Highlights Foundation

Supporting our local communities

Edition 114 January 2018

Director’s Message Welcome to the January edition of Highlights! I would like to wish you all a happy New Year and a successful 2018. Here at the Foundation we are looking forward to providing important equipment, resources, support and employment training and opportunities to help even more sick, disabled and disadvantaged young people in our communities to transform their lives. As we set our resolutions for the year, we have several fun ways for you to achieve your goals. For those looking to improve their fitness or take on a challenge, why not sign up to one of our places in the Hackney Half Marathon or our Mayfair Tower and Power Race in support of Galvin’s Chance. Or perhaps you would like to give back to your community. With our new Foundation Summer Fêtes in June, you could hold your own fun event involving your local community and make a difference. We are kicking off the year with Chocs for Chance with top chefs and chocolatiers creating delicious boxes of chocolates for our online auction and raffle in support of Galvin’s Chance. The campaign has raised over £21,000 since 2015, allowing 15 young people to take part on the employment programme. Now in its tenth year, Galvin’s Chance has provided skills training, industry placements and work opportunities to over 170 young people. As we start our 2018 programme, we will share with you in the coming months our new cohort’s progress and updates on where previous candidates are now in their careers. 2018 also offers exciting opportunities for us to expand our other employment programme The Right Course which nears the end of its pilot year. By providing hospitality training and experience within prison staff restaurants, we are preparing prisoners for employment upon release. As we continue our employability work, and with the help of our volunteer mentors, we hope to support even more young people into work this year. In this month’s issue of Highlights you will find our latest grants, providing employment skills and opportunities through snow sports, and opening up access to cultural and leisure activities for disabled young people. We also celebrate our supporters’ recent Foundation events and we also share the beginning of this year’s events calendar. With a full year ahead, there are many ways for you to get involved with the Foundation, so please do contact the team. I do hope you enjoy this issue of Highlights and the impact of our work on young people. Our front cover features the local projects supported in our Gatwick £10K Giveaway with Hilton London Gatwick Airport.

With best wishes,

Simon Sheehan Director

@DMTFYP

January 2018

dmthomasfoundation.org

2

2018 Events We are excited for a busy 2018 of Foundation and supporter events, ranging from black-tie balls and charity golf days to fitness challenges and football competitions, to chocolate auctions and bake sales. If you would like to take part in an event or to set up your own, email [email protected] and the Events team will help you all the way.

January

February

March

Achieve your new year fitness resolutions by signing up the Tower Race or Hackney Half in May!

Don’t miss your chance to win a delicious box of chocolates from a top chef in the Chocs for Chance auction or raffle!

Chocs for Chance begins in support of Galvin’s Chance.

Follow @ChocsForChance for the latest information.

We’re celebrating our fantastic supporters and projects who all help us to transform young lives at our Foundation Awards Lunch on 16th March!

Chocs raffle runs 12th January 12th February.

Legends Dinner, Hilton Manchester Airport, 9th March. Football Charity Cup, London, 11th March.

Bid in the Chocs auction between 26th January and 5th February.

10th Anniversary Schools Music Festival, Blackpool, 12th March. Easter ChariTEA, 24th-31st March.

April

May

June

Become a Ducks seller! Email [email protected] for more info.

A month of fitness challenges - run up 28 flights of stairs for Galvin’s Chance in the Mayfair Power and Tower Race, 25th May.

Hold your own Foundation Summer Fête this month! Email events@ dmtfyp.org to find out more.

Or take on 13.1 miles in support of the Foundation in the Virgin Sports Hackney Half Marathon, 20th May. Or sign up for both for the ultimate challenge! Tina Gala Evening, The Waldorf Hilton Hotel London, 3rd May. Follow the Foundation on Twitter and Facebook for the latest on our upcoming events and work

January 2018

The Swinging 60’s Disco Ball, Hilton London Kensington, 12th May.

dmthomasfoundation.org

Foundation Summer Fête London, PlayFootball White City, 10th June. Foundation Ball, Hilton Bath City, 16th June. Midsummer Ball – A Night of Nashville, Hilton Brighton Metropole, 23rd June.

3

2018 Events

July

August

September

Golf Day, Hilton Supply Management, 19th July.

Take on a challenge or tick off a bucket list must-do and raise funds for the Foundation!

Football Charity Cup, London, 23rd September.

Email [email protected] for ideas and support fundraising.

Foundation Ball, Hilton Glasgow, 29th September.

October

November

December

Headshave, ‘sober October’, karaoke night – why not hold your own fundraising activity or event in support of the Foundation!

Foundation Ball, Hilton Avisford Park, 10th November.

Bake your favourite festive treats and celebrate the year’s successes by hosting your own Christmas ChariTEA, 11-17th December.

Foundation Ball, London Hilton on Park Lane, 17th November.

Email [email protected] for support setting up your event.

Thank you! By taking part in one of our events, you are supporting our work to provide important equipment, resources, training and support to transform the lives of young people.

