Introduction
John Lyon’s Charity is a major grant-giving charity supporting children and young people in North and West London. The Charity funds organisations, schools and community initiatives that improve the life chances of young people through education, learning, cultural participation, youth work, wellbeing support, sports, supplementary schools, family support and inclusive opportunities.
The Charity supports children and young people up to the age of 25, and up to the age of 30 for young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Its Beneficial Area covers nine London boroughs: Barnet, Brent, Camden, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Kensington & Chelsea, Westminster and the City of London.
For interns, students, grant writers and nonprofit researchers, John Lyon’s Charity is a useful example of a place-based philanthropic funder. It is a registered charity and part of the wider John Lyon’s Foundation, but it should not be confused with an enterprise foundation or a research grants institution. Its main work is charitable grant-making for children and young people, not academic research funding.
History and Background
Origins in the 16th Century
John Lyon’s Charity has deep historical roots connected to John Lyon, a yeoman farmer from Preston in Harrow. In 1572, Queen Elizabeth I granted John Lyon a Royal Charter to found a free grammar school for boys, which later became Harrow School.
In 1578, John Lyon provided an endowment in the form of a farm of around 48 acres in the area now known as Maida Vale. The original purpose of this endowment was to support the maintenance of the roads between Harrow and London, now known as the Edgware Road and Harrow Road.
This early endowment is important because it created the financial foundation that later supported charitable activities for communities along the route between Harrow and London.
Creation of the Modern Charity
For more than 400 years, income from the Maida Vale estate supported the upkeep of the roads connected to John Lyon’s original charitable intention. In 1991, a Charity Commission scheme came into effect that allowed the Foundation Governors to apply income from the endowment for charitable purposes.
This change created the modern grant-making role of John Lyon’s Charity. Since 1991, the Charity has funded organisations working to improve the lives of children and young people through education and related opportunities.
John Lyon’s Foundation
John Lyon’s Foundation today includes Harrow School, John Lyon School, related school and enterprise entities, and John Lyon’s Charity. Within this structure, John Lyon’s Charity is the grant-giving body that supports children and young people in its Beneficial Area.
The Charity is a separate registered charity and is independent from the two schools. This distinction is important for interns and grant applicants because John Lyon’s Charity operates as a funder for external organisations, schools and community partners, not as a school service provider.
Mission and Purpose
Vision
The vision of John Lyon’s Charity is to transform the lives of children and young people so they can learn, grow and develop through education.
This vision places education at the centre of the Charity’s work, but education is understood broadly. It includes formal learning, informal learning, arts, culture, youth work, emotional wellbeing, sports, family support, supplementary education and opportunities that help young people build confidence and aspirations.
Mission
The mission of John Lyon’s Charity is to promote the life chances of children and young people through education. As an independent grant-giver, the Charity works in partnership, supports thought leadership and aims to create systems change for the wider benefit of children, young people and the education sector.
This mission shows that John Lyon’s Charity is not only a funding body. It is also a strategic partner that works with grantees, local organisations, schools, trusts, foundations and public-sector partners to improve opportunities for young people.
Objectives
The Charity’s objectives include:
- Improving the life chances of children and young people through access to education and learning they might not otherwise have had.
- Providing educational opportunities regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender or special need.
- Building capacity in the children, young people and education sectors.
- Promoting collaboration between organisations so they can better serve children and young people.
Values
John Lyon’s Charity describes itself as a collaborative, independent, flexible and ambitious funder. It does not fundraise and does not bid for government contracts to provide services. This independence allows it to assess applications on their merits and focus on what children and young people need.
The Charity is also inclusive, non-religious and apolitical. It aims to support organisations that create high-quality opportunities for young people and improve access for under-represented groups.
Governance and Structure
Registered Charity Status
John Lyon’s Charity is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under charity number 237725. This registration means the Charity is regulated as a UK charity and must meet legal requirements for governance, accountability, financial reporting and charitable purpose.
Trustees and Foundation Governors
The Governors of John Lyon’s Foundation are the Trustee of John Lyon’s Charity. The Trustee has overall responsibility for the Charity’s governance, strategy, compliance and use of funds.
The Charity has also appointed a Grants Committee to oversee the Grants Programme and recommend awards for approval. This structure helps ensure that funding decisions are reviewed carefully and aligned with the Charity’s mission.
Staff, Advisers and Ambassadors
John Lyon’s Charity has a staff team that manages grant-making, partnerships, monitoring, communications, finance, learning and sector engagement. It also works with advisers and ambassadors who support the Charity’s knowledge of the children and young people sector.
