YMCA Scotland’s Post

If I achieve nothing else in my professional life, being a part of the Raheem Sterling Foundation’s journey will do me just find. I am so proud of our early achievements. Celebrating Two Years of Impact: Join the Raheem Sterling Foundation’s Mission As we reflect on the Raheem Sterling Foundation’s journey through its second year of operation. Our foundation, inspired by Raheem Sterling’s vision, has steadfastly pursued the #Powerof7 commitments, making significant strides in the projects we fund, the initiatives we deliver, and the developments we plan. Created with the goal to collaborate, participate, and facilitate alongside organisations that share our vision and values, we’ve embarked on a mission to make a tangible difference in the lives of young individuals. Over the past two years, we’ve encountered hundreds of talented young people, providing them with opportunities and experiences they rightfully deserve but previously lacked access to. Despite not being a large charity with vast resources, our foundation carries the vision of a young boy from Brent — Raheem Sterling. Growing up to become an extraordinary professional and a caring human being, Raheem has become a credit to both his birthplace in Jamaica and his hometown in London, embodying the spirit of the #BoyFromBrent. Our foundation has launched several impactful initiatives, including scholarship programs at Kings College London and The University of Manchester, a Broadcast Academy with Talksport, youth engagement programs at the Hide Out Youth Zone in Manchester, and an innovative creative program with The National Portrait Gallery, titled “The Making of Me.” We’ve funded community meals in London, partnered with the Young Brent Foundation for the #BrentGoesGlobal community engagement initiative, and launched a groundbreaking Knife Amnesty campaign, among other achievements. But this is just the start. Our ambitions are limitless, and now, we’re inviting you to be a part of our journey. Whether you’re an individual eager to become an official patron, a sponsor, a donor, a philanthropist, a business seeking alignment with an impactful charity, or an organisation offering grants, your support can extend the reach and impact of our efforts in #education, #employment, #creativity, #leadership, #community, #enterprise, and #socialmobility. Over the last two years, we’ve made a difference, but there’s so much more we aim to achieve. Your involvement could amplify our impact, creating more opportunities and experiences for the incredibly talented young individuals we meet daily. Together, we can make an even greater difference. For more information on how to support our projects and plans, contact us today. Your match funding could be the catalyst for further empowering the youth we’re dedicated to uplifting. https://lnkd.in/egt54ysf

The first of our new Vital Signs North East reports focuses on Economy and explores how charitable giving can play an important part in delivering economic opportunity for all.

As the Chairman of transformative charities Fuse Youth Services and trustee of impactful The Hinge Centre Ltd, both lifelines for our communities. I’m thrilled to share my first editorial for Conservative Home: "Empowering Young People Through Youth Work Builds Resilient Communities." In the piece, I address an issue that’s deeply personal and urgent: the need to tackle entrenched inequality in places like Bridlington and other coastal towns. Generational cycles of deprivation won’t break themselves. Youth work—focused on emotional literacy, practical life skills, and career readiness—offers a tangible, transformative solution. Youth services don’t just benefit individuals; they strengthen entire communities. Yet, these services are under threat due to rising operational costs and funding shortages. Bridging the gap between policy rhetoric and practical support is critical. Without sustained investment, vulnerable young people risk being left behind, and our communities remain stuck in cycles of poverty. I’m passionate about advocating for youth work as a foundational pillar of community resilience and social mobility. We need policies and funding that reflect its long-term value. Supporting young people today means building stronger, more inclusive communities for tomorrow. Read the full editorial here: Empowering Young People Through Youth Work Builds Resilient Communities. https://lnkd.in/e8DMyQU6 Let’s push this conversation forward—your thoughts and perspectives are welcome!

