What We Do
GirlDreamer began in 2016 with just £50, a bowl of guacamole, and a simple idea: create a space where women of the global majority could show up as themselves and be seen.
That first gathering—Girls Night In—sparked a movement. From community events to leadership programmes, we’ve grown into a national ecosystem supporting changemakers through funding, access and care.
What began as a third space became a pathway. And today, we exist to ensure many more women can build their own. Here’s how we make that happen:
At GirlDreamer, we’re driven by a dual commitment of fostering community and catalysing social change.
Our core service exists in two parts that work hand-in-hand. Our Dream Fund, where small grants ignite big changes that are often the seed funding required to bring visionary ideas to life and our capacity-building programme. Here we nurture the holistic development of our Dream Fund leaders and create tailored space for growth and learning.
The importance of these services going hand-in-hand cannot be overstated. It’s the fusion of financial support and capacity building that creates the synergy needed for women of colour-led organisations to not only thrive, but to blaze a trail of representative leadership and social transformation. Together, they form a powerful force for change, shaping a more representative and equitable future.
The Dream Fund is our micro-granting initiative that offers flexible, accessible funding of £2,500 – £5,000 to young women of the global majority who are at the early stages of creating social change. Whether you’re an organiser, a founder with an idea, or running an unconstituted group – we fund the person or the collective, not just the paperwork.
We created the Dream Fund to disrupt traditional funding models that are often gatekept, rigid, and out of touch. Our approach removes unnecessary red tape, trusts lived experience as expertise, and ensures that underrepresented changemakers can access the support they need, when they need it.
But funding is just one part of the ecosystem. Dream Fund recipients often go on to take part in our programmes or co-create our healing spaces – bringing their insight back into the community and sustaining the cycle of leadership, wellbeing, and collective growth.
Our programming nurtures a culture of leadership, social entrepreneurship, and community wellbeing. Through masterclasses, roundtables, research, capacity-building, and access to places and spaces where power sits, we support young women of the global majority to gain greater access to opportunities that align with their purpose and ambitions.
Our programmes are designed to remove early-stage barriers that often prevent these women from stepping into leadership or launching their own ventures. Rather than expecting them to ‘fit in’ to outdated systems, we focus on building alternative pathways—ones that recognise lived experience, reimagine leadership, and root confidence in community. Each programme is woven into our wider ecosystem, connecting back to our funding and healing spaces to create holistic, lasting support.
This programme is offered in conjunction with the Dream Fund, and all registered applicants will be invited to join the quarterly programme.
Each quarter, we open the Dream Fund for applications, giving you the opportunity to apply online for grants ranging from £500 to £2,500 for your project, movement, or organisation.
If you happen to miss one round, don’t worry! There are four DreamFund rounds annually that you can apply to.
To stay updated and be among the first to know when the fund is released, ensure you’re subscribed to our mailing list as we share the news of new funding availability here first. You can also visit our opportunities page to apply directly and seize your chance to make a difference.
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