This article is published in Kavli Trust’s annual report 2023. Photo on top: The Glasshouse
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Projects in the UK granted funding in 2023:
Children North East
NOK 1.29 million
Project: Poverty Proofing the School Day
Period: 2024
The children’s rights organisation Children North East (CNE) developed the “Poverty Proofing” programme to address challenges faced by low-income students. Through close collaboration with schools and students, CNE identifies issues and helps implement simple, creative solutions. These might include facilitating uniform reuse, ensuring free participation in activities, or expanding free school meals. Kavli Trust supports the rollout of this program across 60 schools in Northeast England.
Bind UK
NOK 1 million
Project: Food Rescue Activities in Northeast England
Period: 2024-2025
Bind, a Newcastle-based food surplus hub, champions creative tactics to tackle waste. Their work encompasses public awareness initiatives, the “Eat Smart” programme for primary school students, and “The Magic Hat” cafe. Kavli Trust funding empowers expansion of the “Eat Smart” programme, teaching students to combat food waste. The funding also supports “The Magic Hat”, where surplus ingredients become quality meals offered on a “pay as you feel” basis four days a week.
YOUNG BRITISH FOOD RESCUERS: Students in the Eat Smart programme, developed by Bind UK and supported by Kavli Trust, are making a difference! Through REfUSE, also a Kavli Trust partner, schools are seeing positive results. In May 2023, Kavli Trust and Kavli UK representatives visited Cestria Primary School to see the programme in action. Students proudly presented their project results and asked insightful questions to Kavli Trust Grants Manager Rune Mørland and Kavli UK’s Gareth Watson. (Photo: Hanne Eide Andersen/Kavli Trust)
The Glasshouse (formerly Sage Gateshead)
NOK 1 million
Project: Music for Social Impact
Period: 2024
For nearly a decade, Kavli Trust has supported The Glasshouse’s mission to provide enriching, creative spaces for children and young people. The “Music for Social Impact” programme offers diverse musical experiences, particularly targeting those who might otherwise miss out. Children and young people from disadvantaged communities, with special learning needs and disabilities are the primary focus. Evaluations show that the programme improves inclusion, resilience, school engagement and social connections for particularly vulnerable young people.
JOY OF SINGING: A longstanding Kavli Trust partner, The Glasshouse (formerly The Sage) brings cultural experiences to children and young people in Gateshead, home to Kavli UK’s Primula Cheese factory. They prioritise those who wouldn’t normally have access. Their popular ‘Big Sing’ programme empowers children through choral singing, culminating in a grand concert held within The Glasshouse’s renowned venue. (Photo: Hanne Eide Andersen/Kavli Trust)
Birkheads Wild
NOK 350,000
Project: Development and Expansion of Birkheads Wild
Period: 2023-2024
Birkheads Wild, a Gateshead-based social enterprise, seeks to empower the mental health of children and young people. Their focus lies in resilience training related to anxiety and emotional regulation. Set within a beautiful, rural environment, children and teenagers participate in outdoor activities, nature experiences, and animal care. Birkheads Wild runs an outdoor group for ages 11-14, an after-school service for under-11s, and an alternative school provision for students facing exclusion due to behavioural problems. They collaborate closely with local authorities and relevant bodies like child protection services.
Norwegian projects granted funding in 2023:
Kirkens Bymisjon
NOK 4 million
Project: Robust Stovner
Project period: 2024-2025
Robust, a counselling service offered by Kirkens Bymisjon (the Oslo City Mission), helps children and young people across Oslo overcome worries, conflicts and diverse challenges.
Robust is highly recognised by Oslo’s schools, school health services and the city districts’ health teams for children and youth.
Individuals can seek immediate support at the Robust centre in Oslo – therapists welcome children/youth, parents, guardians or whole families. Counselling addresses a wide range of concerns, from loneliness and fitting in, to conflicts over curfews or screen time, to parents needing help with their parenting style.
Center for Evidence and Implementation Nordic (CEI)
NOK 4 million
Project: Children First!
