Education & Young People Community & Social Justice 2024
Big Change

Impact Story 2020–2024

Big Change is a UK charity that finds and backs early-stage leaders and projects with bold ideas to transform education and learning so every young person can thrive in life, not just exams. Their 2020–24 impact story covers £5m in grants levering £60m+ in follow-on funding, 63 projects backed, 8 million+ young people reached, and major policy influence including shaping Labour's education agenda — as well as a global presence across 35 countries.

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Report snapshot
63 projects backed with £5 million in funding, unlocking £60 million+ in follow-on investment — £12 for every £1 given; 8 million+ children and young people engaged through funded projects Key Metric 1
17 million+ people reached globally through expert articles co-created with insight network across 26 countries; 25,000+ people took part in 2,000+ Big Education Conversations across England since 2021 Key Metric 2
£1 million Big Education Challenge prize fund launched in 2022, backing 15 finalists and 6 award winners; 40 cross-sector experts publishing via global insight network; 35 countries holding Big Education Conversations Key Metric 3
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📋About

Early-stage grant funding for education changemakers; Big Education Challenge prize fund; Big Education Conversations; youth advisory groups; policy research and advocacy; global learning alliances; intergenerational collaboration programmes Custom geography from upload: UK / Global

📊Key Metrics

63 projects backed with £5 million in funding, unlocking £60 million+ in follow-on investment — £12 for every £1 given; 8 million+ children and young people engaged through funded projects Key Metric 1
17 million+ people reached globally through expert articles co-created with insight network across 26 countries; 25,000+ people took part in 2,000+ Big Education Conversations across England since 2021 Key Metric 2
£1 million Big Education Challenge prize fund launched in 2022, backing 15 finalists and 6 award winners; 40 cross-sector experts publishing via global insight network; 35 countries holding Big Education Conversations Key Metric 3

✅Key Outcomes

  • Early-stage backing of Frontline (2013) — now England's largest social work charity, training 2,400 social workers reaching 150,000+ families; Voice 21 (2014) — now working with 203,000 students in 852 schools; oracy embedded in cross-party education priorities
  • 50 Things To Do Before You're 5 — now in 22 local authorities, reaching 1 in 8 under-5s, with £1m+ secured from Department for Education; The Difference — now working with hundreds of schools and thousands of students
  • 77% of young people, parents, teachers and employers agree it is time to rethink education; policy report Out of Kilter shaped Labour's Opportunity Mission; guide to intergenerational convening launched at UN General Assembly

📍Geography

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