Our News

What if the key to ending child poverty wasn’t more top-down policy, but giving real power to children, families, and communities themselves? 

If we are serious about ending child poverty, we must be serious about sharing power. This event offers evidence, experience, and inspiration for anyone shaping policy, funding, or practice in Scotland.

Thirty community groups who are set to bring about positive change in their communities have been named as worthy recipients of the Coldside and Maryfield Make it Happen Fund by What Matters to You (WM2U) at a Celebration event at Fleming Gardens.

Executive Summary:

Scotland faces a crisis, with one in four children living in poverty. The Scottish Government has made tackling child poverty a priority and there are green shoots of improvement. However, the evidence is indisputable: shifting focus to voice-led transformation and support will deliver even better outcomes, stronger relationships and smarter use of public resources.

Through the ongoing work of our Learning Partners, Animate, we interviewed Michael and Stewart who are housing officers working for Dundee City Council. They told us about their experience of working with two local women living in Charleston.

In philanthropy and impact investing, beginnings often command the spotlight. Governance structures, due diligence, and investment rigor rightfully receive significant attention. Sustainability and legacy are acknowledged along the way, but as delivery becomes routine, this focus narrows and we lose sight of our final, and perhaps most important role as funder. That of navigating the exit.

Congratulations to Dundee City Council on winning the Strengthening Communities & Local Democracy award at the recent COSLA Excellence Awards in recognition of their work with What Matters 2 You to transform conditions to deliver whole system, place-based approaches which put local people at the front and centre of everything they do.

We are delighted to share the latest briefings on our Make It Happen Fund as we make strong progress with the continued roll-out in Dundee and in Clackmannanshire. This has been made possible because of our wonderful funders: BBC Children in Need, The Hunter Foundation, The Robertson Trust, William Grant Foundation, The Northwood Foundation, and the NHS Tayside Charitable Foundation

When I first started working with WM2U, I was struck by how different it felt to the usual way organisations are designed and governed. It wasn’t about meeting targets, ticking boxes, or filling out forms - instead, it was putting into practice the principles we often hear about - relational, person-centred, trauma-informed, strengths and rights-based. But the question is - what does that actually look and feel like in practice?

Following successful roll-outs in Dundee’s Lochee  & Strathmartine Wards that has seen over £47,000 of funding allocated to local community projects, a new round of the Make it Happen Fund from What Matters to You has launched, this time in the city’s North East and East End wards. 

The Make it Happen Fund is a community-led initiative to bring positive changes to communities in Dundee and is run by local communities for local people and enables families and community groups to set the fund’s priorities and design the funding proposal process for their area.