the Social Enterprise Boost Fund are, by March 2025, to grow the social enterprise sector in targeted areas, enable targeted high-deprivation local authorities and the local voluntary and community sector in these places to implement sustainable systems and processes that encourage social enterprise growth, and to build and disseminate evidence.
Marine Society and Sea Cadets - Uniformed Youth Fund 2022-25	577	The objectives of the Uniformed Youth Fund are to: increase the capacity of non-military uniformed youth group provision in areas with unmet demand, by creating approximately 23,393 new places across the scheme for young people on existing waiting lists aged 10 - 18 by March 2025; prioritising those in deprived areas; improve the wellbeing of young people and help them to develop skills for life and work; and to support Uniformed Youth Organisations to build their internal capacity to scale up sustainably and ensure organisations can continue to meet demand beyond 2025.
British Red Cross - VCSEP Preparedness	564	This grant aims to help build capability in the voluntary and community sector to respond to different emergencies more effectively. The aim of this funding is to increase the efficacy and efficiency of the voluntary and community sector’s input into emergency response, including through working in close partnership with government and other local partners.
The Boys’ Brigade - Uniformed Youth Fund 2022-25	511	The objectives of the Uniformed Youth Fund are to: increase the capacity of non-military uniformed youth group provision in areas with unmet demand, by creating approximately 23,393 new places across the scheme for young people on existing waiting lists aged 10 - 18 by March 2025; prioritising those in deprived areas; improve the wellbeing of young people and help them to develop skills for life and work; and to support Uniformed Youth Organisations to build their internal capacity to scale up sustainably and ensure organisations can continue to meet demand beyond 2025.
National Film and Television School Expansion	500	The grant provided £500k to match-fund the School’s pre-build costs for the expansion of their main campus in Beaconsfield. This provided funding primarily for professional services, such as legal, project management, & architectural expertise as they negotiate the deal with their seller and proceed through the design and planning stages of the buildings development.
Jewish Lads’ and Girls’ Brigade - Uniformed Youth Fund 2022-25	490	The objectives of the Uniformed Youth Fund are to: increase the capacity of non-military uniformed youth group provision in areas with unmet demand, by creating approximately 23,393 new places across the scheme for young people on existing waiting lists aged 10 - 18 by March 2025; prioritising those in deprived areas; improve the wellbeing of young people and help them to develop skills for life and work; and to support Uniformed Youth Organisations to build their internal capacity to scale up sustainably and ensure organisations can continue to meet demand beyond 2025.
National Youth Agency - UK Youth Parliament Grant 24/25	452	The purpose of this grant is to deliver the UK Youth Parliament programme in this financial year. The key objectives of the grant are to engage young people in a UK-wide democratic process, to enable them to express their voices on issues that matter to them and for their views and recommendations to impact policy and decision making across government.
School for Social Entrepreneurs - VCSE Contract Readiness Programme	447	This grant enables Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs) to compete alongside other organisations and increase their participation in public service procurement in England by: improving the skills, knowledge and support networks of VCSEs for successful bidding; improving the awareness amongst VCSEs of opportunities regarding current and upcoming tenders; making it easier for the VCSE sectors to position their offer to public service commissioners, raising their awareness and understanding of the sectors’ role and value; and improving the evidence on what initiatives work.
Together Initiative - VE/VJ Day 80	400	This grant agreement covers a grant of £500K (of which £400k relates to FY 24/25) to the Together Initiative (/Together) to build a mass participation campaign for VE/VJ Day 80. Working with media partners, /Together will develop and deliver a campaign, centred on bringing people together through food and education.
ScreenSkills Limited - Creative Careers Programme	388	The aim of the Creative Careers Programme (CCP) is to create a comprehensive and coordinated approach to sharing specialist creative careers information, advice and guidance with young people from all backgrounds across England helping to break down barriers to opportunity. The programme’s main objective is to improve the aspirations and knowledge of young people (11-18 years) and their parents/carers of pathways and opportunities to enter the creative industries workforce - especially the aspirations and knowledge of people from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
British Youth Council - UK Youth Parliament	375	The key objectives of the grant are to: engage young people in a UK-wide democratic process; enable young people to express their voices on issues that matter to them; engage young people on the development of policy affecting them; and test ideas and policy with young people.