Our latest #VitalSigns report finds #philanthropy could play a greater role in delivering economic opportunity for all. In the first of a new series of Vital Signs reports which will take the pulse of the region, the Community Foundation highlights that despite challenging economic times, #giving and philanthropy could do more to build a vibrant and inclusive economy in North East England. While the region lags much of the United Kingdom on key measures of prosperity, 'Vital Signs North East: Economy' is optimistic about the region’s economic potential. It highlights renewed commitment to close the performance gap between English regional economies, in combination with progress on devolution, as creating opportunities for a more prosperous future. The report acknowledges the private sector will drive economic growth, alongside public sector investment, but argues that if everyone is to benefit, charities and community organisations – backed by philanthropy – will need to be actively involved, ensuring community engagement, responsible development and full inclusion. You can read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eQWRSaa6

Please join us for - Empowering Families: A Conversation on Digital Inclusion Tuesday 8th October 10:00 - 11:30 Our first event for this year's Cambs Digi Fest! 🎉 This event will explore on a national and local level, why there is a need for A Minimum Digital Living Standard for Households with Children and what needs to happen to ensure it is met. Who is it for? Anyone interested in finding out more about the Good Things Foundation and University of Liverpool report ‘A Minimum Digital Living Standards for Households with Children’ and how it applies to communities in Cambridgeshire. What is it about? · What is ‘enough’ for households with children to feel digitally included. · What the impact is when these minimum standards are not met. · What is happening locally and nationally to tackle this issue. What will I learn? This event will explore the findings and recommendations within ‘A Minimum Digital Living Standards for Households with Children’ whilst also considering experiences of charities based in Cambridgeshire, to see how this research relates to families in our communities. What to expect: Mixture of presentation, pre-planned questions and discussion. About our wonderful speakers! The Red Hen Project is a small local charity that has been working with primary school children in North Cambridge for over 20 years. Simeon Yates, Professor of Digital Culture in the Department of Communications and Media at the University of Liverpool and Joint Director of the Digital Media and Society Research Institute. Dr. Emma Stone, Director of Evidence and Engagement at Good Things Foundation - the UK’s leading digital inclusion charity. To find out more about our speakers and to book please visit: https://buff.ly/4gdpIfG #DigitalInclusion #Communities #MDLS

Please join us for - Empowering Families: A Conversation on Digital Inclusion Tuesday 8th October 10:00 - 11:30 Our first event for this year's Cambs Digi Fest! 🎉 This event will explore on a national and local level, why there is a need for A Minimum Digital Living Standard for Households with Children and what needs to happen to ensure it is met. Who is it for? Anyone interested in finding out more about the Good Things Foundation and University of Liverpool report ‘A Minimum Digital Living Standards for Households with Children’ and how it applies to communities in Cambridgeshire. What is it about? · What is ‘enough’ for households with children to feel digitally included. · What the impact is when these minimum standards are not met. · What is happening locally and nationally to tackle this issue. What will I learn? This event will explore the findings and recommendations within ‘A Minimum Digital Living Standards for Households with Children’ whilst also considering experiences of charities based in Cambridgeshire, to see how this research relates to families in our communities. What to expect: Mixture of presentation, pre-planned questions and discussion. About our wonderful speakers! The Red Hen Project is a small local charity that has been working with primary school children in North Cambridge for over 20 years. Simeon Yates, Professor of Digital Culture in the Department of Communications and Media at the University of Liverpool and Joint Director of the Digital Media and Society Research Institute. Dr. Emma Stone, Director of Evidence and Engagement at Good Things Foundation - the UK’s leading digital inclusion charity. To find out more about our speakers and to book please visit: https://buff.ly/4gdpIfG #DigitalInclusion #Communities #MDLS

