BFSS is a grant giving charity and we work towards our vision of educational opportunity for all by awarding grants of around £0.8 million per annum to not-for-profit organisations and educational establishments to address educational disadvantage in the UK and internationally.

BFSS was formed in 1808 by Christian social reformers to carry on the work of Joseph Lancaster, a pioneer of school and teacher education.  Our regular grants fund international projects which improve access, quality and sustainability of education in marginalised and deprived communities, and UK projects which improve educational outcomes and life chances for Young Carers and Care Experienced Young People. In 2022 we launched a new £1 million Displaced Education Fund to support the education of children and young people who have been displaced by conflict.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion, gender equality and protecting the environment by funding projects which remove barriers to education, develop the skills of local people from low-income communities, improve education quality through teacher training, minimise environmental impact and build resilience against future climate changes. Our projects give young people the tools to enable them to transform their own education and life chances as well as those of their families and communities.

In addition to funding grants, we also facilitate shared learning amongst our 150 Members from the not-for-profit and wider educational sector, and our current Grant Partners via regular events, publications and an online Forum. We have a BFSS Archive, now hosted by Brunel University, which offers opportunities to learn from history including Joseph Lancaster’s pioneering work in the UK and American continents and BFSS activities from 1808.