Two thousand projects for young people funded in first year

The Local Network Fund provides grants from £250 to £7,000 for groups working with children and young people. The Fund aims to tackle child poverty and lack of opportunity from the ground up by involving local people in devising solutions to local issues affecting their children and young people.

More than 2,000 local voluntary groups have benefited since Gordon Brown launched the Fund last year. Groups receiving funding are grassroots organisations run by parents, carers or local people.

The Fund is delivered through an innovative partnership with the voluntary sector. A network of 44 local funds is managed by voluntary organisations, such as community foundations, with grant giving and community development expertise. Decisions are taken by panels of local people with an understanding of the issues faced by children and young people in their area. This reflects the key premise behind the Fund that local people are in the best position to know the needs of young people and identify solutions that work locally.

A unique feature of the Local Network is that all applicants are given the opportunity to get support on developing their project and completing an application. This includes ensuring that the project has procedures to safeguard children and young people.

Some grants are used to help children in special circumstances. One group to benefit is the Nottingham-based Dyspraxia Connexion, a support group for children with this rare brain disease who have learning difficulties. An LNF grant enabled a group of children from the project to attend a structured residential adventure programme in North Yorkshire. The visit was the first time the children had been on a trip of this kind with the support of specialist carers. The groups said it had been "an unforgettable experience" for the children, developing their confidence and self-esteem.

Another LNF-funded group, the North Shields-based Safety Crackers project, was started by parents to improve the safety of their homes. The project provides a home safety equipment scheme fitting safety equipment for low-income families with children under school age. Safety Cracker also aims to raise awareness of home safety through community events and activities.

In the isolated village of Melton Constable in North Norfolk, an LNF grant has helped parents develop a children's community centre, the Signal Box, providing a base for a music workshop, literacy and numeracy sessions and youth and leisure activities for children and young people in an area with very few facilities.

Groups applying for funding have to meet one of four criteria. The first, aspiration and experience, ensures that children and young people do not miss out on the positive experiences and opportunities that many children take for granted. The second theme, economic disadvantage, helps families improve their living standards, and the third, isolation and access, targets children and young people who miss out on opportunities because of where they live or because they are outside mainstream networks. The fourth theme, children's voices, encourages projects that enable young people to express their views on issues affecting their lives.

The Local Network Fund currently covers two thirds of England and will be available across England from April next year. The Local Network advice line on 0845 113 0161 (calls charged at local rate) will tell groups whether a fund is available in their area and provide them with an application pack.

'Creating Magic', a publication celebrating Local Network-funded projects tackling child poverty, is available from Community Links, 105 Barking Road, Canning Town, London E16 4HQ. Tel: 020-7473 2270; www.community-links.org