“Everyone deserves a decent environment, and everyone deserves a decent chance at success”
Words of reflection after Alison Dowsett, Trustee of Berkeley Foundation, visited Newham College to see students pitch ideas for their social action projects in a Dragon’s Den-style setting.
Through our Strategic Partnership with Groundwork London, we’re supporting 90 young people this year to take part in a 14-week leadership programme. It incorporates weekly leadership skills workshops, social action planning and a leadership residential. Young people will apply the skills they learn to local green spaces, using social action to improve their local environment and their own lives. They will gain employability skills and confidence while engaging with nature, often for the first time.
At the Berkeley Foundation, we strive to add value to our charity partnerships through our relationship with the Berkeley Group. A great way to complement funding given to our partners is by offering specialist advice and expertise from Berkeley colleagues. A huge thank you to six colleagues from Berkeley Capital and St James St William, who volunteered their time to support 46 students from Newham College and Greig City Academy in Haringey on their leadership journeys with Groundwork London.
Teams of young people embraced the opportunity to pitch their social action projects to a panel of experts in attempt to secure funding and put their ideas into action for the benefit of their local communities.
Ideas for the social action projects included educating primary school children about the negative impacts of pollution on their community, and how plants can act as natural air filters; raising awareness of clean, green spaces in local urban areas; and ideas for tackling food waste – including in the college canteen.
Harriet Callard, Senior Environmental Advisor from Berkeley Capital commented:
“It was helpful that the focus of the social project was on the topics that my line of work relates to - from air quality and pollution to ground waste caused by mishandling of waste. Therefore, I felt I was able to support and add a perspective from my real-world experience, but also as a person that remembers what it was to be a teenager.
I could provide encouragement, reiterate and ensure they know they are valuable and have a lot to give! Confidence can be something so many of us lack, so hopefully that has been felt today.”
Olga Ambrosiewicz from Groundwork London added:
“Please extend a big thank you to all Berkeley staff who volunteered their time and expertise to support these sessions. Young people handled the Q&A sessions remarkably well and have taken on the feedback provided by the experts.
We witnessed them present 10 individual project ideas, all unique in their own way, all prepared entirely by the young leaders. It was impressive to see how much effort they put into their presentations, and how much research they conducted on their central issues.”
To further build on our relationship with Groundwork London and deepen our impact on the young people they support, we are planning a number of site visits and green careers workshops in partnership with Berkeley Group.
Alison closes:
“Well done to all the young people who diligently prepared for the session and made the effort to really present their concepts! Their passion and energy in giving the presentations were infectious and it was great to see the fruits of their hard work!”