The Portal Trust Impact Report 2025

The Portal Trust is an independent London education charity distributing grants to expand educational access across inner London. Since 2018 it has awarded around £34m in direct and indirect grants reaching 200,000+ young people across 13 boroughs. Major grants include £4m to London College of Fashion (including the Making for Change prison programme), and bursaries/scholarships to individual students. The charity funds education across five priority areas: bursaries, partner schools, new initiatives, prisoner education and widening participation.

Report snapshot
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📋About

Education grants and bursaries, school partnership support, prisoner education programmes (Making for Change), new educational initiatives funding, rent-free educational space Custom geography from upload: Inner London, UK (13 boroughs + City of London)

📊Key Metrics

Over 200,000 young people and children reached by grant giving since 2018 Key Metric 1
150+ organisations awarded grants Key Metric 2
£34m in total direct and indirect grants awarded across six years Key Metric 3

Key Outcomes

  • Young people and organisations funded
  • Educational access expanded
  • Prisoner education impact

📍Geography

London

2025

WeMindTheGap Impact Report 2022–2024

40 participants across 4 cycles of WeGrow 26-week employability programme; 196 participants across 6 cycles of WeDiscover 12-week virtual programme; 154 Gappies actively engaged through WeBelong alumni network
Key Metric 1
60% of WeGrow participants moved into work; 87.5% completed the 26-week programme; 92% attendance rate; 130 employer placements completed; 152 accredited qualifications gained
Key Metric 2
77 WeDiscover participants progressed to education, employment or training; 67 qualifications gained; 419 young people's voices captured in The Big Conversation; 105 employers consulted in Wrexham research
Key Metric 3
49% of young people consulted in The Big Conversation said they 'didn't belong anywhere' — directly shaped programme redesign; 1 Gappie started own business and won £2,000 Big Ideas Wales start-up award through WeDiscover
2025

Valley CiDS Impact Report 2024/25

750 young people reached each week across 25 sessions at 19 locations through Blend Youth Project; 72 students in alternative education (100% achieved accredited outcomes); 8,000 children engaged each term through Quest schools programme at 46 schools
Key Metric 1
149 children attending Zest out of school clubs; 9,932 meals provided across the year; 116 families using out of school clubs; 36 Lighthouse Charity Shops with 380 volunteers; 1.6 million kg of donations saved from landfill
Key Metric 2
78% of Blend young people said they understand more about their health; 74.5% said Blend helped them avoid misusing alcohol and drugs; 64% said it helped them understand people who are different from them
Key Metric 3
Four students reintegrated into mainstream education after short-term alternative provision placements; five students supported to sit GCSE exams in school setting; students including Cassie (ASD/ADHD school refuser) achieved BTEC Certificate after returning to school part-time
2025

Launch It Wrapped: 2025 Impact Highlights

544 young founders supported across London, Stoke-on-Trent, Kent and Scotland; 2,001 young people reached via community outreach and events UK-wide
Key Metric 1
692 hours of business and personal support from Enterprise Managers; 166 hours of training and workshops; £20,650 total business funding and prizes given to LaunchIteers
Key Metric 2
72 LaunchIteers in core mentoring programme; 63 young people developed pitches with volunteer coaches; 418 hours of community support contributed by LaunchIteers under mandatory Social Impact Clause
Key Metric 3
First Midlands Enterprise Hub launched in Stoke-on-Trent; commendation in Parliament by Dr Alison Gardner MP for Stoke-on-Trent South; Launch It Paisley secured three years of further funding