The Henry Smith Foundation: Together We Begin
Overview
Investing in home-based early years support
They’re looking to fund organisations that provide early years parenting support and promote children’s development through sustained, face-to-face work in the home.
The key aims of the fund are to:
- strengthen parenting skills to improve children’s outcomes,
- build confidence and reduce stress in the home, and
- connect families to their local community.
The Together We Begin fund is part of their Getting Started funding priority, which supports families to give young children the best possible start in life.
What they’re looking to fund
Your organisation will:
- Provide face-to-face support to families in their homes
- Have proven experience of working with families facing financial hardship or social isolation, who have children aged 0-5 and/or during pregnancy
- Be based in a high-need area – your work must take place in a local authority with child poverty of 24.9% or higher (see 23/24 data for details).
- Be part of the local community and able to connect families to other services and support
- Be willing to share learning with us to help improve early years practice and policy
Eligible organisations
Your organisation must:
- Be registered as a Charity, Community Interest Company (CIC), or Community benefit society
- Have a year’s worth of accounts that have been audited or independently examined
- Have annual income below £1m (from your most recent published accounts)
- Be based in and deliver services in the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales)
They’re committed to funding work that is:
- rooted in communities,
- strengths-based ,
- responsive to need, inclusive and accessible and
- focused on meaningful, lasting change.
What they want to achieve
They fund work that helps achieve the following two objectives:
- Enhanced parenting skills
Families feel more confident and capable in supporting their children's development.
This might include:
- Reduced stress and anxiety
- Better daily routines
- Improved parent and child wellbeing
- Better community connections
Families feel less isolated and more connected to local services and other families. They can access resources and build relationships that continue beyond your service, ultimately helping children develop and thrive.
Funding Level & Notes
- Grants of £40,000-50,000 per year for three years (maximum £150,000 total)
- Flexible funding - you can use the money for your general running costs
- Support and relationship-building beyond just funding
Please note: You can only submit one application per organisation for this fund.