Impact Investing Institute 2022-2025	373	This grant for the Impact Investing Institute (III) over the next three years aims to continue to grow and improve the effectiveness of the UK impact investing market, with a focus on local investments. Further funding for the III can make further progress towards alleviating these barriers and leverage more capital towards HMG priorities.
Grant Funding for Old Royal Naval College Foundation	350	This grant funding is to be paid to Old Royal Naval College in support of the delivery of its core objectives which are to conserve the buildings, interiors and grounds for present and future generations and to provide opportunities for wide and diverse audiences to enjoy and share its significance.
DCMS/ AHRC Urgency Grants Mechanism - Cultural Heritage and Natural Disasters	348	The aim of this project is to support the scoping and piloting, led by DCMS, of a new cultural heritage protection workstream focused on the impacts of natural disasters and climate change on cultural heritage in developing countries. The project between DCMS and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) recognises that in the wake of natural disasters, and the increasing risks posed to cultural heritage by climate change, the need for improved preparedness measures is a key priority for the global heritage community. The project is to be funded as a part of UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) managed by the DCMS and is intended to complement and build on the DCMS/ British Council Cultural Protection Fund.
North East Business and Innovation Centre Limited - Social Enterprise Boost Fund	347	The objectives of the Social Enterprise Boost Fund are, by March 2025, to grow the social enterprise sector in targeted areas, enable targeted high-deprivation local authorities and the local voluntary and community sector in these places to implement sustainable systems and processes that encourage social enterprise growth, and to build and disseminate evidence.
Social Enterprise Kent CIC - Social Enterprise Boost Fund	323	The objectives of the Social Enterprise Boost Fund are, by March 2025, to grow the social enterprise sector in targeted areas, enable targeted high-deprivation local authorities and the local voluntary and community sector in these places to implement sustainable systems and processes that encourage social enterprise growth, and to build and disseminate evidence.
English Chess Federation - Supporting Elite Chess	300	This grant aims to support the development of elite chess playing in England. The funding will enable increased coaching and opportunities for elite English players.
Centre for Youth Impact core funding	292	This grant provides funding to the Centre for Youth Impact to extend a sustainable, robust and free-to-access evidence and evaluation support offer to all those working with and for young people.
Initiative for Social Entrepreneurs C.I.C. - Social Enterprise Boost Fund	261	The objectives of the Social Enterprise Boost Fund are, by March 2025, to grow the social enterprise sector in targeted areas, enable targeted high-deprivation local authorities and the local voluntary and community sector in these places to implement sustainable systems and processes that encourage social enterprise growth, and to build and disseminate evidence.
National Youth Agency - Peer Review Framework for local authorities’ youth provision	200	This grant seeks to fund and extend a previous pilot into a Peer Review Framework of local authorities’ youth provision (including activities and facilities), with subsequent best practice sharing and recommendations for improvements.
LMEP Payment - Government Outcomes Lab Programme	169	The funding was vired to DCMS from DWP as part of HMT/Cabinet Office’s Labour Market Evaluation Pilot Fund. The Government Outcomes Lab completed and reported analysis on labour market effects from the Life Chances Fund (LCF) ‘Kirklees Better Outcomes Partnership’ in line with agreed reporting with The Evaluation Taskforce (Cabinet Office) and DWP officials.
Memorials Grant Scheme	140	This demand-led grant scheme has delivered £140,017.94 in funding to faith groups and charities to support with the conservation or construction of memorials.
The Girls’ Brigade England & Wales - Uniformed Youth Fund 2022-25	130	The objectives of the Uniformed Youth Fund are to: increase the capacity of non-military uniformed youth group provision in areas with unmet demand, by creating approximately 23,393 new places across the scheme for young people on existing waiting lists aged 10 - 18 by March 2025; prioritising those in deprived areas; improve the wellbeing of young people and help them to develop skills for life and work; and to support Uniformed Youth Organisations to build their internal capacity to scale up sustainably and ensure organisations can continue to meet demand beyond 2025.
Manchester Music City - WOMEX 2024	100	This funding supported Manchester Music City (MMC) to deliver the Worldwide Music Expo (WOMEX) in Manchester in October 2024. This funding helped cover some of the hire fees for venues being used for WOMEX. Objectives include: to increase the growth of the UK music industry and visitor economy, both in Greater Manchester and the UK; to strengthen UK soft power and showcase our international leadership of music and the creative industries on the world stage; to help develop the skills of music professionals (including young artists) to make a sustainable living from music, both locally, nationally and internationally; and to support the Government’s levelling up ambitions through increasing local growth and visitors to Manchester.
