Audible's Future Stories Fund now open for 2025 in the west midlands

Giving young people a voice in shaping their future.

We’re excited to collaborate with Audible and the Future Stories Fund again this year. We believe in the power of storytelling, and Audible is  aiming to help unlock the potential of disadvantaged 16-25-year-olds from historically marginalised communities, more specifically, those young people whose exclusion has had a negative impact on their levels of literacy and aspiration.

They’ll be doing this by offering grants of up to £15,000 to local individuals, groups and projects that engage with young people, using the power of language to amplify their voices, share their stories and create a brighter future for them and the people around them.

THE FUTURE STORIES FUND

Audible is committed to tackling systemic issues affecting historically marginalised communities because a little bit of imagination can change lives, cities and the future. The Future Stories Fund is designed to support new projects working with historically marginalised 16- to 25-year-olds. The fund is looking to support projects across the UK, with this round of funding focusing on projects located in the West Midlands.

Storytelling and the power of language can empower marginalised young people to shape and share their stories and unlock their potential. The Future Stories Fund enables individuals and groups to create an environment where individuals can experience how language can be used to express and present themselves, open doors and create opportunities.

The Future Stories Fund invites applications from individuals and groups at all stages and sizes, regardless of whether you are an incorporated charity or have full governance structures in place. If you need it, alongside the grant Audible will offer a package of capacity building support and fiscal hosting, and will work with you to find the best way to be of help. Once the funding period ends, you will also be offered a consultancy support package to ensure your impact can continue to develop.

This fund is being administered on behalf of Audible by the social impact and sustainability consultancy Think Beyond, whose team brings expertise in designing and managing funds.

HOW TO APPLY

This round of funding is currently only open to applications from individuals and groups based in the West Midlands region, which includes Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and Wrekin, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire.

Applications are welcome from Tuesday 14^th January and the deadline is the end of Sunday 23^rd February.

When you apply, you’ll need to provide:

• Individual or group details
• Details of the project and budget breakdown
• Constitution or governing documents, and safeguarding and EDI policies, if you have them
• An organisational bank statement that shows experience of handling money, if you have one

Audible welcome applications using the online application form, and also via email (fsf@canyouthinkbeyond.com) or WhatsApp (+447765951983). Please feel free to use video or audio content to support your application if you want, which must be submitted via email or WhatsApp. If you need any support during the application process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Audible who will be happy to help. They will also be holding drop-in sessions during the application period to answer questions or talk through any ideas you may have. You can book a slot here.

ELIGIBILITY

Projects that fit the following criteria will be considered:

• The project engages local 16–25-year-olds using some element of language and expression to improve literacy levels and/or broaden career aspirations (see FAQs for further details).
• It’s new in some way – either entirely new, or has at least one new element, e.g. new location, target audience or approach. A project won’t be eligible if the grant would be used to fund the continuation or expansion of an existing project in the same location, with the same target audience, using the same approach.
• Either or both:
  • Engages youth located in the top 20% index of multiple deprivation (IMD Decile must be 1 or 2). This can be checked here, using a postcode.
  • Engages youth from historically marginalised communities.
• Will use the funds for a project starting within 6 months of receiving the grant, and to be delivered within 12 months of receiving the grant.
• The project has no religious or political affiliations.

If you’re unsure whether your project is eligible, please send a short brief of the type of project either via email (fsf@canyouthinkbeyond.com) or WhatsApp (+447765951983) and Audible can let you know! You can also book in a drop-in session throughout the application period here.

Apply here now

Head to the Future Stories linktree to find links to further information, including the application questions, contact details and FAQs. 

A BIT ABOUT AUDIBLE

Audible is an Amazon company offering hundreds of thousands of audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals – from best sellers and all-star voices to hidden gems and cult classics. There are millions of Audible members around the world, downloading nearly 4 billion hours of listening every year.

FUTURE STORIES FUND x NORTH WEST

Last year, Audible launched the first round of the Future Stories Fund in the North West of England. Four incredible organisations were selected to receive funding, helping to give a voice to the youth in their communities. Read on for more details on how they used their funding:

Big Condo Academy, Liverpool: The Big Condo Academy  are delivering training courses in radio, podcasting, songwriting and audio books to youth who are not in education, employment or training. These courses equip participants with the employability skills to enable them to progress into further training in the creative industry.

Capoeira For All, Liverpool: Capoeira for All created ‘Rise Up Rebel’, a ground-breaking 9-month writers development programme for Black, Brown, and Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) young people. Capoeira For All have partnered with The Royal Court Theatre and Liverpool’s first Black theatre company, Boisterous, to use the power of story to empower, educate and inspire a new generation of Black/GEM playwrights. Workshops held across the year are being delivered by leading Black/GEM writers, activists, poets and storytellers, to the aspiring playwrights, and will culminate in an event showcasing their work, held at Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre.

Gaydio, Manchester: Gaydio created a podcast production course that enables 16–25-year-old LGBTQ+ young people from deprived areas across the North West to learn storytelling through podcasting. The participants are encouraged to use their lived experience of coming to terms with their LGBTQ+ status, their coming out stories and advice to others, to produce podcasts and enable listeners to appreciate a range of lived journeys. Making the ‘Audible Lives’ podcast series available via the Gaydio Academy website offers an important resource to the whole community.

Alt Valley Community Trust, Liverpool: Alt Valley Community Trust are enabling local young people to tell stories about their community, based on the back catalogue of the UK’s oldest community newspaper, the Scottie Press. The participants are producing podcasts, animating one story per decade that was covered by the Scottie Press and retelling them for the modern day through interviews and images of community members involved. The project works with the Museum of Liverpool, Tate Liverpool and educational providers to offer networking and progression opportunities for the participants.

FIND OUT MORE

You can access the FAQs on the linktree here, but if there’s something missing, feel free to WhatsApp Audible on +447765951983 or email  fsf@canyouthinkbeyond.com.