In 2024-2025, Amplify Us reached an exciting milestone by securing investment from the highly competitive Big Issue Invest Power Up Fund. This social impact start-up funding recognised our commitment to empowering young people through creative, trauma-informed podcasting. Participation in the programme provided our team with invaluable training and mentoring in governance, business planning, and sustainable growth. The start-up grant enabled us to strengthen our organisational foundations, putting in place robust governance structures, clear operating procedures, and vital equipment to support high-quality delivery. It also gave us the opportunity to pilot our first sessions with young people, test and refine our delivery model, and gather the evidence and learning needed to scale our impact. Despite operating in a challenging fundraising climate, Amplify Us has continued to grow and diversify its income. While we have yet to secure additional funding from trusts or foundations, we remain optimistic about achieving this through new partnerships with grassroots organisations in the coming year. This year, we successfully generated traded income by delivering bespoke podcasting programmes for young people with InCommon and Become Charity. Both organisations recognised the unique value of our trauma-informed approach, which empowers young people to share their stories, build confidence, and connect with others through creative expression. InCommon connects young people with their older neighbours to share experiences, celebrate differences, and learn from one another. Become is the national charity supporting children and young people with experience of the care system. Our work with both partners demonstrated the real impact of Amplify Us in giving young people a voice and highlighted the growing demand for our model across the sector. Impact: -Worked with 34 young participants through commissioned projects with 5 partner organisations -11 unique podcast episodes available on all platforms, capturing young people’s lived experiences. -Reported increases in confidence, communication, and sense of belonging among participants. -Developed new partnerships and potential repeat commissions for 2025–26 delivery.

Our stakeholders include partner organisations, participants, and volunteers involved in our podcasting workshops and youth media projects. We have consulted with: - Chestnut Grove Academy (Balham): teaching staff were consulted before and after workshops, with written feedback received to inform future delivery. - The Advocacy Academy (Brixton): pre-planning meetings and ongoing correspondence were held for both a funded pilot workshop and a paid workshop in August 2025. Feedback influenced workshop design and delivery. - Become Charity: consultation took place throughout a paid workshop in Spring 2025, from planning to the final podcast release. - InCommon (in partnership with The Advocacy Academy): a director attended InCommon workshops to engage directly with service users, ensuring relevance and inclusivity in delivery. - Young Changemakers Podcast Series: two volunteer podcast hosts with lived experience were recruited and supported throughout production, providing ongoing feedback on content and approach. Actions taken in response to feedback: workshop materials and delivery methods were refined, collaboration processes improved, and participant support strengthened to enhance accessibility and impact.

Director Marnie Baxter received no remuneration and acts as a non-executive director, attending board meetings in an advisory capacity. Directors Laurens Catlow and Tamsin Clements received remuneration during the reporting period from fundraised income and paid workshop delivery, in their capacities as workshop facilitators and editors. No additional remuneration was paid for their duties as directors. Details of financial renumeration are outlined in the accounts section of this document

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration