A year of opportunity

The past year has been a significant challenge for society, for young people, businesses and charities. But like the previous 10 years at the Rio Ferdinand Foundation, it has been a year of hope, of inspiration and innovation.

Against the backdrop of Covid-19 the visible inequality in society has been laid bare and the murder of George Floyd has sparked a global conversation on racism at every level. Yet in these troubled times, our collaboration with the Hope Collective and work with young people across the UK through our Youth Voices project has highlighted the energy, talent and ambition of young people to affect positive change in their community and their daily lives.

A decade ago, our founder Rio Ferdinand set up the Foundation with a vision to help young people to reach their potential. That same vision shines bright today. As a Foundation, we remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting and empowering young people to tackle inequality, connect communities, and empower change.

I am afraid the stark reality is that the aftermath of Covid-19 will impact young people and already disadvantaged communities more than most. The predicted impact of the pandemic on health, educational attainment, employment, career prospects and social mobility will create further economic disparity, poverty and division in society. In short, an already unequal society has been made more unequal. 

Couple this with the divisions sown by Brexit, the global recognition of the impact of racism in society around the globe, and the frustrations and alienation felt by many young people and it is clear that we as a Foundation need to redouble our efforts to create meaningful and sustainable social change.

This year is the 10th anniversary of the Rio Ferdinand Foundation and it is right that we reflect on our journey to date, celebrate our achievements and recognize the young people and partners that have been with us on that journey. 

It is also right that we use this anniversary to review our work and deliver a Foundation that responds to the needs of young people and communities in 2021 as we recover from Covid19 and face an uncertain future and divided society.

As we step into our tenth year and following a period of consultation with young people and stakeholders, I am proud of the revised vision of the Foundation that was announced with our new website in April 2021. It is a vision informed and driven by the people the Foundation was established to support. 

 We have two new workstreams for 2021 that I believe reflect this vision and commitment to delivering positive change:

United Against Racism is a youth social action programme that will be delivered across the UK and Ireland to empower young people to deliver projects that tackle inequality, xenophobia and racism and promote equality and diversity in their own lives. Rather than merely add our voice to the conversation around these issues or run an ‘awareness campaign’ we have opted to deliver a project that will tackle long-standing and deep-rooted inequalities at street level. Young people from all backgrounds will be supported to bring communities together, build relationships and understanding and make a change in their own lives. The Foundation will amplify this message to stakeholders and decision-makers through our platforms and networks to make young peoples voices heard.

The Hope Collective is a multi-agency collective of charities, organisations and businesses that came together in 2020 to mark the 20th anniversary of the death of Damilola Taylor and to campaign for a National Day of Hope in his memory. In 2021 the Collective continues to work together with statutory sector partners to advocate for a public health approach to tackling poverty and violence affecting young people. The Rio Ferdinand Foundation will take a pivotal role in delivering that vision. The Hope Collective puts young people at the centre of its research, evidence and action and seeks to cut through the traditional challenges and rivalries that can sometimes exist in the youth sector by delivering genuine partnership working to influence change.

I have been fortunate to have been involved with the Rio Ferdinand Foundation throughout its 10-year history in an advisory capacity and more recently as CEO. Throughout that journey, we have worked to put the voice of young people at the centre of our work. We have also continued to work with and build partnerships that ensure we avoid duplicating services and ‘silo’ working. As we move into 2021 I remain convinced that approach is more important than ever. We need to empower communities to create change from the grassroots up and act as a connector to decision-makers and influencers to see that change enacted at scale.

I want to thank all the young people, staff, volunteers, sponsors, supporters and partners who have brought us to this point. I also hope that as 2021 continues we will welcome more of you to the team to make a real change at a time when it is needed more than ever. Together we can make 2021 a year of hope, a year of inspiration and a year when the seeds of change are sown.

Gary Stannett MBE