This structure allows the Charity to combine professional grant management with local knowledge, sector expertise and strategic oversight.
Governance and Policies
John Lyon’s Charity publishes governance and policy information to support transparency and accountability. Its policy areas include safeguarding, whistleblowing, complaints, artificial intelligence, equality, diversity and inclusion, privacy, cookies and legal terms.
The Charity’s governance approach is shaped by three guiding principles:
- Transparency.
- Accessibility.
- Accountability.
These principles help ensure that grantees, beneficiaries, partners and the public understand how the Charity works and how concerns can be raised.
Funding and Grants
How the Charity Is Funded
John Lyon’s Charity does not fundraise. Its funds are generated through its endowment, investments and property portfolios. This makes it an endowment-based philanthropic funder.
The Charity distributes around £15 million in grants each year and has distributed more than £236 million since 1991. Its funding supports a wide range of organisations that improve the life chances of children and young people through education.
Who Can Apply
John Lyon’s Charity awards grants mainly to:
- Registered charities.
- State schools with an open admissions policy.
- Organisations with automatic charitable status.
- Occasionally, local authorities in the Beneficial Area working with voluntary sector partners.
Applicants must work for the benefit of children and young people in the Charity’s nine boroughs. Community interest companies are generally not eligible.
Beneficial Area
The Charity’s funding is place-based and limited to its Beneficial Area in North and West London. The nine boroughs are:
- Barnet.
- Brent.
- Camden.
- Ealing.
- Hammersmith & Fulham.
- Harrow.
- Kensington & Chelsea.
- Westminster.
- City of London.
This local focus helps the Charity build deep relationships with communities, schools, charities, youth organisations and local partnerships.
Grant-Giving Principles
John Lyon’s Charity follows clear grant-giving principles. It is signed up to the IVAR open and trusted grant-making initiative and publishes grants through 360Giving to support transparency.
The Charity’s grant-making principles include:
- Faith-blind and inclusive funding.
- Non-discriminatory practice.
- Strong safeguarding standards.
- Support for organisational development and capacity building.
- Commitment to London Living Wage principles.
- Partnership and collaboration between local organisations.
- Ethical and environmental consideration in funded activities.
- High-quality projects that inspire young people beyond everyday experiences.
- Better access for traditionally under-represented groups.
Open Programme
The Open Programme is one of the Charity’s main funding routes for charities. It can support core costs, salary costs and direct project funding.
For organisations that have not previously received a multi-year grant from the Charity, grants are usually between £10,000 and £20,000 per year for up to three years. Organisations that have previously received multi-year funding may receive grants above £30,000 per year, with grants of up to five years considered in consultation with a Grants Manager.
The Open Programme uses a two-stage application process. Applications are assessed by the Grants Committee and approved by the Foundation Governors.
School Holiday Activity Fund
The School Holiday Activity Fund supports fun, accessible activities for children and young people during school holidays, including half-term breaks, Easter, Christmas and summer holidays.
Eligible organisations can apply for up to £5,000. The grant can support running costs for holiday programmes, including sessional staff, transport, venue hire and other direct project costs.
Refurbishment Fund
The Refurbishment Fund supports renovation and repair of youth delivery spaces. It helps organisations improve the physical environments where they deliver services to children and young people.
This fund is especially relevant to youth clubs and community organisations that need safe, welcoming and functional spaces for young people.
Cultural Capital Fund
The Cultural Capital Fund supports arts and cultural opportunities for children and young people. It helps address gaps in access to cultural participation, especially for young people who may face barriers to arts, creativity and cultural learning.
Capacity Building Micro Grants
Capacity Building Micro Grants support smaller-scale organisational development needs. These grants help organisations strengthen their skills, systems, communications, learning and sustainability.
School Grants
John Lyon’s Charity also supports schools through specific school-focused funds such as the Schools in Partnership Fund, Cultural Capital Fund for Schools and School Holiday Activity Fund for eligible settings.
These funds help schools work with partners, improve access to enrichment opportunities and support children and young people beyond the classroom.
Major Programs and Initiatives
Young People’s Foundations
John Lyon’s Charity has played an important role in supporting Young People’s Foundations. These local partnerships bring together voluntary organisations, public bodies, funders and community stakeholders to strengthen services for children and young people.
Young People’s Foundations help improve local coordination, reduce duplication, share knowledge, support small organisations and create a stronger voice for the youth sector.