October 11th, 2024. International Day of the Girl Child. The UNICEF Global figure as of 2023 indicates that there are about 1.17 Billion girls below the age of 18 (UNICEF, 2024). Unfortunately, these girls still face violations of their Human Rights in the communities they call home. With increasing threats to our world, girls continue to face challenges and all they can do is to hope for a better future. Domestic violence, Sexual abuse, Denial of right to education, period poverty and security challenges are some of the common challenges faced by girls of today. Children learn from their environment, therefore , society has a role to play in improving societal outcomes for girls. For example, while little boys are given toy guns as birthday gifts, their female counterparts are given Dolls to play with. A girl's vision is not only to be a Beauty pageant but to also be a great woman and compete equally with boys of similar ages in disciplines such as English Language, Scientific Innovation, Finance etc. The world provides the playing field and the common adage is "Behind every successful Man is a Woman", which makes females believe that their position in the world is behind a Male. Girls and Boys are born equally and neither is a slave to the other. Therefore, this adage and many others like this constantly promote bullying from the male gender towards females. A woman should not be behind a man, but beside, and girls should realise this early enough to help shapen their vision for the future. As Queen of Ayegbe Kingdom, I am looking forward to providing girls in urban and rural communities with sanitary items to cater to their daily needs. Period poverty prevents some girls from attending school due to an inability to afford menstrual Sanitary products. With teenage girls already been affected negatively in the education sector, it is essential to ensure that girls can complete secondary school education at least. United Nations (2024) States that "International Day of the Girl Child theme is Girls Vision for the future", hence, My King HRM OBA OLUSOLA MICHAEL ENIOLAPO, APENAOLA I of AYEGBE KINGDOM has supported the Queen's Royal Charity with 50hectares of land in Ayegbe Kingdom to be used as farmland for edible plants and produce with women and girls been the farmers to help them learn about agriculture as a skill for survival. I'm indeed grateful for his support and will use this gift to lift up girls in the community. Abused girls grow up into abused women, so Ayegbe Kingdom is partnering with Organisations and Philanthropists such as The Ishola Empire & International Human Rights Commission-IHRC to provide a right to education for girls in underserved communities. HRM QUEEN ADESEWA I of AYEGBE KINGDOM Ref. UNICEF (2024): How many girls are there in the World. https://lnkd.in/ekbwM6QC United Nations (2024). Girls vision for the future. https://lnkd.in/eU-BC5a8

A key strength of the digital inclusion movement is its collaborative approach, with its use of networks, alliances, partnerships, and coalitions spanning the UK and its sectors. In this article, we explore the role of collaboration to achieving a digitally inclusive society. In the movement for a more inclusive digital society, how best can we work together? 🔗 Read (or listen!) to the full article here ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eJh6GcW9 🌎 Our Digital Inclusion Hub is here to help charities reach across the digital divide. Check it out here ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/ejbatEz3 #CharityDigital #DigitalInclusion #NonProfit

Here’s why centering COMMUNITY at the heart of your brand is the key to growth Girls On The Go was first launched as a girl-only run club at the end of September 2023! 👟💓 Now, we host weekly creative, social, and friendship-making events in Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham, with the aim of making the UK a less lonely place for women. In less than a year, we have grown our online community to over 87,000 followers across our 3 locations and we have hosted hundreds of events with thousands of girls attending and making new friends🥹💓 Here’s what I think helped us to grow and nurture this amazing girl-only community ➡️ Listening is EVERYTHING. We always listen to our community and their suggestions because they are our priority above all else. We frequently ask our community what events they would like us to do, what content they would like to see and really INVOLVE them in the conversation. ➡️ Being OPEN and HONEST with our community. We always try to be as transparent as we can with our community - so when things go wrong/not as planned, we communicate that with them. Mutual respect and understanding is key to any sort of relationship. ➡️We use our platform and our VOICE to discuss uncomfortable & taboo subjects. Women’s issues shouldn’t be uncomfortable or controversial. We pride ourselves on always advocating for women in any we can, even if that means risking losing a few followers. ➡️ We don’t JUST look after the women in our community. We have always, and will always, use our platform to advocate for women in Liverpool by supporting and raising awareness about local women’s charities. Over the past 11 months, we have raised over £30,000 for women’s charities in Liverpool including Refugee Women Connect, RASA Merseyside and Liverpool Domestic Abuse Services. What do you think is the KEY to building a thriving community?? 🔑💞✨

👉 Read the whole article here https://lnkd.in/dNN7pQRm