The Government will invest an additional £2m into the #iwill Fund, which will be matched by The National Lottery Community Fund, to create new volunteering, social action and community activities for young people.

Since its launch in 2016, the #iwill Fund has used a £54m joint investment between the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and The National Lottery Community Fund, in collaboration with over thirty funders, to create more than 650,000 engaging opportunities for young people.

The £4m extra investment was announced by the minister for civil society and youth Baroness Barran during a series of visits to mark International Youth Day.

‘I’m acutely aware of how the pandemic has impacted the lives of young people, and I can reassure them that it’s a Government priority to ensure they are supported and given access to opportunities that can help them develop and grow,’ she said.

‘I’m delighted that an additional £4m will now be added to the £50m we have provided to this important fund, which means even more young people can make a positive difference in their communities whilst developing their own unique skills and knowledge.’

David Knott, interim chief executive at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: 'The work of the #iwill Fund has had an incredible impact on young people, empowering them to design and deliver projects that will benefit their peers, their communities and young people of the future.

'Thanks to National Lottery players and Government funding, this additional £4m investment will provide even more opportunities and enable young people to help their communities build back from COVID, prosper and thrive.'