United By 2022, the legacy charity of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, has launched this year’s Ideas Made Real campaign, offering £50,000 to help supercharge youth-led social action projects across the West Midlands.
The programme gives young people aged 16 to 24 the opportunity to turn their ideas into real, community-focused initiatives.
Applicants can secure up to £5,000 through an Ideas Made Real Award, alongside mentoring and hands-on support from United By 2022’s youth specialists and partner organisations.
Amplify – a Coventry-based initiative teaching young music creatives
This year’s funding includes projects such as Amplify, a Coventry-based initiative teaching young creatives how to mix, master and release their own music, and Boxy, which is creating affordable sports boxes for young people in Birmingham using recycled and donated equipment. These early examples demonstrate the programme’s ambition to support practical, community-driven ideas.
In total, eight youth-led projects have received funding this year – a £50,000 investment that will kick-start volunteer journeys and deliver positive change for local residents across the region.
44 community projects led by 48 young people determined to drive social change
Ideas Made Real forms a key part of United By 2022’s commitment to youth engagement and creating new opportunities for young people. Since launching in 2022, the programme has supported 44 community projects led by 48 young people determined to drive social change where they live.
Nicola Turner MBE, CEO of United By 2022, said: “Ideas Made Real is a youth-led social action accelerator, and we’re delighted to launch this year’s campaign. Our young people know better than anyone what their communities need. They are the strongest advocates for change — they just need the platform to make it happen.”
She added: “This year’s successful applicants have blown us away with their passion, creativity and commitment. Their projects show the power of youth engagement in delivering real grassroots impact. From music and sport to culture, film and digital skills, each initiative plays a vital role in engaging communities across the West Midlands.”
The eight funded projects are: Echoes of Culture, Locks, Keys & Coasts, Rising Levels, Style The Culture: Godiva Afterparty, Uplifting Minds, Visions, Amplify and Boxy.
The Ideas Made Real campaign is open to young people aged 16–24 living in Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry, Sandwell, Dudley, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
