Today marks the first results day of the year, a cause for celebration for many young people in Yorkshire who have worked so hard and achieved brilliant results that will set them up for a bright future.
However, it’s vital we remember results do not always equal success or future prosperity for all our young people. Many young people in our region face barriers to opportunity, skills and self-belief which hold them back from fulfilling their true potential.
A news report published recently revealed that children in Bradford who receive free school meals are significantly less likely to attend university than their peers. Meanwhile, on A-Level results day the Social Mobility Foundation raised concerns about the regional attainment gap, as Yorkshire and the Humber was one of only two regions that saw a fall in the number of top grades.
We know all too well that children and young people from lower-income backgrounds are consistently denied access to educational opportunities that so many take for granted.
At Yorkshire Children’s Charity, a core part of our mission is to bridge the gap between schools and local industry to equip our young people with the skills, experiences, connections and confidence to follow their dreams and break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
We passionately believe that every young person deserves the chance to fulfil their potential, no matter their background, and we’re fortunate to work with inspirational people and businesses who can make this happen.
Inspiring Yorkshire’s Young Entrepreneurs
In partnership with the not-for-profit organisation, LEAP, our Yorkshires. Young Entrepreneur Challenge gives young people the chance to build their own business from scratch, taking on roles from Managing Director to Chief Operating Officer and Finance Director. With mentoring and seed money provided by local businesses, groups of Year Ten pupils have seven weeks to concept, plan and launch their business. All money raised funds vital equipment for local disabled young people, demonstrating how participants’ actions can have a positive impact on the lives of others and shifting the focus from them being recipients of charity towards giving back to their local community. Previous challenges have seen students invest their seed money and create businesses selling jewellery, candles and even Christmas decorations.
Young people come away from the challenge with new-found confidence, teamwork skills and an insight into the business world, and an understanding of how they could become the entrepreneurs and business leaders of the future. Meanwhile, mentors have the opportunity to build a rapport with students, beginning an ongoing relationship with schools and making a tangible difference to our local community. If you have the drive to make a difference and mentor the next generation of entrepreneurs, we can help you make it happen.
Fairway Forward
It’s not just business skills that we help young people to learn. Wider life skills and experiences are essential, including gaining the ‘soft’ skills and social confidence that those who have grown up in professional households often take for granted. The golf course is a place where connections are made, confidence is built and skills gained – but while Yorkshire is home to some of the country’s best courses, the sport simply isn’t accessible for many local young people.
Fairway Forward is a brand-new initiative that matches school pupils with a corporate sponsor who will support and encourage them through their introduction to golf. Pupils will be given golfing tuition and access to a local club, not only learning a new sport but building the self-esteem, communication skills and discipline to help them thrive on and off the course. At the end of the year-long programme, young people will form teams with their sponsors for an unforgettable corporate golf day at Northcliffe Golf Club. Fairway Forward is due to launch in the coming months, and if your organisation would like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you.
Building futures in Property
Yorkshire’s property sector is a vital part of the local economy and a huge support for us at Yorkshire Children’s Charity. Through our Property Subscription, we encourage suppliers across the sector to make an annual or monthly donation which supports a range of programmes, including our Yorkshires. Constructing Careers workshop which launched earlier this year.
Constructing Careers offers students from some of the most disadvantaged schools in the region a 360 view of both the commercial and residential property sector, introducing them to a range of career prospects through engaging, fun and practical workshops delivered by young professionals working in the industry. Feedback from schools and businesses alike has been fantastic, and we’re always keen to speak to individuals and businesses in the property sector about how we can work together to inspire our region’s young people.
How can I get involved?
Our range of programmes help us to build incredible relationships between business and schools which broaden children and young people’s horizons and aspirations – but we need people like you to make it happen.
If your business would like to work with us, we would love to hear from you. Together, we can make things better.
Email us at programmes@yorkshirechildrenscharity.org to get involved, or visit our website to find out more about our work.
