£5.65m funding to supercharge Cradle to Career

The Steve Morgan Foundation has awarded further multi-million pound grant funding to the Liverpool City Region’s Cradle to Career partnership, enabling thousands of children, young people and families to change their lives for good.

Cradle to Career is an award-winning, ambitious cross-sector collaboration initiated in 2019 by the Steve Morgan Foundation and led by Right to Succeed. Starting out in North Birkenhead, the programme has united the worlds of philanthropy, charity and public services to provide practical and life-changing support.

Our new long-term funding commitment will see us provide a further £5.65m over the next six years to tackle the root issues of social disadvantage that negatively impact the life chances of children, young people and families.

Steve Morgan CBE, founder and chairman of the Steve Morgan Foundation said:

“We’re very proud of Cradle to Career, it has had a brilliant impact so far, improving children’s reading, reducing social care admissions, and increasing employment opportunities.”

Graeme Duncan, Chief Executive at Right to Succeed said:

“We are so grateful to the Steve Morgan Foundation for the instigation and incredible support of Liverpool City Region Cradle to Career. It is an honour for us as a charity to be able to serve these amazing communities and we can’t wait to see what more they can achieve.”

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region added:

“Cradle to Career is a fantastic example of what we can achieve when local people, partners, and funders come together behind a shared ambition to give every child the best possible start in life. It’s helping to break down barriers, raise aspirations, and build stronger, fairer communities across our region.”

The success of the Cradle to Career partnership to date has also been based on ongoing financial support from SHINE, UBS Optimus Foundation, LCRCA and the National Lottery Community Fund.

Steve Morgan Foundation kicks off partnership with Wrexham AFC Foundation

The Steve Morgan Foundation has announced a three-year partnership with Wrexham AFC Foundation to scale up its community-based programmes that tackle anti-social behaviour, increase employment prospects, and improve declining youth facilities.

We are investing £300,000 in Wrexham AFC Foundation over the next three years, so it can expand its Street Dragons and Young Leaders programmes, invest in community pitch regeneration, and create safer spaces for young people to thrive.

The partnership builds on our long-term strategic support for both Everton in the Community and the Liverpool FC Foundation.

“We know things are really tough right now for a lot of people and communities across our region.” Steve Morgan explains.

“That’s why the Steve Morgan Foundation is backing organisations that make a real, lasting difference. We understand first-hand the positive influence of football in engaging young people and we are proud to be working with the ambitious and committed team at Wrexham AFC Foundation to help change lives for the better.”

With our backing, Wrexham AFC Foundation aims to build a generation equipped with life, leadership, and teamwork skills through the provision of regular ‘Street Dragons’ football and sports sessions to reduce anti-social behaviour, delivering its youth leadership programme to improve wellbeing and boost confidence, and revitalising community spaces to turn derelict pitches into safe, active hubs.

Jamie Edwards, Head of Wrexham AFC Foundation, comments:

“At Wrexham AFC Foundation we are determined that the team’s ongoing success is mirrored by our positive impact within the community and having the support of the Steve Morgan Foundation will be an absolute game-changer for us. We are fully aligned to the Steve Morgan Foundation’s unwavering focus on tackling the root issues of social disadvantage and this grant will enable us to provide long-term investment in people, pitches and partnerships in our town, and beyond.”

Watch Steve Morgan’s pitchside interview here:

SMF joins forces with Whizz Kidz to provide wheelchairs to young people

We are delighted to announce our newly-formed partnership with Whizz Kidz. We are providing £750k of funding over the next 3 years, to support the provision of wheelchairs for children and young people across our region.

Whizz Kidz is the UK’s leading charity for young wheelchair users. They provide personalised and bespoke wheelchairs for children from 18 months to 18 years. With financial support from the Foundation, this age range will be extended to 25 years, helping more disabled young people unlock their potential.

Whizz Kidz has recently launched its ‘Childhood Can’t Wait!’ campaign – an urgent appeal to reopen its waitlist. For the first time in its history, the charity has been forced to close the list due to unprecedented demand for wheelchairs. As a result, over 1,000 children are currently waiting for the essential mobility equipment they need.

Funding from the Steve Morgan Foundation will enable the waitlist to reopen in the areas we support, giving children who are waiting for wheelchairs the chance to reclaim their independence and the childhoods they deserve.

Our Trustee and Chairman, Steve Morgan, says:

“We have been in talks with the Whizz Kidz team for several months and we are delighted to see this partnership now get going. We support the work of Whizz Kidz because they deliver the right wheelchairs to the young people who need them most. We are excited to see hundreds of young people in our region get their new wheels over the next few years.”

Sarah Pugh, CEO at Whizz Kidz said:

“Childhood can’t wait. Every day a young person spends without the right wheelchair is a day of lost opportunities, missed experiences, and independence put on hold. Thanks to the support of the Steve Morgan Foundation, more young people will get the chance to play, learn, and grow with the freedom they deserve. Together, we are making sure they don’t have to put their lives on pause.”

For further information about Whizz Kidz, please click here.