January 2018

dmthomasfoundation.org

4

Following our Gatwick £10K Giveaway in partnership with Hilton London Gatwick Airport and the Crawley Observer, we were delighted to support 13 local projects working with young people in the Crawley area to reach their full potential. Thanks to our dedicated Foundation supporters at Hilton London Gatwick Airport who raised the money, we invited local charities to apply for a share of £10,000 to support their projects with young people.

Gatwick £10K Giveaway Hilton London Gatwick Airport hosted a special reception on 6th December where we presented local projects with their Giveaway grants and met some of the young people that we will be helping. Thank you to Kara Monteiro, General Manager and the team at Hilton London Gatwick Airport for their support for the Foundation and for hosting the Giveaway presentation which was run in partnership with the Crawley Observer. We were delighted to support the following 13 projects: •

Rockinghorse was awarded £650 for music and yoga sessions as part of the outpatient services they offer for local children in Sussex.

•

Golden Lion Children’s Trust received £750 to support its annual Christmas Party for its young people.

•

1st Turners Hill and Crawley Down Scout Group will use £900 to renew and upgrade its camping equipment, including tents and fly sheets.

•

YMCA Downslink Group DLG received £900 for equipment and resources to create a welcoming environment for young residents in the large communal area at its shared house.

•

Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice received £500 to fund one day of Community Nursing care.

•

Springboard Project was awarded £900 to improve the social lives of teenagers with disabilities, increase their life skills and independence, and enhance family wellbeing and relationships.

•

1st Burstow Scout Group will use £600 to fit acoustic panels to the walls in their meeting room.

January 2018

dmthomasfoundation.org

5

Gatwick £10K Giveaway •

172 (Hayward Heath) Squadron Air Training Corps received £1,000 to enable participation of cadets from low income families in musical activities and fitness.

•

Girlguiding Sussex Central was awarded £700 to support their project to build two houses and toilets for orphans in Africa.

•

Crawley Down Youth Club at Glebe Centre will use £300 to purchase recreational equipment for the young people who use its services. •

Avenues Community Association Charity was awarded £800 to support their employment and youth engagement work.

•

Autism Parent Empower received £1,000 for its anti-bullying campaign supporting young children in local schools.

•

7th Crawley Scout Group was awarded £800 for Android tablets and a camera for Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers to create montages and videos.

You can find out more about our Giveaways and the projects we have supported by visiting our website.

Charity voucher scheme for your fundraising events Thanks to the generous support of Hilton, we offer accommodation vouchers to charities for their fundraising events and operational needs. From 2018, hotels are also kindly offering meeting spaces. Through this kindness, we are able to meet an ongoing demand for prizes, accommodation and access to venues. Charities can sign up here. A clearance list is currently available to the general public as well as to charities, with hotel stays available across the UK and Europe. With these accommodation vouchers due to expire in June 2018, don’t miss your chance to buy one of these fantastic stays. Funds raised through the voucher scheme help the Foundation and enable us to transform young lives.

For more information about our charity voucher scheme, please go to our website.

January 2018

dmthomasfoundation.org

6

New minibus increases opportunities for local young people We were delighted to award a grant of £18,995 to Nuneaton & Bedworth Leisure Trust (NBLT) in April last year to purchase a new wheelchair accessible minibus to provide transport to disabled young people so that they can take part in leisure activities. By reducing the barrier of transport, the minibus will open up young people’s opportunities to improve their quality of life and health, make new friends and enjoy new experiences. NBLT aspires to improve people’s quality of life, health and wellbeing through leisure, fitness and activities. Some of the young people who take part in NBLT activities and play in a local disability inclusive football club, Higham FC, travelled in the new minibus to a special reception at Hilton Warwick on 13th December where they met supporters of the Foundation. The team at Hilton Warwick has long supported the Foundation and young people in its local communities, most recently their Foundation Ball provided bereavement support sessions to children at the local Myton Hospices.

“We’re very grateful at NBLT to have been awarded the grant by the Foundation to purchase an accessible minibus for our local communities. This will give so many opportunities for disabled children and young people to access much more sports participation and recreational activities.”

Stuart Gealy, Youth, Community and Schools Manager at NBLT said:

Thank you to Michelle Geeling and the team at Hilton Warwick for hosting the special reception for the young people.

Hilton Cyprus supports local young people Our dedicated supporters at Hilton Cyprus had a busy December supporting the Foundation and young people in the local community. The hotel hosted a charity gala dinner on 8th December in partnership with Cyprus France Business Association, the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Embassy of France to support ‘Elpida’ Philanthropic Foundation for Children with Cancer and Leukaemia. The following week it held a charity lunch with the Council of Welfare of Patients of Archbishop Makarios III Hospital to support patients at the hospital and their families. Guests included the First Lady of Cyprus, Ms Andri Anastasiades. To celebrate the festive season and support our work of transforming young lives, Hilton Cyprus also hosted a Christmas ChariTEA with delicious Christmas cakes and gingerbread houses and a performance for hotel guests by a local musical band. Thank you to the team at Hilton Cyprus for your fantastic support!

