Kensington and Chelsea Youth Council

RBKC Youth Council Opportunities Fund

Applications for the RBKC Youth Council Opportunities Fund have now closed.

The RBKC Youth Council Opportunities Fund are for young people experiencing hardship, who are in severe financial need, or for young people development in a time of reduced services and social distancing. Grants can be used for food, rent arrears, utility costs, medical costs, school fares/meals, travel, classes. They have to showcase what exactly they intend to do with the funding, provide us with information on how it will benefit their future, and why they should receive the funding more than another candidate. Individuals can apply for any amount up to £250.

Four simple steps

Complete and submit the online application form.
Await your decision from the Youth Grant Panel.
Successful grant applications will be processed.
Send us your testimonial of how it helped e.g an email explaining what you have done with grant and or any pictures

RBKC Youth Council Opportunities Fund Rules and Guidance

The RBKC Youth Council Opportunities Fund is a pot of money that Young People can apply to if they are between 11 and 19 years old (or up to 25 if you have a learning difficulty or disability, or in care or a care leaver). The Fund is aimed at the support and development of young people during the lockdown ease and COVID-19, for young people who would like to gain new skills/ qualifications, or young people experiencing serious financial needs.

The fund has two themes:

Personal Growth Grant:

Grants are available for young people who need additional support to develop their future. Funds can be used for: online courses, study equipment, paying for a test, etc. Individuals can apply for up to £150.

Youth Council Aid Grant:

These grants are for individuals experiencing hardship or who are in severe financial need. Awards can be used for food, rent arrears, utility costs, medical costs, meals, travel fair for educational or work focussed environment, etc. Individuals can apply for any amount up to £250.

You cannot apply for

Holidays or overseas travel
Activities that exclusively promote a particular political or religious view
Items that were purchased or activities that started/took place before you were granted the money
Laptops or computers
Smart and Android phones

Criteria

The grants are available to young people who live in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea aged between 11 and 19. All applications must be supported by an adult sponsor, who must be either their parent or guardian. All application forms must consist of a detailed explanation of why the grant is needed. Applicants are only allowed to receive one grant a year, but can re-apply if unsuccessful.

Adult or guardians cannot fill in the application form for the Young person, the young person must fill in all necessary details themselves unless they have Lifelong Learning Difficulty and/or Disability.

Priorities

We particularly encourage applications from:

Young people in independent living or with accommodation issues
Young people with disabilities or learning difficulties
Young people in or leaving care
Young carers
Young travellers
Young people whose parents are on low income

The application process

Apply via the online form by filling out all the sections and clicking the submit button at the end of the application process.

The declaration must be filled in full by an adult or guardian including any additional information that will help support their young person's grant.

To apply for grants we will have to contact parents or guardians and go through verification process (Parents/guardian may be required to show their drivers licence, or passport at this stage).

Applications will be assessed by our Youth Participation Grant Panel monthly.

When you have been awarded RBKC Youth Council Opportunities Fund

Once you have received your email stating you have been awarded the funding you will have 14 days to contact us to receive your grant. If you do not make contact you will automatically lose your funding

If or when awarded the grant you will receive this in either virtual gift voucher form or by making direct payments on your behalf to businesses/ organisations upon your request.

All accepted applicants must compulsorily evaluate the grant they received. By filling out evaluation forms, writing testimonials, and @RBKCyouth on Instagram with a photo and caption of grant benefits.

Top tips for your application

Make sure that you are applying for something you need and not just something you want. Frivolous requests will not be entertained.
Try and include as much information about your circumstances as possible to demonstrate the extent of your needs. The less you say about yourself and why you need a grant, the harder it is for the youth assessors to make an informed decision.
Make sure that your budget is realistic and that you have got the best price possible. Your application will get turned down if we think you are asking for too much - provide 3 examples of how much an item costs for comparison and to show you are looking for value for money.
If there is no confirmation from the parent or guardian, your application will be denied.

2020 Youth Mayor election results

The Youth Participation Team is delighted to announce the results of the 2020 Youth Mayor election. Kensington and Chelsea's first Youth Mayor is Imaan Abdi, she received 34% of votes cast. The new Deputy Mayor is Alycia Marquis, who received 28% of the votes.

Imaan and Alycia are joined as members of the new Youth Council by Paige Cartledge, Anna Chauvet, Alexander Clarici-Grob, Anas Dayeh, Kamran Hasteei, Georgia Hunting, Mohammed Jumma, Jermiya McIntosh, Amelie Wilson-Schafer and Ibrahim Yeski.

Congratulations to all, and thanks to the school, college and council staff who worked so hard, in extremely challenging times, to get the election completed.

Watch our Youth Mayor announcement video and hear from the newly elected candidates.

Youth Mayor Candidates' Manifestos

Watch and read the candidates' manifestos and find out what they thought were the key issues for the young residents of the borough:

Read their manifestos

Watch their manifestos

Youth Mayor of Kensington and Chelsea

The Youth Mayor is the elected representative of young people in the borough. Find out how they represent young people’s views to decision-makers in the local authority.

What is the Youth Mayor?: The Youth Mayor is the elected representative of all young people living and studying in Kensington and Chelsea, giving them direct access to decision-makers in the local authority.

What does the Youth Mayor do?

They act as the formal representative and spokesperson for the borough’s young people.
They provide a link to the borough’s Mayor, Lead Members and other decision-making bodies.
They are a member of the Youth Council and the Youth Forum Network.
They work with the Youth Council and Youth Ambassador to manage the Youth Participation Fund budget of £40,000.

How is the Youth Mayor chosen?: By an annual democratic election run in partnership with schools, colleges and Youth Hubs.

Everyone who stands for election becomes a member of the Youth Council. The candidates who come second, third and fourth in the election become Deputy Youth Mayor, Member of the UK Youth Parliament (MYP) and Deputy MYP

How to become the Youth Mayor of RBKC

Registration for candidates for the 2020 election has now closed. The next election will take place in Autumn 2021, so check back here next summer for up to date news. In the meantime, if you want to get involved, read about the Youth Forum Network and the Youth Participation Fund.

Voting and campaigning

If you were aged between 11 and 19 years old on 1 September 2019 and live or study in the borough, you can vote. Find out if you how you can vote and how to choose your winner.

How do I vote?: For those attending most schools and colleges in Kensington and Chelsea, your one chance to vote will take place on Tuesday 17, Wednesday 18 or Thursday 19 March at your place of study.

If you live in Kensington and Chelsea but go to a school or college where you cannot vote, or if you study in another borough, you will be able to vote by post. You can download a Postal Vote Registration Form located at the bottom of this page. You will need to return your registration form by 28 February, and you will need to send us your vote by 19 March.

How do I decide who to vote for?: All the candidates will write an election manifesto and film a video manifesto. You can read the manifestos and watch the videos on the Council website. Copies of the manifestos and videos will also be sent to schools, colleges and Youth Clubs.