BBC Children in Need and The Hunter Foundation, a venture philanthropy organisation founded by Sir Tom and Lady Hunter, announce a UK wide £2 million grants programme: Positive Destinations.

Funding will be awarded to innovative and effective projects that have the potential to deliver positive outcomes to some of the most vulnerable children and young people in the UK. The programme will run over three years and is aiming to award three large grants of around £500,000 each and three smaller grants which will have the remaining £500,000 divided between them.

“After the end of compulsory schooling, one in ten pupils is not in education, employment or training…”

Positive Destinations aims to deliver sustainable support to these young people to ensure that they achieve a positive future in terms of education, employment or training. The funders will seek projects that target either key points in determining a young person’s future (i.e. pre-school, transition from primary to secondary education and 14–16 year-olds in the period prior to work or further education) or an holistic approach to this problem.

This collaboration came about after Sir Tom Hunter pledged £1 million to the BBC Children in Need Appeal. Positive Destinations highlights the common ground between BBC Children in Need and The Hunter Foundation, particularly in ensuring that children and young people have an opportunity to achieve their potential.

“ More than 1.2 million 16-24 year olds in England, Scotland and Wales - almost a fifth of the age group – are not in education, training or employment, according to research, which calculates that this "lost generation" is costing the country £3.65 billion a year.”

As an integral part of tackling the causes as well as the effects of disadvantage, projects will be expected to generate learning and ensure the sustainability of their work beyond the life of Positive Destinations funding. Active research will enable the projects to adapt as they go to maximise impact.

“The Government's own figures estimate that each new young person dropping out of education at 16 will cost the taxpayer an average of £97,000 during their lifetime. The worst will cost more than £300,000.”

In turn the funders are seeking to enable collaborative partnerships and systemic change in delivering success in this critical area for the UK. All the projects selected will be independently evaluated and the findings presented to offer alternative solutions.

For more information email pudsey@bbc.co.uk with Positive Destinations in the subject line or visit the Children in Need Website