Period: 2023-2025
CEI, a non-profit global social purpose organisation, implements evidence-based projects to improve the lives of young people facing adversity. “Children First!” is a pilot project launched collaboratively by CEI Nordic and three municipalities (Gausdal, Gjesdal, and Hå) with support from Kavli Trust.
CEI assists municipalities in evaluating their overall services and interventions for children and young people, aiming to systematically improve community support on a long-term basis. Research will be conducted on the project’s results to identify best practices for municipalities. This will help them collaborate in proactively addressing children and youth, preventing the escalation of issues to a level requiring specialised healthcare. The goal is to identify how all actors in a municipality can best collaborate to provide early support for children and youth, reducing the need for specialised healthcare.
Children First: Regional manager in CEI Nordic and project manager for Children first, Arild Bjørndalen, and then CEO of the Kavlifondet, Inger Elise Iversen, at the Nordic Foundation Conference in autumn 2023. Bjørndalen presented Children first! at the conference. Photo: Rune Mørland/Kavlifondet
Guttas Campus (Boys’ Camp)
NOK 500,000:
Project: Campus UNG
Project period: 2024
Campus UNG pilots the successful Guttas Campus methodology and pedagogics. Targeting both boys and girls at secondary level, the three-week day camp helps ninth graders enhance core skills (reading, writing, mathematics) for high school. Character development is also integrated. Askøy municipality collaborates with Guttas Campus instructors, aiming to eventually adapt the methodology for classroom use.
Forskerfabrikken (Science Factory)
NOK 200,000
Project: Action for Recycling
Project period: 2023
Action for Recycling is a free, nationwide programme teaching 5th-7th graders about recycling and metal packaging reuse. Over 90,000 students have participated since 2018. The campaign includes fundraising and creative recycling competitions. Partners include Forskerfabrikken, Norsk Hydro, Norsk Metallgjenvinning, and Kavli Norway. Kavli Trust has supported the initiative since 2021, as part of its focus on responsible consumption. Former cycling pro Dag Otto Lauritzen serves as ambassador since 2021, highlighting how recycled tubes can become new bikes.
Ungt Entreprenørskap Norge (Young Entrepreneurs Norway)
NOK 200,000
Project: Innovation Camp
Project period: 2023
Kavli Trust supported Ungt Entreprenørskap’s 2023 Innovation Camp across three secondary schools. Students created climate solutions to help Q-Meieriene achieve climate neutrality by 2024. Winning teams travelled to Oslo for Q Innovation Day. This aligns with Kavli Trust’s focus on responsible consumption. Q Innovation day featured podcast hosts Nora Geiran Dingstad and Ari Bajgora of Jungeltelegraf1 (another project supported by Kavli Trust in 2023).
Matsentralen Oslo (Oslo Food Bank)
NOK 500,000
Project: Sustainability Workshops for Oslo-area Schools
Project period: 2024
Oslo Food Bank redistributes surplus food to 140+ Oslo-area nonprofits. This new allocation supports workshops for 6th-9th graders in Oslo schools. The goal is to inspire “food rescuers” and conscious consumers, while highlighting global and local inequalities. Workshops integrate into food and health curricula. Schools receive an introduction to the food bank, tour and lecture, plus follow-up visits to cook with surplus food. The project aims for 5,000 students in 2024, increasing to 10,000 annually. The Savings Bank Foundation DNB also supports the project.
Eteren AS
NOK 150,000
Project: Jungeltelegraf1 (“Word of mouth”)
Project period: 2023
Jungeltelegraf1 is a podcast by young people, for young people. It tackles important issues like coping, mental health and youth impact on society. Episodes dive into loneliness, stress, sex, love, racism, education, Andrew Tate, cancel culture and more. The goal? Empower listeners – regardless of background – to understand themselves and others, make sound choices, and confidently navigate their lives.
