Introduction
The Alec Dickson Trust is a UK grantmaking charity that supports young people who want to improve the lives of others through volunteering, community service and youth-led social action.
The Trust provides small grants of up to £500 to individuals or groups of young people aged 30 or under who have innovative ideas for projects that benefit communities, particularly people who are marginalised, disadvantaged or facing social exclusion.
Its funding is designed to help young people transform community-focused ideas into practical action. Priority is given to projects that demonstrate:
- Strong youth involvement.
- Meaningful volunteering.
- A clearly identified community need.
- Innovation.
- Positive impact.
- Sustainability.
- Benefits for disadvantaged communities.
- Opportunities to keep young people involved in volunteering over the longer term.
The Alec Dickson Trust is a registered UK charity, charity number 1076900, and operates nationally across the United Kingdom.
For more information, visit the official Alec Dickson Trust website.
History and Background
The Alec Dickson Trust was established following the death of Alec Dickson in 1994 to continue his lifelong commitment to young people, volunteering and community service.
Alec Dickson was a pioneering figure in the development of modern volunteering in Britain.
During the 1930s, he worked as a journalist and became increasingly concerned about the rise of Nazism in Europe as well as poverty and disadvantage affecting young people in Britain.
Before and after graduating from Oxford in 1935, Dickson combined work as a foreign correspondent in Central Europe with initiatives supporting disadvantaged young people in Leeds and London.
Following the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, he became heavily involved in refugee relief.
During the Second World War, he served in Africa and helped pioneer the use of soldiers in community education programs. He later spent many years in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia helping train local young people as community leaders.
These experiences shaped his belief that young people could make meaningful contributions to society regardless of their background.
Alec Dickson and Voluntary Service Overseas
One of Alec Dickson’s most important contributions to volunteering came in 1958, when he and his wife Mora Dickson founded Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).
The idea developed after the couple worked with refugees near the Austro-Hungarian frontier during the winter of 1956–57.
They saw how volunteering affected both the people receiving assistance and the young volunteers themselves.
From their home in England, the Dicksons began developing a program that would enable school leavers to spend a year volunteering in developing countries.
The first VSO volunteers were recruited following an article published in The Sunday Times.
VSO later developed into a major international volunteering organization supporting development programs around the world.
Founding of Community Service Volunteers
Alec and Mora Dickson also believed that young people should have opportunities to volunteer within their own communities.
In 1962, they founded Community Service Volunteers, commonly known as CSV.
CSV encouraged young people to use their energy, abilities and experience to address social problems within Britain.
Alec Dickson strongly believed that everyone could contribute positively to society, including people whose own lives had involved significant challenges.
His work helped pioneer volunteering opportunities for young people affected by:
- Homelessness.
- Drug misuse.
- Offending.
- Social exclusion.
- Poverty.
- Educational disadvantage.
He also promoted community service within schools and advocated for wider national participation in volunteering.
The Alec Dickson Trust was later created to continue this philosophy of youth-led volunteering and social responsibility.
Mission and Purpose
The Alec Dickson Trust exists to support young people who use volunteering or community service to improve the lives of others.
Its central belief is that young people have the capacity to make the world and their communities better.
The Trust particularly wants to enable young people to take responsibility for identifying social problems and developing practical responses.
Its funding priorities are built around three major themes:
- Volunteering.
- Need.
- Innovation.
Volunteering
Volunteering is central to the Trust’s grantmaking approach.
Projects should ideally involve young people directly as volunteers rather than treating young people only as beneficiaries.
The Trust particularly values initiatives that:
- Engage significant numbers of volunteers.
- Provide meaningful roles for young people.
- Encourage continued volunteering.
- Help young people develop community responsibility.
- Build longer-term volunteer engagement.
Projects where young people take ownership of planning and delivery are particularly aligned with the Trust’s philosophy.
Addressing Community Need
The Alec Dickson Trust prioritises projects responding to clearly identified needs.
Projects should explain:
- What problem exists.
- Who is affected.
- Why the issue matters.
- What activities will address the problem.
- How beneficiaries will benefit.
The Trust is particularly interested in projects helping people who are:
- Marginalised.
- Socially excluded.
- Economically disadvantaged.
- Vulnerable.
- Experiencing barriers to participation.
It favours projects capable of creating a deep and meaningful impact rather than activities with only limited or temporary value.
Innovation
Innovation is another important funding criterion.
The Trust encourages young people to develop creative and original approaches to volunteering and community action.
Innovation may involve:
- New volunteer models.
- Creative use of technology.
- Social media.
- New partnerships.
- Unusual approaches to existing community problems.
- Creative reuse of existing resources.
- New ways of engaging young volunteers.
Projects do not necessarily need to create entirely new services, but applicants should demonstrate how their approach adds value or addresses a community need effectively.
Governance and Structure
The Alec Dickson Trust is governed by a Board of Trustees.
One distinctive feature of the charity is its tradition of involving young people directly in governance.
The Trust has historically maintained a board made up largely of younger trustees, continuing Alec Dickson’s belief that young people should be given responsibility and authority rather than simply being consulted.
