Octavia Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £100,000+ (Better Lives Community Fund)
• Success Rate: ~65%
• Grant Range: £0 - £10,000
• Geographic Focus: Westminster and Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (London)
• Total Grants Since 2017: 88 grants totaling £504,094.90
• Founded: 1997
• Volunteers: 589

Contact Details

Address: Emily House, 202-208 Kensal Road, London W10 5BN

Phone: 020 8354 5500

Email: info@octaviafoundation.org.uk

Website: www.octaviafoundation.org.uk

Grants Email: Contact through main email for grant-related enquiries

Overview

The Octavia Foundation was incorporated in September 1997 as the charitable arm of Octavia Housing, carrying forward the legacy of Victorian social reformer Octavia Hill. With an annual income of £175,863 and expenditure of £469,343 (year ending March 2024), the Foundation primarily delivers direct services to over 4,400 people annually in west and central London. The charity works with people affected by unemployment, ill health, social isolation, or low incomes, focusing on five key areas: care and support for older and vulnerable people, work with young people, help with training and employment, help with money and debt, and involving the community.

While primarily a service delivery organization, the Foundation operates the Better Lives Community Fund, which has provided 88 grants totaling over £504,000 since its launch in 2017/18. However, this grant program is ending in 2024/2025. The Foundation also administers small individual welfare and education grants to Octavia tenants through the Friends of Octavia program.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Better Lives Community Fund (ENDING 2024/2025)

• Grant Amount: Up to £10,000
• Application Method: Fixed application rounds (final round opening winter 2024/2025)
• Focus: Work with children and young people living in Westminster and/or Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea
• Target Beneficiaries: Children and young people experiencing isolation and/or from low-income households
• Recent Funding: Over £100,000 distributed to 15 charities in 2023, from 23 applications

Friends of Octavia Individual Grants

• Grant Type: Small welfare and education grants
• Eligibility: Octavia tenants only
• Purpose: Essential household items (e.g., televisions for housebound older people, carpets, furnishings) and education/training support
• Application Method: Administered by Octavia Foundation on behalf of Friends of Octavia

Priority Areas

The Better Lives Community Fund has supported projects including:

• Youth clubs and after-school programs
• Adventure playgrounds and free play opportunities
• Creative arts and media projects for young people
• Sports-based education and development programs
• Support for refugee and ethnic minority children
• Environmental education and community gardens
• Dance and performing arts programs
• Trauma recovery programs for disadvantaged children
• Care-experienced young people projects

What They Don't Fund

• Projects outside Westminster and Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea
• Work not focused on children and young people (for Better Lives Community Fund)
• Organizations not working with those experiencing isolation or from low-income households
• Non-tenant applications for individual grants (Friends of Octavia program)

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

• Ralph Facey - Interim Chair
• Ahmed Saleh - Trustee
• Cerys Shepherd - Trustee
• Hugh Thornbery - Trustee
• Lou Taylor - Trustee
• Maggie Porteous - Trustee
• Paul Randle - Trustee

Key Staff

• Liz Shipsey - Head of Communities, Fundraising and Resilience (leads the charity's work)
• Angela Marcelle - Head of Retail
• Suna Ramadan - Fundraising Manager
• Raksha Gadhvi - Better Lives Manager
• Conor Lynch - Youth Programme Manager
• Hyabel Kidane - Base Productions' Creative Producer
• Zahraa Fedhel - Volunteering and Financial Resilience Manager

The Foundation is supported by 589 volunteers who help deliver its community programs.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Better Lives Community Fund (FINAL ROUND 2024/2025)

The Better Lives Community Fund is ending, with final applications opening winter 2024/2025. Previous application rounds operated on a fixed deadline basis with applications submitted to the Foundation for review by an awards panel.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Charities and voluntary groups working with children and young people in Westminster and/or Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea
• Projects must support children and young people experiencing isolation and/or from low-income households
• Applications must demonstrate clear reach and goals for specific youth projects

Application Process:

• Funds are awarded against strict criteria by an awards panel
• Applications are reviewed periodically during fixed application windows
• The Foundation aims to award a mixture of smaller and larger grants to a wide range of organizations

Friends of Octavia Individual Grants

• Available only to Octavia tenants
• Contact the Foundation directly through their main contact details

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines were not publicly documented, though the Foundation operates on fixed application rounds for the Better Lives Community Fund rather than rolling applications.

Success Rates

In a recent funding round, the Better Lives Community Fund received 23 applications and awarded grants to 15 organizations, representing a success rate of approximately 65%.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication restrictions were documented in available materials.

Application Success Factors

Recent Funded Projects Examples

The Better Lives Community Fund 2022-23 round funded organizations including:

• Adventure Play Hub - Saturday play sessions for children ages 5-12
• Avenues Youth Project - After-school youth club for ages 11-13
• Element Project - Creative projects for care-experienced young people
• Kongolese Centre for Information & Advice - Support for refugees and asylum seekers, including The School Break Learning Project for children aged 5-18
• London Basketball Association - Sports and opportunities for disadvantaged youth ages 11-25
• Solidarity Sports - Trauma-recovery programs for disadvantaged children
• Union Dance - Diversity-focused dance programs
• Youth Action Alliance - Personal and social development for young people ages 8-25

Key Success Indicators

Based on funded projects, successful applications typically:

• Clearly demonstrate work with isolated or disadvantaged children and young people
• Operate within Westminster or RBKC boundaries
• Provide specific, measurable project goals and reach
• Offer activities that build skills, connections, or opportunities for young people
• Address social isolation or support those from low-income households
• Include diverse program types: sports, creative arts, education, youth development, mental health, and community integration

Geographic Specificity

All funded projects must operate in Westminster and/or Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea - this is a strict eligibility requirement.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Geographic restriction is absolute: Only projects in Westminster or RBKC are eligible for the Better Lives Community Fund
• Strong success rate: With 65% of applications funded in recent rounds, this is a relatively accessible funder compared to many others
• Program is ending: The Better Lives Community Fund is closing after 2024/2025, so this represents the final opportunity to apply
• Youth focus required: All Better Lives grants must focus on children and young people experiencing isolation or from low-income households
• Diverse project types welcomed: The Foundation funds a wide range of activities from sports to arts to education and community development
• Clear project specification needed: Successful applications demonstrate specific reach and goals rather than general programming
• Mixture of grant sizes: The Foundation awards both smaller and larger grants up to £10,000 maximum
• Historical investment is significant: Having distributed over £500,000 since 2017, this has been a consistent local funder supporting nearly 900 young people annually

References

• Charity Commission Register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regId=1065817
• Octavia Foundation Official Website: https://www.octaviafoundation.org.uk/
• Octavia Foundation Trustees and Staff: https://www.octaviafoundation.org.uk/about_us/our_trustees_and_communities_team
• Better Lives Community Fund 2022-23 Allocations: https://www.octaviafoundation.org.uk/better_lives_community_fund_2022-23_-_allocations
• Octavia Group Awards: https://www.octavia.org.uk/about/awards
• Web search results: “Better Lives Community Fund” application information and grant statistics (August 2023 announcements)
• Charity Commission Financial Statements for year ending 31 March 2024