Applications open as Building Brighter Futures Fund returns for 2026

Olivia Healey

2025-12-03

Across the UK, countless young people hold extraordinary potential. But too often, they lack the opportunities, support and networks they need to thrive. The Building Brighter Futures Fund is designed to ignite the dreams of often-overlooked young people and ensure they are given every chance to build a fairer, brighter future for themselves.

Today, applications for the 2026 Building Brighter Futures Fund are open, offering schools, charities and community groups the chance to secure funding that can help unlock that potential.

Supported by EMR – a global leader in sustainable materials – the Fund invested more than £210,000 into communities near its UK sites in 2025.

Open to organisations that work with young people aged 11–19, or up to 25 for those with additional needs, the Fund will this year provide targeted support to five communities across the UK: Scotland, Cheshire, Yorkshire, London and the West Midlands, supporting projects across three core pillars:

1. Relationships - Initiatives that help young people build meaningful connections: strengthening communication skills, widening their support networks and encouraging respect and understanding across diverse communities.
2. Health and Wellbeing - Projects supporting the emotional and physical wellbeing of young people: helping them feel happier, more confident and better equipped to make positive choices.
3. Career and Education - Opportunities that open doors: from building essential life and employability skills to supporting education, training and pathways into work.

Established by EMR and delivered in partnership with the Cheshire Community Foundation and the UK Community Foundations network, the fund reflects EMR’s belief that by working together, we can help every young person become the very best they can be.

Previous recipients demonstrate the breadth of the fund’s impact:

• Bootle Bucks Inclusion FC, supporting children with additional needs through inclusive sport
• Escapeline, protecting young people in Somerset from county lines exploitation
• Allsorts Gloucestershire, offering inclusive youth sessions, sports and specialist support

Applications are open now and close on 11th January. For full details, criteria and guidance visit: buildingbrighterfuturesfund.com

Ian Sheppard, Managing Director at EMR, said:

“At EMR, we believe every young person deserves the chance to create a better, fairer life for themselves. The Building Brighter Futures Fund helps ensure that those opportunities are available in communities across the UK.

“Whether it’s a sports club helping children discover confidence and friendship, or a local charity giving a young person the tools and training they need to start a career, we are constantly inspired by the creativity and dedication of the organisations we support. “We know there is incredible potential in young people across the UK. By working together, we can help them fulfil it. We’re excited to see the projects that come forward for 2026.”