Igniting Passion and Kickstarting Sustainable Social Action
Our latest evaluation of Cashpoint tells a compelling story of youth-driven change. We’ve uncovered the transformation young people are creating in their communities, and the significant personal growth they experience in the process.
Vinspired Cashpoint offers grants of up to £500, along with support and advice, empowering young people to enact the change they envision in their communities. We commissioned an independent evaluation of Cashpoint from the Institute of Volunteering Research, Third Sector Research Centre, and Volunteering Scotland. This evaluation spanned from May 2012 to December 2014.
These young visionaries are harnessing their creativity and passion to deliver sustainable, community-based services. Impressively, 74% of these projects continue operating beyond the initial grant funding period. Meanwhile, participants develop confidence and gain practical experience in leadership, project management, teamwork, and budgeting—skills crucial for entrepreneurship and employment. Each grant recipient recruits an average of ten additional young volunteers, amplifying skill development and confidence building within the community.
For every £1 invested in the Vinspired Cashpoint program, the social return is valued at £4.50. The diverse range of young people receiving Cashpoint grants ensures that communities nationwide benefit.
The Barrow Cadbury Trust, a co-funder of the Cashpoint program in Birmingham and the Black Country, has expressed satisfaction with the outcomes for young people and communities. They noted, “It’s inspiring to see an emerging generation of young leaders making a difference.”
The evaluation provides a crucial opportunity to reflect on the program’s successes. We are dedicated to leveraging these insights to enhance the program—particularly in supporting grant recipients to sustain and expand their projects. We are fully integrating the Cashpoint Plus scheme, which enables high-performing award holders to scale their projects further with additional funding.
Recognizing the entrepreneurial spirit among young people, we are developing our Igniter crowdfunding platform to provide new pathways between social action and enterprise.
In an era of high youth unemployment and cuts to community services, young people are eager to use their creativity, energy, and passion to devise innovative solutions. Cashpoint harnesses this energy, empowering young people to tackle community issues and shape their own futures.