This Day Foundation: Annual Report Summary 2024

The This Day Foundation exists to build a fairer future for young people. Our Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2024 reflects a year of ambitious giving and important partnerships across the UK and South Africa.

With £25.5 million in grants awarded and over £45 million since inception, the charity continues to focus on its core mission: improving the lives of young people and tackling deep-rooted poverty. The Foundation’s goal is straightforward: help young people thrive. In the UK, that means supporting those facing hardship, displacement, or disadvantage by building strong communities. In South Africa, it’s about breaking the cycle of poverty through education and employment.

The report outlines key activities, financial performance, governance, and future plans, offering a clear picture of the Foundation’s reach and impact.

What We Do

In South Africa, the Foundation continued to invest in scalable interventions aimed at early childhood development and youth employment. We made significant contributions to two flagship programmes: SmartStart, which were granted £4.2 million to expand access to pre-school education, and Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, which was supported with £3.37 million to help young people transition into the workforce.

Additional funding was directed to organisations including the DG Murray Trust, Data Drive, Sabrina Love Foundation, and Afrika Tikkun, all of which contribute to big change in education, employment, and social mobility, helping thousands of young South Africans take their first steps out of poverty.

In the UK, the Foundation focused on supporting young people affected by displacement, hardship, and marginalisation. We gave £5 million to front-line charities to provide mentoring, coaching, and basic needs support.

Key partners included the Refugee Council’s of England and Scotland, Citizens UK, Refugee Employment Network, and Bloomsbury Football Foundation, all delivering frontline help to displaced and vulnerable youths. Meanwhile the Foundation also invested in organisations tackling child welfare, leadership development, and community cohesion. These included One to One Children’s Fund, Hope not Hate, British Future, and the Clore Social Leadership Programme.

In total, over 30 organisations received funding, with smaller grassroots projects receiving £2.3 million, including a £50,000 grant to the New Israel Fund UK, which promotes social justice, democracy, and equality for all citizens, including both Jewish and Palestinian Israelis.

Looking Ahead

The Foundation doesn’t just give – it invests. Its capital is placed in funds that align with its values, including sustainable property, venture capital, and social impact funds. These investments help grow resources while staying true to the mission.

The This Day Foundation will continue investing in young people in the UK and South Africa, exploring new avenues in social justice and grassroots empowerment, and ensure lessons learned shape future decisions, so resources continue to translate into opportunity, dignity and lasting impact.