Fund to help give young people a brighter future

Grants of between £500 and £5,000 will be available through the Social Mobility Fund

A funding scheme has been launched in Jersey to enable young talent to thrive through hard work, regardless of background.

The Jersey Community Foundation (JCF) said the Social Mobility Fund would offer grants of between £500 and £5,000 to schools and charities which wanted to expand extra-curricular education, cultural and sporting activities for young people.

Social mobility is the ability to change social and economic circumstances through education, employment and access to opportunity, according to the charity.

The JCF said the fund had an initial investment of £50,000 and a further £100,000 would be provided, split evenly in 2026 and 2027.

'Talent and potential'

The foundation said funding would also be available for research projects exploring social mobility challenges in Jersey and possible solutions for them.

The JCF said barriers including the cost of housing and higher education were holding young people in the island back.

Anna Terry, JCF chief executive, said more opportunities were needed to realise the "talent and potential" that existed in the island.

"The Social Mobility Fund is a small step towards helping people, regardless of their background, to access experiences and resources they need to succeed," she added.