South Yorkshire Launches UK's First Child-Centred Poverty Fund with £500,000 Pledge
A pioneering £500,000 fund has been unveiled in South Yorkshire to combat child poverty, reduce health inequalities and help young people fulfil their potential — marking what campaigners say is the first child-centred investment fund of its kind in the UK.
The Dream Big South Yorkshire Fund is a collaboration between the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, Save the Children UK, and the social impact organisation Key Fund. The pot consists of £125,000 from the combined authority, £125,000 raised from private philanthropic partners secured by Save the Children, and £250,000 from Key Fund.
The announcement comes ahead of a major summit in Doncaster on 1 and 2 July, where more than 300 children, families and experts will gather to discuss practical solutions to child poverty and draw up a roadmap for action.
Sarah Godfrey, senior community lead for Save the Children UK in South Yorkshire, described the fund as a “national trailblazer”. She told the BBC: “It’s going to help some amazing local organisations to work with communities to tackle poverty.” Godfrey said an initial 15 grassroots organisations would benefit, with hopes the initiative could eventually reach thousands of local children. “Other parts of the country can take inspiration from South Yorkshire in how to invest in children, and help communities now and in the future,” she added.
Young people across the county will have a direct say in how the money is spent, with Save the Children confirming that children and teenagers will help shape investment decisions to ensure funds are channelled into the areas that most affect their daily lives.
South Yorkshire’s Labour mayor, Oliver Coppard, said every child “deserves the best possible start in life”, but acknowledged that “for too many families, that isn’t the reality today”. He added: “The Dream Big South Yorkshire Fund is about driving that change — backing local organisations, listening to communities, and putting children and young people at the heart of the decisions we make.”
The fund builds on existing work in the region. In Sheffield, Save the Children jointly funds Meadows Nursery in Shirecliffe alongside Sheffield Hallam University, offering a model of early‑years support. Leanna Clark, the charity’s participation lead for South Yorkshire, described seeing parents turn up “in their pyjamas because they feel really low” but gradually gain confidence through crafting sessions and peer support. “Parents are more confident, they’re going onto volunteering, going into work, they’re supporting other mums, creating their own communities,” she said.
Child poverty rates in South Yorkshire remain among the highest in England, with recent data showing more than one in three children in some wards living below the poverty line. The Dream Big fund is designed to fill gaps left by mainstream funding by supporting hyper‑local initiatives that address both material deprivation and social isolation.
The fund’s organisers say they hope the model will be replicated elsewhere in the UK, turning South Yorkshire into a testbed for child‑centred investment that puts communities in the driving seat.