Enterprising Birmingham and Black Country
Severn Trent Community Fund awards Young Enterprise a £75,000 grant
Severn Trent has awarded £75,000 to a charity that helps young adults in Birmingham and Black Country gain the skills and confidence that will lead to securing future employment.
The water and waste company has awarded the money to Young Enterprise through its Community Fund. The charity supports young people to succeed in the world of work by equipping them with the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to thrive, through practical programmes and real-world experiences.
The funding will go towards a new project in Birmingham and the Black Country, where the charity will work in partnership with schools, to provide young people with opportunities to help them realise their career goals and ambitions.
Young Enterprise works with local employers to connect young people to careers and reduce any potential barriers to employment. In today’s competitive jobs market, Young Enterprise’s programmes help to level the playing field for young people living furthest from opportunity.
Dani Saunders, Young Enterprise Regional Education Partnerships Manager for the Midlands commented:
“This is an amazing opportunity for young people to gain skills, confidence and enterprising mindsets from our programmes. Our support equips young people to understand their talents, build on their strengths and feel well-prepared for their future careers.”
Viv Couche, Philanthropy Manager from Young Enterprise added:
“We were delighted to receive this support from Severn Trent, enabling us to work in partnership with Birmingham and Black Country schools, to reach more young people in greatest need of our support to fulfil their true potential. Our programmes develop the skills young people need to transition from education into employment, and help them understand how they could set up their own business in the future.”
Natalie Cunningham, Community Fund Officer from Severn Trent said:
“I’ve seen at first hand the difference that Young Enterprise’s programmes make for young people. We’re proud to support this impactful project, that will give young people across Birmingham and Black Country the opportunity to gain valuable employability skills, and build their confidence and self-esteem, in a truly supportive environment.”
Severn Trent’s Community Fund was created for community groups and projects that aim to improve community well-being:
To find out more about the fund, and what projects have been awarded, please visit: stwater.co.uk/communityfund.
Young Enterprise, the national charity for financial and enterprise education, has appointed John Sills and Lorna Gibb to the Board of Trustees, with effect from the 25th January 2024.
John Sills brings experience as Managing Partner at the customer-led growth company, The Foundation, and author of Leadership Book of the Year 2023, The Human Experience, while Lorna Gibb is currently VP of HR & Legal at Nokia. Lorna has over 20 years of generalist global HR experience in a variety of sectors ranging across financial services, travel, aviation, telecoms and technology.
They join Young Enterprise at an exciting moment in its history. In 2023, the charity celebrated its 60th anniversary at Downing Street and launched its ‘What Applied Learning Really Looks Like’ report in partnership with The Entrepreneurs Network. Over 1.3 million young people have accessed over 1.6 million financial and enterprise education opportunities over the last four years of the charity’s No Time Like The Future Strategy. Young Enterprise will continue its mission in 2024 to showcase the benefits of applied learning and provide more meaningful and practical learning opportunities to young people, through which we aim to increase social mobility for underserved communities.
Simon Lewis (OBE) Chair of Young Enterprise said: “We are excited to welcome John and Lorna to the Board of Young Enterprise. We have chosen two impressive business leaders with relevant experience and a commitment to supporting Young Enterprise. I am sure they will make a real difference and I am delighted they will be joining our Board”.
John Sills started his career on a market stall in Essex, but now works with companies across industries and around the world delivering the customer experience, in innovation teams designing the propositions, and global HQ teams creating the strategy. Before joining The Foundation he spent twelve years at HSBC, latterly as Head of Customer Innovation. His first book on the topic, the Human Experience, was published by Bloomsbury in February 2023, and his writing has been featured in The Guardian, The FT, and Management Today.
Lorna Gibb has a track record of strategic, collaborative HR leadership alongside a dedication to fostering a positive workplace culture and a passion for driving organisational success. In particular, she has spearheaded numerous cultural transformation programmes and multiple inclusion and diversity initiatives, particularly centred around social mobility and gender equality. She is dedicated to team and individual development and to creating an environment where all employees can reach their potential, thrive and truly belong. Lorna is also extremely passionate about creating holistic employee experiences centred around flexibility, mental health support and focus on wellbeing.
John Sills said, “I am delighted to have been asked to join the board and be part of an organisation that has had such an impact on my own career. The most important future business skills will be the ability to think creatively with an enterprising mindset, to react and adapt in a fast-paced world. That’s why I believe in Young Enterprise’s mission to encourage learning through real-world experiences, and am excited to help continue to grow the confidence and skills of the next generation of business leaders.”
Lorna Gibb said “Young Enterprise’s work continues to inspire young people up and down the country to build successful careers and futures. I am passionate about people in business and why building and fostering a positive workplace culture is so crucial to success. We want young people to thrive in what they do but also feel valued in the environment they work in. That’s why I couldn’t be more excited to get started and to help reach more young people with our vital work.”
