A HOUSEBUILDER is doing its part to support local charities with up to £50,000 available for those supporting young people experiencing deprivation.

The Persimmon Charitable Foundation is running its open application programme for a second year, with an increased funding pot of £300,000 available for registered charities that support employability among young people.

The first funding round opened on March 2, with three £50,000 donations available for UK-based projects focused on children and young people aged 14-25, particularly those living in areas of economic and social deprivation.

Persimmon launched the open application programme in 2025 in order to give more charities the opportunity to access Foundation funding. Hundreds of charities applied and four £50,000 donations were awarded to registered charities working with young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), or identified at risk of becoming NEET.

With the Foundation’s support, recent successful applicant Bristol City Robins Charitable Foundation is piloting two programmes providing tailored mentoring, life skills development and wellbeing support: one aimed at 14 to 16-year-olds and another for 18 to 25-year-olds.

Anthony Vigor, chair of the Foundation, has said that more than 1,000 charities applied for funding last year, but that has only spurred on the company’s desire to support more charities in their efforts to assist young people across the country.

He said: “We were amazed by the response to our open application programme, with 1,210 applications for funding received last year. We want to support more charities working to change outcomes for young people and support them in their education, or into training or work, which is why we’ve increased our funding pot to £300,000 this year.”

The deadline for applications is 11.59pm on Sunday, March 15.