Big Change Charitable Trust

Big Change Charitable Trust, founded in 2012 by Holly and Sam Branson, Princess Beatrice, and four friends in response to the London riots, drives systemic change to help all UK young people thrive beyond exams. Rooted in prevention over cure, it challenges root causes in education, social care, and mental health through bold, early-stage innovations. Core values emphasize diversity, equity, inclusion, youth empowerment, and fostering changemaker communities, prioritizing complex, "difficult-to-define" issues shunned by mainstream philanthropy.

The Trust funds youth-led or youth-benefiting initiatives tackling education innovation, mental health and identity, social care reform, climate education, food poverty, neurodiversity, digital/enterprise skills, and leadership for 18–25-year-olds. Supported activities include seed funding for proof-of-concept projects like Neuromancers (peer mental health), Force of Nature (climate anxiety), CanTeam (school hubs), and Paige Connect (tech for blind youth), generating scalable insights for whole-system transformation.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities or social enterprises based in the UK (with England emphasis), typically early-stage or small-to-medium organizations without strict income limits; youth leadership and inclusion are key criteria. Grants range £25,000–£100,000, awarded biannually via trustee-led competitive challenges or invitations—no unsolicited applications, with dates announced publicly.

Distinctively, Big Change rejects established models, gap-filling, or non-root-cause projects, ensuring 100% public donations fund initiatives directly (overheads covered by Virgin Unite). It stands out for convening coalitions, embracing risk, and elevating youth as architects of change.