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The Guardian Foundation Impact Report 2024/25

The Guardian Foundation is an independent charity promoting media literacy and supporting independent journalism under threat. Its Impact Report 2024/25 covers programmes empowering children and young people, underrepresented and aspiring journalists, and media organisations working in difficult contexts, in the UK and internationally.

Report snapshot
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About

The Guardian Foundation is an independent charity that increases access to trustworthy information and empowers people to engage with journalism. Through programmes such as NewsWise, it builds media literacy among children and young people, supports underrepresented and aspiring journalists, and backs independent media organisations working in difficult contexts around the world.

Key Metrics

Resource downloads Over 31,000 downloads of the Foundation's resources, enabling its work to reach a further 200,000 people.
Young writers' reach Winners of the political opinion-writing competition reached over 50,000 people with articles on issues that matter to them.
Podcast listens in India Podcasts produced by programme participants in India had over 450,000 listens.

Key Outcomes

  • Children and young people in the UK and internationally gained media literacy skills to navigate news and misinformation.
  • Underrepresented and aspiring journalists were empowered, and independent newsrooms under pressure received support.

Geography

International

Impact Snapshot
568,000
babies reached by Bookstart Baby in 2025/26 (93% of all babies born)
Over 1.1 million
children and families engaged with Bookstart programmes in 2025/26
80%
of parents and carers receiving Bookstart Baby say they now read or share books and stories more with their child
445,600 children aged 1-4 reached through Bookstart Toddler and Pre-schooler, including 37% of all 1-4-year-olds living in low-income households
Impact Snapshot
Key Metric 1
440,000+ young people aged 4-18 active members across 7,000 Groups
Key Metric 2
140,000 volunteers supporting the movement across the UK
Key Metric 3
373 Sections opened or re-energised in England between April 2024 and March 2025
0.3% overall growth in young people (ages 4-18), driven by 31% increase in Squirrel Scouts (5,200 young people)
Impact Snapshot
Key Metric 1
55,000 foster carers and 370 fostering service providers as members across the UK
Key Metric 2
45 new Fostering Friendly Employers recruited, bringing the scheme to over 680,000 employees across the UK
Key Metric 3
95 Fostering Wellbeing Pioneers in Wales offering peer support and mentoring to fellow foster carers
191 children and young people engaged in outdoor adventure weeks through the Fostering Attainment and Achievement programme in Northern Ireland
Impact Snapshot
Pupils reached
63,959 pupils reached in schools across the UK in the 2025/26 academic year.
Schools taking part
Four in five UK secondary schools now take part in Just Like Us programmes.
Pride Groups growth
Pride Groups programme grown by 30%, now running in one in four secondary schools, breaking down isolation for LGBT+ pupils.
63,959 pupils reached with LGBT+ inclusion programmes in a year of rising anti-LGBT+ bullying.