Students enjoy a drama lesson

Access Fund priority groups

The Access Fund supports centres working with young people who face barriers to access and inclusion.

Within the application form you will be asked to identify the group of young people you are or will be working with. Priority will be given to centres working with children and young people who: 

  • are disabled
  • have special educational needs, additional learning needs, learning difficulties, or other specific individual requirements  
  • live in areas of rural isolation and/or socio-economic deprivation
  • are in the youth justice system
  • are looked after by foster carers or in residential children’s homes
  • are young carers or young parents
  • are in a specific minority group (eg LGBTQIA+, ethnic minorities, homeless, traveller, asylum seeker, refugee, particular faith group)
  • are not in full-time education, employment or training/excluded from school/are in alternative education
  • are hospital outpatients/inpatients or suffering long term health problems (including mental health problems)
  • other access/inclusion issue (you will be required to tell us more in your application)

Within your Access Fund application you will need to explain how the young people you're working with apply to these groups and give more information about the particular needs or challenges they face in relation to them.

You should refer to the Access Fund information and guidance for more information about each of these priorty groups and how to complete your application.

Return to the Arts Award Access Fund main webpage

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