The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust (QCT) exists to support young leaders who are transforming their communities across Commonwealth countries. Since 2018 QCT has been working with a new way of grant-making that puts young leaders at the heart of the process. This has been by providing young leaders with flexible funding, practical tools and support, and a vibrant network of fellow young leaders to facilitate their social ventures.To celebrate the Queen’s 70 years of service to the Commonwealth QCT sought out young leaders with the potential to bring Her Majesty’s words to life through their work.
This year, QCT launched the Youth Ventures Programme, which is its flagship Platinum Jubilee programme, to identify and support outstanding youth-led social initiatives across Commonwealth countries. The first round focused on the Caribbean and Cross-Commonwealth. Out of the hundreds of applications received, QCT selected 15 of the most outstanding applications with regards to their social impact. The awardees selected are from Pakistan, India, Guyana, Nigeria, Saint Lucia, Ghana, Cameroon, South Africa, Kenya, Trinidad and Tobago, Tanzania, Maldives, and UK.
These initiatives demonstrated innovation and resourcefulness in addressing challenges in their countries in QCT’s thematic areas of health, education and employability, environment, inclusion, as well as in agriculture and food. A few examples of the social purpose initiatives selected include an app that facilitates peer support for cancer patients, a non-profit organisation supporting rural women’s economic development through agriculture and a non-profit that provides affordable capital to small impactful social enterprises that lie outside the reach of other funders.
The programme provides flexible funding of up to £20 000 per year for two years as well as practical tools and support to ensure long-term success and impact. In addition, the youth leaders are connected to a global Network of like-minded young leaders to share learnings and ideas for sustained positive social impact.
Read more about their initiatives on the organisations we support page here