Life Chance Trust secures £45,000 BBC Children in Need grant

The Life Chance Trust has been awarded a three year grant of £45,000 from BBC Children in Need to underwrite its flagship 12 week, 1 to 1 mentoring programme for 16–18 year olds across Devon. The funding will cover core operating costs, ensuring the charity can continue offering trauma informed support to young people who have faced childhood adversity, disadvantage, or mental health challenges.

Launched in 2018, Life Chance Trust matches each participant with a trained, trauma aware mentor who meets weekly over three months. Together they set personal goals; re engaging with education, preparing for work, improving wellbeing, and work through practical life skills needed for the transition to independence.

“This funding from BBC Children in Need will make a lasting impact,” said Hannah Moon, Head of Life Chance Trust. “It allows us to offer our intensive mentoring to more young people across Devon—giving them someone who believes in them, listens without judgment, and helps them build a brighter future.”

One 17 year old participant described the difference the programme made: “When I started, I was anxious, isolated, and had withdrawn from education. Over 12 weeks, my mentor helped me achieve small goals, build coping strategies, and trust adults again. Now I’m happier, more independent, back in education, volunteering locally, and closer to my family. I feel like a different person.”

Daniella Lipscombe, South West Regional Impact Officer for BBC Children in Need, underlined the importance of tailored mentoring: “We’re thrilled to fund Life Chance Trust’s 1 to 1 mentoring for young people affected by childhood trauma. These sessions boost aspirations, mental health, confidence, and independence.”

Youth mentoring is proven to reduce anxiety, improve school attendance, and raise career ambitions. By focusing on one to one relationships, Life Chance Trust amplifies these benefits for some of Devon’s most vulnerable teenagers.

Over the next three years, the charity aims to expand its reach beyond its current cohorts in Plymouth, Exeter, and Torbay into more rural communities across Devon. The incoming Defence Housing Strategy and ongoing cost of living pressures have intensified the need for stable, supportive interventions for young people—making the BBC Children in Need grant both timely and critical.

For more information on Life Chance Trust’s mentoring programmes or to refer a young person, visit www.lifechancetrust.org.uk