Search form

myplace

For areas: England
Open for applications: 6 May 2008
Application closing date: See below for details
Minimum grant: £1 million
Maximum grant: £5 million
Total available: £190 million between 2008 and 2010.

£160m will be available in year one of which up to £50 million is available through the Fast-track route.

The Big Lottery Fund is delivering myplace on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). This is not Lottery funding.

Do you have the vision and drive to work with young people to deliver a world class place for them to go? If so, myplace may be able to help you turn your ideas into reality.

myplace aims to deliver world class youth facilities driven by the active participation of young people and their view and needs.

Funded projects must deliver all the following outcomes:

more young people, parents and communities feel that young people have exciting and safe places to go in their leisure time where they can get involved in an attractive range of activities;
more young people, particularly the most disadvantaged, participate in positive leisure time activities that support their personal and social development;
more young people have access to information, advice and support services from within places they feel comfortable;
stronger partnership working between local authorities, third, private and public sector partners to plan, deliver and operate financially sustainable youth facilities with and for young people.

myplace will only fund projects that will deliver on all four of these outcomes and demonstrate evidence of the real participation of young people, particularly disadvantaged young people, in the development, design and future of running of the project.

All projects will need to demonstrate genuine cross-sector partnership between public sector bodies and third and/or private sector organisations.

The fast-track will enable early investment in projects that are already well developed and therefore able to submit robust business and capital plans with their application. This will enable final investment decisions to be made on the basis of the single application.

More information on the fast-track route and fast-track news is available here.

The standard route will provide applicants with an in-principle investment decision prior to providing capacity building support to help them develop their detailed delivery plans.

Application and guidance materials for the first funding round are now available. The deadline for fast-track applications is 29 July 2008 and the deadline for the standard route is 30 September 2008.

We expect to open a second funding round in early 2009 to commit a further £30m, plus any surplus from the first round. Potential applicants should note that the focus of the second round will be determined following a review of year one.

Here are some quotes about the myplace programme:

Fiona Blacke: Chief Executive, National Youth Agency.
"The National Youth Agency believes the launch of myplace is a major step forward in delivering the vision set out in the Governments’ Aiming high strategy for young people. It is really exciting that myplace will deliver multi-pound investment in projects driven by young people and delivered in partnership by public, third and private sector organisations. Up and down England local authorities and their partners are working to reengineer services for young people. I believe myplace will drive a major change in the way places for young people are designed and delivered. It provides a significant opportunity to promote, improve and extend youth services across England by supporting those with ambition and vision to deliver world class places for young people to go within the wider context of local strategic planning.”

Andy Hamflett: UK Youth Parliament.
“Through the work the UK Youth Parliament supports all over the country, we know that young people have loads to contribute and offer to their local communities, if only they are given the right opportunities. Young people still need more things to do, and more places to go. We therefore welcome the extra boost myplace will offer to help deliver high quality places to go that really demonstrate young people matter to their communities. Of critical importance is the commitment to putting young people in the lead to actively shape these places. This will not only show how much young people can achieve, but make sure these new places are what young people really want.”

Simon Antrobus: Clubs for Young People.
“myplace is a huge step forward in supporting the delivery of club and community based youth work. It will drive much greater levels of partnership working between public, third and private sector organisations – reflecting both the strategic role of local authorities and the unique contribution of the third sector. myplace also clearly demonstrates the Government’s commitment to empowering young people, putting them in the lead to shape every aspect of design and delivery.”

Anne Longfield: Chief Executive 4Children
“The launch of myplace is a major step forward in delivering the Government's Aiming high for young people strategy to provide opportunities and safe place to go for young people. Last year, 4children consulted 16,000 young people and having more safe and exciting places to go emerged as a top concern. Research also shows that children and their parents benefit most when the services and support they receive are joined up, co-ordinated and working together. myplace is a fantastic opportunity to deliver joined up activities and support, it will deliver exactly the kind of centre that young people and their parents need .”

Further information

The information leaflet located in 'more information', sets out further information. Full guidance materials, application forms and questions and answers.

Go back to previous page