Newcastle University - Research for Creative Industries Skills Audits	75	To support Skills Audits in Creative Industries
UK National Commission for UNESCO - Inventory of Living Heritage Website	60	The aim of this grant is to create and maintain the website for the Inventory of Living Heritage.
Newcastle University - Specialist Creative Education Providers	50	The Creative Industries Council (CIC) has committed to undertake skills audits of the creative industries sub-sectors. This grant aims at improving evidence on the creative industry occupations and skills that are, and will be, in demand over the next 5-10 years, to inform actions and interventions on education and skills provision over the coming years.The delivery of the skills audits will be commissioned to the Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) based at Newcastle University, and funded jointly by DCMS and CIC.The research will include several stages: desk-based research, stakeholder engagement, the delivery of a business survey, and delivery of a final report bringing together the findings of all stages. PEC will carry out some of this activity internally, and will commission out work to their partners WorkAdvance. A business survey will be commissioned out to a survey supplier through an open procurement process. CIC will pay a separate grant to PEC for the delivery of the Skills Audits process.
YMCA Derbyshire - Youth Investment Fund Pilot	37	YMCA Derbyshire (YMCAD), in partnership with other Derby City youth organisations will establish a green youth hub on the Wilmorton Allotment site, a site owned by Derby City Council and managed by YMCAD (leaseholder). The hub will focus on combining horticulture, construction and rural activities with enhancement of mental health and wellbeing in a place where young people can express themselves through hands-on activities that are both practical and creative.
Youth Focus North West - Regional Youth Infrastructure Support Fund	22	The primary objective of the Regional Infrastructure Support Fund is to support Regional Youth Work Units (RYWUs) to ensure there is a consistent minimum level of regional leadership across England.
RMD Adventure Learning C.I.C. - Regional Youth Infrastructure Support Fund	22	The primary objective of the Regional Infrastructure Support Fund is to support Regional Youth Work Units (RYWUs) to ensure there is a consistent minimum level of regional leadership across England.
Youth Work Unit - Yorkshire And The Humber - Regional Youth Infrastructure Support Fund	22	The primary objective of the Regional Infrastructure Support Fund is to support Regional Youth Work Units (RYWUs) to ensure there is a consistent minimum level of regional leadership across England.
Partnership for Young London - Regional Youth Infrastructure Support Fund	22	The primary objective of the Regional Infrastructure Support Fund is to support Regional Youth Work Units (RYWUs) to ensure there is a consistent minimum level of regional leadership across England.
Youth Focus South West C.I.C. - Regional Youth Infrastructure Support Fund	22	The primary objective of the Regional Infrastructure Support Fund is to support Regional Youth Work Units (RYWUs) to ensure there is a consistent minimum level of regional leadership across England.
Youth Focus West Midlands - Regional Youth Infrastructure Support Fund	22	The primary objective of the Regional Infrastructure Support Fund is to support Regional Youth Work Units (RYWUs) to ensure there is a consistent minimum level of regional leadership across England.
Youth Focus North East - Regional Youth Infrastructure Support Fund	22	The primary objective of the Regional Infrastructure Support Fund is to support Regional Youth Work Units (RYWUs) to ensure there is a consistent minimum level of regional leadership across England.
East Of England And East Midlands Regional Youth Work Unit - Regional Youth Infrastructure Support Fund	20	The primary objective of the Regional Infrastructure Support Fund is to support Regional Youth Work Units (RYWUs) to ensure there is a consistent minimum level of regional leadership across England.
Poetry Society - Poet Laureate Support Role	16	The aim of this grant is to ensure that DCMS, as the Government department for supporting culture in the UK, can provide support to the Poet Laureate, via a host organisation, so they are able to undertake activities and projects suited to the role as they see fit.
Royal Society of Literature - Entente Litteraire Award	7	This is a one-off grant for prize-money for the Entente Litteraire Award.
Public Interest News Foundation’s Local News Map	5	This grant supports the long term sustainability of the Public Interest News Foundation Local News Map, a unique research project which maps local news coverage across the UK, offering potentially valuable insights into changes in coverage over time and the impact this has on communities. This will be achieved through automating of data collection/verification processes, reducing the cost of maintaining the map over the longer term and improving its accuracy, and also improving the map’s visualisation/usability.