Housing association L&Q has opened a £120,000 funding pot for youth services, with grassroots organisations in Waltham Forest among those invited to apply.

The Young People's Programme offers grants of £10,000 or more to groups working to widen opportunities for young people locally. Funding can go towards youth outreach sessions, diversionary activities, mentoring, sports and arts projects, and skills development.

"Talent exists in every community, but opportunity doesn't always follow," said Matt Corbett, director of the L&Q Foundation. "We want residents in Waltham Forest to have every chance to build the future they want."

The programme is a response to a steep decline in provision for young people. Between 2012 and 2023, the number of youth centres run by local authorities almost halved — a loss the housing association links to growing social isolation and online dependency among young people.

Groups awarded grants in previous rounds have included a boxing academy, a baby bank, a basketball club, a community arts programme and a hip-hop dance school.

L&Q manages more than 8,000 homes in Waltham Forest, close to 5,000 of them social housing. Alongside the borough, the fund covers other areas where the association works, among them Haringey, Lewisham, Newham and Trafford.

Applications close at 9am on Monday 14th September 2026.