Following yesterday's announcement of new government youth
policy 'Positive for Youth' a group of national charities are
coming together to help broker relationships between businesses and
organisations that support young people in England.
Responsible business charity Business in the Community, UK Youth
and the National Children's Bureau have joined forces to develop a
simple model for brokering relationships between businesses and the
youth sector at a national, regional and local level.
Drawing on the charities expertise, the initiative, which has
been funded by a £320,000 grant from the Department of Education
aims to break down barriers between businesses and the youth
sector, making it easier for youth organisations and businesses to
work together and develop new initiatives which support young
people in local areas. It will do this by:
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Raising awareness of existing examples of business involvement
in the youth sector
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Building the capacity of organisations in the youth sector to
improve their engagement with businesses
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Brokerage to bring existing models into the youth sector.
Commenting, Gennie Franklin, Director, Programmes & Employee
Volunteering, Business in the Community said:"Business in the
Community is privileged to be part of such a striking consortium of
experts in business and youth services. Young people are our
future workforce. It is vitally important to empower and equip them
to succeed and responsible businesses have a key role to play in
this agenda. The current and future UK economy requires a
robust and mutually beneficially relationship between business and
the charity sector and we are pleased to be part of the pioneering
work to find new ways of underpinning youth services."
The initiative will create a range of opportunities from
employee volunteering, to in-kind backing and financial support.
Central to its success will be demonstrating the mutual benefits to
both businesses and youth organisations when they work
together.
Children's Minister Tim Loughton said: "In a tough economic
climate, bringing in charities and businesses to
help develop and provide youth services is the way forward. There
are some superb projects run by organisations like British
Youth Council, O2, Starbucks and the Co-operative, building links
between young people and their local communities."
Rather than creating new ways of working the group will focus on
consolidating existing 'best-practice' in this area and
communicating the benefits as widely as possible. To help with
this, a number of project supporters have been enlisted including
The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services, Clubs for Young
People, the nine Regional Youth Work Units and the Private Equity
Foundation - who will all use their respective knowledge and
networks to extend the reach and impact of the project.
Barbara Hearn, Deputy Chief Executive, NCB said: "Building new
ways to underpin youth services is essential for a sustainable
future. We will unpick existing barriers to partnership, identify
current good practice and create new and invigorated relationships
between public and private organisations."
Currently the majority of businesses and third sector
organisations that build successful relationships are large and
well resourced. A key part of this initiative will be enabling
small and medium size enterprises from both sectors to feel
confident about creating effective partnerships.
"There are lots of businesses and youth charities that want to
work together but simply don't know how. Through this initiative we
hope to create win-win situations and bring communities together in
the process"saidCharlotte Hill, Chief Executive, UK Youth.
During 2012 the group will consult with the business and youth
sector across England and then through events and other promotional
activity to raise awareness of the opportunities this kind of work
presents. The 15-month project will culminate in a regional pilot
early in 2013 ahead of a planned national roll-out.
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Notes to editors
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Business in the Community is a business-led charity focused on
promoting responsible business practice. It has a growing
membership of over 850 companies and a further 10,700 companies
engaged in its campaigns globally. It works with its members to
transform communities by tackling key social and environmental
issues where business can make a real difference. Business in the
Community also offers its members practical support to help them to
integrate responsible business practices wherever they operate.
Business in the Community is one of the Prince's Charities, a group
of not-for-profit organisations of which The Prince of Wales is
President. www.bitc.org.uk.
For further details email linda.considine@bitc.org.uk
or call 020 7566 8794 07714 411 539
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As a leading national charity which supports children, young
people and families, and those who work with them, across England
and Northern Ireland, the National Children's Bureau (NCB) focuses
on identifying and communicating high impact, community and
family-centred solutions. We work with organisations from
across the voluntary, statutory and private sectors through our
membership scheme and through the sector-led specialist networks
and partnership programmes that operate under our charitable
status. www.ncb.org.uk
For further details email media@ncb.org.uk or call 07721
097033
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UK Youthenables young people from all backgrounds to realise
their potential by offering them access to a wide range of highly
engaging and appropriate learning opportunities. Through a national
network of youth associations the charity reaches 750,000 young
people each year in local clubs and projects helping them gain
experience, confidence and new skills. It works with a wide range
of corporate partners. www.ukyouth.org
For further details email dominic@ukyouth.org or
call 07713 086014