Current trustees include professionals with experience in areas such as:
- Philanthropy.
- Community partnerships.
- Research and innovation.
- Fundraising.
- Charity management.
- Policy.
- Social impact.
As of 2026, Gabrielle Newson serves as Chair of Trustees.
Akhil Anand serves as Treasurer.
Other trustees include Becca Heede and additional board members contributing expertise to the Trust’s governance and grantmaking.
The Board is responsible for:
- Reviewing grant applications.
- Approving funding.
- Managing the Trust’s strategy.
- Maintaining financial oversight.
- Supporting fundraising.
- Evaluating impact.
- Improving grantmaking processes.
- Ensuring compliance with charity governance requirements.
Trustee Meetings and Grant Decisions
The Board of Trustees meets regularly throughout the year.
In 2026, the Board scheduled eight trustee meetings, with selected meetings specifically designated for reviewing grant applications.
Applications normally close around two weeks before relevant grant-review meetings.
Successful applicants should also allow time between the funding decision and receipt of funds, as references and administrative checks may be required.
This process enables the Trust to maintain structured oversight while remaining accessible to small, youth-led projects.
Funding and Grants
The Alec Dickson Trust provides small grants of up to £500.
These grants are intended to help young people launch or deliver community projects where relatively modest amounts of funding can make a meaningful difference.
Funding may support project-related costs such as:
- Volunteer materials.
- Training resources.
- Equipment.
- Community activities.
- Outreach.
- Educational materials.
- Venue-related costs.
- Resources for beneficiaries.
- Project delivery expenses.
The Trust’s small-grant model is especially useful for youth initiatives that may struggle to access larger institutional funding programs.
Who Can Apply?
The Alec Dickson Trust primarily supports young people aged 30 or under.
Applications may come from:
- Individual young people.
- Informal youth groups.
- Volunteer groups.
- Youth-led projects.
- Community groups led by young people.
- Small organizations with strong youth leadership.
Projects should be based in the United Kingdom and should involve volunteering or community service.
The strongest applications clearly demonstrate that young people are actively involved in designing or delivering the project.
What the Trust Looks for in Applications
Applications are assessed according to factors including:
- Youth leadership.
- Volunteer involvement.
- Community need.
- Innovation.
- Project impact.
- Sustainability.
- Feasibility.
- Benefits to disadvantaged groups.
The Trust particularly values projects that can create lasting change or encourage participants to remain engaged in volunteering.
Applicants should provide clear information about:
- Their project idea.
- Target beneficiaries.
- Activities.
- Volunteer involvement.
- Expected impact.
- Budget.
- Community need.
Current 2026 Funding Round
The Alec Dickson Trust’s current application round is open in 2026.
The application window closes on 4 October 2026 at 5:00 PM UK time.
Young people considering an application should prepare early because applications are reviewed according to scheduled trustee meetings and funding decisions may require additional administrative processing.
Applicants should review the latest eligibility information through the Alec Dickson Trust website.
How the Trust Is Funded
The Alec Dickson Trust operates as a charitable grantmaking organization.
Its ability to make grants depends on charitable resources, donations and fundraising.
Supporters can donate directly to the Trust, helping it continue funding youth-led community projects.
Because grants are intentionally small, donations can be distributed across multiple projects and enable many young people to test ideas or launch volunteer initiatives.
The Trust also works to strengthen its own long-term fundraising strategy so that it can expand and sustain youth grantmaking.
Major Programs and Initiatives
The Alec Dickson Trust does not operate a large number of separate grant programs.
Instead, its principal initiative is its small grants program for youth-led volunteering and community service.
Supported activities vary significantly because applicants themselves identify the needs they want to address.
Projects have involved:
- Youth mentoring.
- Support for young carers.
- Mental health.
- Anti-bullying initiatives.
- Disability inclusion.
- Community gardens.
- STEM activities.
- Refugee support.
- Social inclusion.
- Education.
- COVID-19 community support.
- Youth clubs.
- Volunteer-led wellbeing projects.
This flexible grantmaking approach allows young people to propose responses based on local needs rather than fitting their ideas into narrowly defined themes.
Impact and Scale of the Trust
The Alec Dickson Trust has been supporting youth-led volunteering for more than 30 years.
Its impact comes from enabling relatively small amounts of funding to help young people establish projects that may otherwise never receive financial backing.
A £500 grant can help a youth-led group:
- Purchase essential materials.
- Train volunteers.
- Complete safeguarding requirements.
- Run workshops.
- Deliver community activities.
- Reach vulnerable beneficiaries.
- Test an innovative idea.
- Build evidence for future funding.
The Trust therefore acts as an early-stage funder for youth social action.
Inspiring Youth Achievement
One example of Alec Dickson Trust funding is the INSPYA – Inspiring Youth Achievement mentoring program.
The initiative trains young people aged 16 to 25 to mentor school pupils experiencing behavioural difficulties and at risk of exclusion.
A grant from the Trust helped the project:
- Produce training materials.
- Finance required volunteer checks.
