About SYP Trust
For children and young people
Our grants support small organisations working to transform the lives of children and young people in London. Founded in 1843, Shaftesbury Young People has been delivering services for children and young people for over 170 years. We have a proud history of supporting disadvantaged young people, having run many services across the UK, including children’s homes and schools.
The charity reformed to become a grant-making body, SYP Trust, in 2021. Supported by our patronage from HRH Queen Elizabeth II, we now use the legacy of our experience and our financial endowment to strengthen the community support available to disadvantaged young people. We want to support young people to learn, be healthy, be heard, and be active citizens. We support work to remove the barriers and challenges many young people face when working towards these goals and which contribute to the widening inequality in our society.
Our approach
We work in close partnership with our grant-holders, choosing projects that align with our priorities and developing strong ongoing relationships. We connect our grant-holders with appropriate support from the sector, and share stories of their good practice and success.
By sharing this knowledge and learning more widely we help other communities across the UK facing similar challenges, inspiring positive action and increasing the impact of our work.
Our values
Positivity: Every young person has the right to live their lives with hope and opportunity. We innovate to find solutions to problems, and focus on the potential in every situation.
Unity: As a small charity with limited resources we need to work smartly with others to make an impact. Our grant-making is based around building collaborative two-way relationships that have a positive effect on small organisations, while also helping to strengthen the sector.
Agility: Small can be beautiful. We seek out community organisations that are agile enough to be truly responsive and innovative in their work. Our grants are small but they make a big difference to organisations we support, and we’re not afraid to fund fresh approaches.
Read more about our priorities for funding.