Cultural Inclusion
The Charity’s Cultural Inclusion work focuses on improving access to arts, culture and creative opportunities for children and young people. It addresses barriers faced by under-represented groups and encourages cultural organisations to become more inclusive.
Cultural Inclusion supports the idea that arts and cultural experiences are not optional extras but important parts of education, confidence-building and personal development.
National Resource Centre for Supplementary Education
John Lyon’s Charity supports work connected to supplementary schools and community-based learning. Supplementary schools often provide language, cultural, academic and identity-based learning outside mainstream school hours.
This work supports children and young people from diverse backgrounds and helps strengthen family and community engagement in education.
The Excluded Initiative
The Excluded Initiative focuses on young people who are excluded from school or at risk of exclusion. This area of work is important because exclusion can affect education, wellbeing, safety, confidence and long-term life chances.
By supporting organisations working with excluded young people, the Charity helps address educational inequality and social vulnerability.
Unlocking the Future for Looked After Children
This initiative supports looked after children and care-experienced young people. It recognises that children in care may face additional barriers to education, wellbeing, stability and opportunity.
The Charity’s support helps create better pathways for young people who need strong, consistent and inclusive support systems.
SEND and Disability Inclusion
John Lyon’s Charity supports children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Its eligibility extends up to age 30 for young people with SEND, reflecting the additional time and support some young people may need to access opportunities.
The Charity’s work in this area supports inclusion, accessibility, cultural participation, youth work and family support.
Media Trust and Communications Support
John Lyon’s Charity supports communications and media capacity building for organisations working with children and young people. Strong communications help charities reach families, tell impact stories, improve fundraising, influence policy and build trust with communities.
Impact and Examples of Work Funded
Overall Grant Impact
Since 1991, John Lyon’s Charity has distributed more than £236 million to organisations supporting children and young people. It distributes around £15 million in grants each year.
This long-term funding has supported youth clubs, arts projects, emotional wellbeing initiatives, supplementary schools, parental support schemes, sports programmes, academic bursaries and many other educational opportunities.
Supporting Children and Young People
The Charity’s direct impact is seen through improved access to learning, enrichment, support and opportunity for children and young people in its Beneficial Area.
Examples of funded work include:
- Youth clubs and safe spaces.
- Arts and cultural projects.
- Mental health and emotional wellbeing support.
- Sports and physical activity programmes.
- Supplementary schools.
- Parental support programmes.
- School partnerships.
- SEND inclusion projects.
- Holiday activities.
- Academic bursaries and learning support.
Strengthening Organisations
John Lyon’s Charity also strengthens the organisations that support young people. Through core funding, salary support, capacity building, refurbishment grants and multi-year funding, the Charity helps organisations become more stable, sustainable and effective.
This type of funding is important because many small charities and youth organisations need flexible support to retain staff, improve governance, manage safeguarding and continue serving communities.
Supporting Collaboration
The Charity promotes collaboration across the children, young people and education sectors. Its support for Young People’s Foundations and partnership-based funding helps organisations work together rather than compete in isolation.
Collaboration is especially important in London, where young people may face overlapping challenges such as poverty, housing insecurity, school exclusion, mental health pressures, disability barriers and lack of access to enrichment opportunities.
Improving Access and Inclusion
John Lyon’s Charity places strong emphasis on inclusion. Its funding supports children and young people regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender or special need. It also aims to improve access for traditionally under-represented groups.
This makes the Charity relevant to wider conversations about equity, diversity, inclusion, social mobility and educational opportunity.
Transparency Through 360Giving
The Charity publishes its grants through 360Giving, a data standard that improves transparency in the grant-making sector. This allows researchers, funders, charities and policymakers to understand where funding goes and what types of organisations receive support.
Conclusion
John Lyon’s Charity is one of London’s most important place-based grant-giving charities for children and young people. Rooted in a 16th-century endowment linked to John Lyon and Harrow School, the Charity has developed into a modern philanthropic funder supporting education, youth work, arts, wellbeing, inclusion and community opportunity.
Since 1991, it has distributed more than £236 million in grants and continues to award around £15 million each year. Its work benefits young people across nine London boroughs and supports organisations that help children learn, grow and develop.
For interns, nonprofit researchers and grant writers, John Lyon’s Charity is a strong example of an independent endowment-based charity with a clear mission, defined geographic focus, transparent grant-making principles and long-term commitment to improving life chances through education.
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