- Increase its volunteer mentor base.
The program grew from around five mentors in its first year to more than 20 in its second year.
Mentors worked with pupils to build:
- Confidence.
- Social skills.
- Motivation.
- Positive behaviour.
- Engagement with education.
The project also provided young volunteer mentors with professional mentoring to support their own employment and career development.
This created benefits for both volunteers and younger beneficiaries.
Summer Adventures for Young Carers
The Trust has also supported Summer Adventures, a student-led project at the University of Exeter.
The initiative provides activities for young carers in Devon aged approximately 8 to 15.
Young carers can have significant responsibilities at home because they help support family members experiencing illness, disability or other challenges.
Summer Adventures provides opportunities for respite through:
- Sports.
- Arts and crafts.
- Day trips.
- Group activities.
- Residential experiences.
The program is run by student volunteers and relies on charitable grants and donations.
Alec Dickson Trust support helped the volunteer-led initiative continue providing meaningful experiences for young carers.
Oak Church COVID-19 Project
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Alec Dickson Trust created a funding call supporting youth volunteering responses to the crisis.
One recipient was Oak Church in Stevenage.
Young volunteers created isolation support packs for vulnerable secondary school pupils and children of key workers.
The packs included items such as:
- Books.
- Games.
- Toiletries.
- Snacks.
- Encouraging messages.
With Alec Dickson Trust funding, the project distributed packs to 94 students at Marriotts School in Stevenage.
The initiative demonstrated how small grants could help young volunteers respond quickly to urgent community needs.
Other Types of Projects Supported
The Trust’s case studies include projects addressing issues such as:
- Bullying.
- Youth empowerment.
- Disability.
- Gender identity.
- Children’s wellbeing.
- STEM education.
- Community gardening.
- Refugee support.
- Mental health.
- Youth clubs.
This diversity reflects the Trust’s flexible approach.
Rather than defining a single social issue, it asks whether young people are using volunteering to address a meaningful community need.
Youth Leadership as an Impact Model
One of the most distinctive aspects of the Alec Dickson Trust is its emphasis on young people as agents of change.
Many traditional youth programs are designed by adults and delivered to young people.
The Alec Dickson Trust reverses this model by encouraging young people to:
- Identify problems.
- Design solutions.
- Recruit volunteers.
- Manage resources.
- Deliver activities.
- Evaluate impact.
This gives young people practical experience in:
- Leadership.
- Project management.
- Budgeting.
- Teamwork.
- Communication.
- Community engagement.
- Problem solving.
As a result, the Trust’s impact extends beyond project beneficiaries to the young volunteers themselves.
Supporting Marginalised Communities
Alec Dickson’s philosophy placed particular importance on including people who might otherwise be excluded from volunteering or community leadership.
That principle remains visible in the Trust’s funding priorities.
Projects helping marginalised communities are especially relevant, including those supporting:
- Disadvantaged children.
- Young carers.
- People with disabilities.
- People experiencing poverty.
- Refugees.
- Socially excluded young people.
- People experiencing mental health challenges.
The Trust encourages applicants to identify specific needs rather than describing community benefit in broad terms.
Long-Term Volunteering
Another important goal is encouraging young people to remain volunteers after an individual project ends.
The Trust particularly values projects that help participants develop an ongoing commitment to community service.
Long-term volunteering can strengthen:
- Community resilience.
- Youth leadership.
- Social connection.
- Civic participation.
- Local support networks.
This approach reflects Alec Dickson’s broader belief that community service benefits both volunteers and society.
Why the Alec Dickson Trust Matters
The Alec Dickson Trust fills an important niche within UK philanthropy.
Many funding programs require organizations to have:
- Formal charity status.
- Large budgets.
- Extensive governance systems.
- Several years of operating history.
These requirements can make it difficult for young people with promising ideas to access initial funding.
The Alec Dickson Trust provides an alternative through relatively small, accessible grants designed specifically for youth-led action.
Its focus makes the Trust especially relevant to:
- Young volunteers.
- Youth groups.
- Community activists.
- Student groups.
- Youth-led nonprofits.
- Social action projects.
- Community service initiatives.
Conclusion
The Alec Dickson Trust is a UK grantmaking charity dedicated to helping young people turn volunteering and community-service ideas into practical action.
Established after the death of Alec Dickson in 1994, the Trust continues the legacy of a pioneering advocate for volunteering who co-founded Voluntary Service Overseas in 1958 and Community Service Volunteers in 1962.
The Trust provides grants of up to £500 to young people aged 30 or under who want to improve their communities, particularly projects benefiting marginalised and disadvantaged people.
Its funding priorities emphasize:
- Volunteering.
- Community need.
- Innovation.
- Youth leadership.
- Meaningful impact.
- Sustainability.
Projects supported by the Alec Dickson Trust have included youth mentoring, programs for young carers, education initiatives, disability projects, community responses to COVID-19 and other forms of youth-led social action.
Its model demonstrates that even modest grants can generate significant impact when young people are trusted to identify local problems and develop their own solutions.
For more information, visit here.
