Chris Evans delivers live on air ‘Wonder-ful’ surprise National Lottery funding announcement to London charity

Carmen Gonzalez and Raphaella Gabrasadig from the organisation were booked to appear on the Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio this morning to talk about their amazing work transforming the lives of women, girls and their communities through quality education.

But in an unexpected turn of events, they discovered their recent application for support from The National Lottery Community Fund’s Awards for All programme has been successful.

This will now afford them the opportunity to support 130 recently resettled girls and local young people aged 18-25 from Brixton, Lambeth, and other areas of London to develop essential skills for employment. The project is designed to help young people without many connections expand their horizons, meet new people and prepare for the workplace.

Over 12 months, the project will offer volunteering roles for 30 young women. Each volunteer will receive one-to-one mentoring, practical work experience, and support to set and achieve personal and career goals. The project will prioritise young women from migrant backgrounds and those affected by the cost-of-living crisis.

Wonder Foundation will also host events for more than 100 people, including two networking events and a week-long skills programme delivered in partnership with corporate organisations. The skills week will include workshops on topics such as AI in the workplace, writing and influencing policy, and research in the real world, with the aim of building skills while creating links with potential employers.

Carmen Gonzalez and Raphaella Gabrasadig from the organisation were booked to appear on the Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio this morning to talk about their amazing work transforming the lives of women, girls and their communities through quality education.

But in an unexpected turn of events, they discovered their recent application for support from The National Lottery Community Fund’s Awards for All programme has been successful.

This will now afford them the opportunity to support 130 recently resettled girls and local young people aged 18-25 from Brixton, Lambeth, and other areas of London to develop essential skills for employment. The project is designed to help young people without many connections expand their horizons, meet new people and prepare for the workplace.

Over 12 months, the project will offer volunteering roles for 30 young women. Each volunteer will receive one-to-one mentoring, practical work experience, and support to set and achieve personal and career goals. The project will prioritise young women from migrant backgrounds and those affected by the cost-of-living crisis.

Wonder Foundation will also host events for more than 100 people, including two networking events and a week-long skills programme delivered in partnership with corporate organisations. The skills week will include workshops on topics such as AI in the workplace, writing and influencing policy, and research in the real world, with the aim of building skills while creating links with potential employers.

Chris Evans said: "It was an absolute joy to share this incredible news with Wonder Foundation live on air! The work they do to transform the lives of young women across London is nothing short of inspirational. To see their reaction to the £20,000 funding announcement was genuinely moving - you could feel the passion and dedication they have for the young people they support. 

“This is exactly what The National Lottery is all about, and it's a privilege to be part of making these magical moments happen. Every National Lottery player should feel incredibly proud that brilliant projects like this can come to life and change lives...and it's all because of you."

Carmen Gonzalez, CEO and Co-Founder of Wonder Foundation, said: "We were completely overwhelmed when Chris shared the news, it was such an incredible surprise! This £20,000 from National Lottery players is truly life-changing for the young women we work with. It means 130 young migrants and local youth will have the chance to build confidence, develop skills, and create brighter futures for themselves.

“Many of these young women face enormous barriers to employment, and this funding will help break down those walls. We're so grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund for believing in our work and in the potential of every young woman we support. This is going to make such a profound difference."

David Knott, CEO of The National Lottery Community Fund, said: "Wonder Foundation are doing remarkable work supporting young women from migrant backgrounds and helping them build the skills and confidence they need to thrive. Their approach of combining practical work experience with mentoring and networking opportunities addresses a real need in their community. It was wonderful to see their reaction to this fantastic news live on air!"

We're thrilled to have awarded them this funding through our National Lottery Awards for All programme, which offers grants from £300 to £20,000 to projects across the UK, so they can continue delivering their life-changing support to young women. Thanks to National Lottery players, we distribute the equivalent of more than £3 million daily to UK communities through organisations like Wonder Foundation, helping those most in need and building a fairer future."

The Women's Network for Development and Educational Resources (WONDER) was founded in the early 2000s by a group of London students from diverse backgrounds who realised that many efforts to reduce poverty among women and girls overlooked their true potential. Wonder Foundation was established as a charity in 2012, with a drive to empower women and their communities through education. Since then, it has collaborated with 36 partners and reached over 145,000 women worldwide.

Through both vocational programmes and educational settings, Wonder Foundation helps women and girls strengthen and develop technical skills as well as a sense of agency, by building their confidence and ability to set goals. By partnering with carefully selected local, women-led organisations, Wonder delivers projects in safe and supportive spaces, values local knowledge and invests in communities so women and girls can lead their own development and become role models for others.

This heartwarming funding announcement is part of The National Lottery's Because of You campaign, a nationwide initiative fronted by Claudia Winkleman that shines a light on the individuals and groups transforming lives across the UK – across Heritage, Community, Arts, Film and Sport – ahead of The National Lottery's 31st birthday in November.

Since National Lottery funding began in 1994 more than 650,000 projects have been funded with the astonishing over £50 billion raised by players with a little pink ticket or Scratchcard. Of this, over £18.4 billion has been invested into communities across the UK by The National Lottery Community Fund. Every week, on average, National Lottery players raise more than £30M which fund projects across every postcode area in the UK.