PRESIDENT OF THE STORTING: Kavli Trust supported Jungeltelegraf1 at Arendalsuka UNG 2023. Here from a podcast recording with the President of the Storting (Norwegian parliament) Masud Gharahkhani. Photo: Hanne Eide Andersen/ Kavli Trust and Jungeltelegraf1
Håpets katedral (Cathedral of Hope)
NOK 100,000
Project: Silence during Arendal Week
Project period: 2023
Kavli Trust supported the Cathedral of Hope’s “Silence” event during the bustle of Arendal Week, August 2023. This unique, floating structure is typically located in Fredrikstad, where it serves as a meeting place for people of all ages, nationalities and faiths. Over several years, local children and volunteers created the 14-metre-tall building using materials collected from the sea. The cathedral’s mission is to inspire hope through collaboration, fostering sustainable solutions for the environment and society. In stark contrast to Arendal Week’s lively atmosphere, the “Silence” event offered a space for stillness and reflection as a reminder of its positive power.
HOPE AT ARENDAL WEEK: Arendal Week buzzed with activity, and the Cathedral of Hope was a star attraction. Transported by a spectacular tugboat, this unique floating structure became one of the most popular event venues. Kavli Trust (top right) also made its presence felt at Arendalsuka with a variety of partners and events. Photo: Hanne Eide Andersen/Kavli Trust, Camilla Brox/Håpets Katedral
Swedish projects granted funding in 2023:
Friskt Mat (Healthy food)
NOK 350,000
Project: Outreach and Network Building
Project period: 2024
Friskt Mat promotes healthier public institutional meals as a preventative healthcare measure, addressing Sweden’s high rates of diet-related illness. This project focuses on outreach to cooks in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, offering network support and tools to advocate for healthier meals within their communities. This approach empowers chefs as key players in improving public health. The project empowers chefs to confidently present fact-based arguments for healthier school meals, addressing the negative impact of unhealthy diets.
Umeå stadsmission (Umeå City Mission)
NOK 1.5 million
Project: Social Grocery Store
Project period: 2023
Umeå’s first social grocery store, “Matmissionen,” opened in 2023, offering heavily discounted or free surplus food to low-income residents. Kavli Trust has a long history of supporting food banks and grocery stores in Gothenburg, Skåne, Uppsala, Västerås, Eskilstuna, Ørebro and Östergötland as well as cities in Norway and the UK. The Umeå project aims to test the viability of a social grocery store model in a smaller town. This model uniquely integrates paying and non-paying members within a single store while focusing on long-term profitability
Reach for Change
NOK 2 million
Project: Next in Mind
Period: 2024
Reach for Change (RfC) supports social entrepreneurs addressing climate issues, inequality and poverty. This new Nordic programme focuses on mental health interventions for young adults (18-29). 20 entrepreneurs will participate in an incubator, with ten advancing to an accelerator for tailored support and investment. Advocacy efforts are also key to the programme’s success. Kavli Trust has supported communications for recruiting Norwegian entrepreneurs.
International aid projects granted funding in 2023
Save the Children
NOK 250,000
Project: NRK 2023 Telethon: Let Children Live in Peace
Period: 2024
The 2023 NRK Telethon partnered with Save the Children to aid children affected by war and conflict. The aim was to raise enough funds to give over 100,000 children the chance to play, learn, and live peacefully. Funding will support schooling, family reunification for displaced children and assistance for former child soldiers. Proceeds are distributed across projects in Ukraine, Syria, Bangladesh, South Sudan, DR Congo and Norway. Kavli Trust has contributed a total of NOK 2.2 million to the NRK Telethon since 2017.
Strømme Foundation
NOK 3.75 million:
Project: Mental Health and Wellbeing in Nepal
Period: 2024-2026
Nepal faces a severe decline in mental health among children and young people, exacerbated by the pandemic. A 2020 survey revealed a threefold increase in mental health problems for children and young people. Additionally, a 78% increase in child abuse and discrimination was observed, alongside a nearly 50% rise in gender-based violence.
Since 2019, Kavli Trust has supported the Strømme Foundation’s Samvad programme in Nepal, targeting girls and boys aged 11-19. This rights-based development organisation focuses on education, job creation and strengthening civil society.
Kavli Trust funding will launch a pilot programme designed to improve mental health for children and young people. The programme will use elements of the International Child Development Programme (ICDP). This Norwegian programme bolsters mental health by enhancing parenting skills.
For allocations from The Kavli Trust Health Research Programme 2023, see Kavli Trust’s annual report 2023, p. 61