CEO Gary Stannett shares his highlights of a Year of Opportunity

Written By Emma Rouse

As we approach the end of 2024, it's an opportune moment to reflect on and express thanks for what has been a busy and successful year of growth for the Rio Ferdinand Foundation.

This year, we have seen the reach and depth of our work grow in communities and with young people, existing partnerships extend, new partnerships emerge, and new faces get involved across the UK and Ireland. Moreover, after a long hiatus, the Foundation has returned to working with colleagues to share learning and experiences on the international stage.

So firstly, here are a few highlights for me this year:

  • In London and Manchester, we have built new social mobility and work experience pathways with our partners Findel, The Guinness Partnership, Live Nation, and Festival Republic, among others, to support young people in finding their interests, building their skills, and engaging with businesses.

  • In London, our Into the Industry event, which focused on careers in the live music industry at Selhurst Park with over 100 young people, was a huge indication of the success of that work. It is helping develop a new theory of change and social mobility framework for 2025.

  • In Manchester, the team has developed a new partnership with Workers’ Education Association (WEA) to provide intensive support and opportunities to young people identified as not in education, training, or employment. To date, the team has supported over 60 young people on a one-to-one basis to build skills and qualifications in STEM, Robotics, Digital, and Music and connected them to employers and careers and progression opportunities.

  • In Ireland and Northern Ireland, our partnership with the International Fund for Ireland, bringing young people together from across borders, communities and cultures to build relationships and skills and become young leaders has soared – again a highlight being the visit of Rio Ferdinand and his wife Kate Ferdinand alongside social influencer SV2/Eman, Joel Beya, Paul Canoville and Shane Filan in front of 1,200 young people at Sligo Rovers FC and 31 media outlets to celebrate year 1 achievements nationally was a great couple of days for all (if a lot of hard work for Dan Gorman and the team at Cock-a-doodle-doo Marketing .)

  • Meanwhile, in Derry, over 350 people came together to celebrate our community cohesion work by engaging with the African and Caribbean communities for a Christmas celebration of music, food, and culture this month.

  • Nationally, it has been a privilege to undertake our year as the secretariat for the Hope Collective, driving Hope Hackathons across the country and working with some brilliant people and organisations such as Volunteering Matters, and UK Youth to inform national policy on creating a fairer society with young people at the fore. I'm looking forward to continuing to support this movement in 2025 with Gary Trowsdale. 

  • Internationally, it was fantastic to re-engage with old partners and start to deliver training to capacity leaders in communities in the western cape and Cape Town with eta College and Paul Laemmlae, and the South African FA Cape Town – including securing four bursaries to study for national diplomas. Honourable mention as well to our young people who got the chance to build their own experiences and networks representing the Foundation in Cannes with Digi Learning and in Canada with One Young World

I could go on but suffice to say I am immensely proud of the Foundation's team, all our volunteers, our young people, trustees, partners, ambassadors, and funders!

I wish you all a great Christmas holiday. I look forward to 2025 and building on this platform to create a better society. #SocialMobility #Social Justice.

Emma Rouse
Next

Breaking Barriers