January 2018

dmthomasfoundation.org

8

Our Employability work We continue our commitment to support disadvantaged young people into training, work placements and employment and look forward to supporting more employability projects in 2018.

Galvin’s Chance 2018 marks the 10th year of our into work programme, Galvin’s Chance. Founded by Chris Galvin and Fred Sirieix, Chef Patron and General Manager at Galvin at Windows respectively, the programme provides valuable hospitality skills training, work placements and job opportunities to young people aged 18-24 and not in education or employment. The next recruitment event for Galvin’s Chance will take place at London Hilton on Park Lane on 31st January. We look forward to interviewing and placing the next 12 candidates on our into-work programme for 2018. To enable us to run the programme, Chocs for Chance returns this month. Top chefs and chocolatiers are making delicious one-off boxes of chocolates exclusively for our online auction, running 26th January - 5th February. There is also a Chocs raffle which everyone can participate in with fantastic prizes, including a chocolate box from programme co-founder Fred Sirieix and a 2 hour chocolate masterclass with chef Ben Spalding, runs 12th January to 12th February. All profits from Chocs for Chance will go directly to Galvin’s Chance, allowing more young people to take part in the programme. To buy your raffle ticket or bid for an exclusive box in time for Valentine’s Day, please visit the Chocs for Chance website.

The Right Course During January 2018 we are delighted that the following volunteers will be sharing their industry knowledge and expertise with the learners at The Quays restaurant at HMP Isis where we are running The Right Course, a training and employment pathway programme for young offenders. •

James McComas and David Croucher, Hotel du Vin

•

Paul Hunter, hub by Premier Inn Westminster Abbey

•

Saimir Kalziqi, Iberico Restaurants

•

Alan Paton, Stoke by Nayland Hotel

•

Louise Simmons, Michels & Taylor

As we evaluate The Right Course, we are excited about the potential to expand and adapt the model into new prison staff restaurants and look forward to sharing updates and stories across the coming year.

January 2018

dmthomasfoundation.org

9

Providing skills and employability through snow sports Les Mills Fund for Children awarded a grant of £2,000 to Snow-Camp for its snow sports programmes for young people in inner cities. Young people on the programmes are able to learn how to ski and snowboard, as well as participate in life skills sessions to increase independence, responsibility, confidence and self-esteem. There are also vocational opportunities to gain qualifications. As they progress, the young people also receive employment opportunities to pursue a career in the snow sports industry. The young people in our grant photo are participating on the Midlands Graduate Programme. They have enjoyed several weekends improving their skiing and snowboarding skills alongside personal development sessions, and are now working towards a Health and Fitness qualification – good luck! Les Mills Fund for Children is a charitable fund which the Foundation administers in partnership with Les Mills UK, and strives to increase physical activity among children aged 0-16 years.

Opening up access to theatre In September we provided a new portable Audio Description System for young people who are visually impaired to enjoy theatre performances at Citizens Theatre in Glasgow. The new Audio Description System provides visually impaired theatre-goers with a verbal commentary which explains what is happening on stage when there is no dialogue. Groups of up to 45 people at a time are now able to access live performances. We are delighted to share photos from Citizens Theatre’s first audio described performance, Cinderella, which local school pupils who are visually impaired were able to access and enjoy.

“At the Foundation we are committed to opening up access to opportunities for children and young people with disabilities. We are delighted to support visually impaired young people at schools in Glasgow to take part in the theatre and the activities it offers.” Simon Sheehan, Director of the Foundation said:

Grant supports young people affected by amputation Thanks to our supporters’ commitment to the Foundation, we were able to award a grant of £1,000 to Finding Your Feet in Scotland. The grant will support young people and their families affected by amputation and limb differences. Thank you to Rona at Hilton Glasgow for presenting the grant on behalf of the Foundation.

For more information about our grants, please go to our website.

January 2018

dmthomasfoundation.org

11

Dancing to transform young lives Hilton London Metropole held its Christmas Charity Ball on Sunday 17th December in support of the Foundation and St Mary’s Hospital. The black tie event featured fantastic performances from ‘Dancing with the Stars Panama’ choreographers Giulia Settomini and Nuno Sabroso, singer Catarina Figueiredo, and many professional dancers including Elena Plescenco and Jo Baiao. Guests also enjoyed various fundraising games, including a raffle, raising important funds to support the expansion of the Children’s Intensive Care Unit at St Mary’s Hospital and the Foundation’s central grants programme which provides important equipment, resources, training and support to young people. Thank you to Akiko Kirihara and the team at Hilton London Metropole for organising and hosting the Ball.

January 2018

dmthomasfoundation.org

12

Dates for your diary Date Event

Venue

12 January - 12 February

Chocs for Chance

chocsforchance.org | @ChocsForChance

9 March 2018

Charity Dinner

Hilton Manchester Airport

11 March 2018

Charity Cup

London

12 March 2018

Festival of Music

Winter Gardens, Blackpool

16 March 2018

Foundation Awards

London

And many more! Please click here for our full list of events

Thank you to our corporate partners Here are just a few of the fantastic organisations who have given us their generous support. For a full list, click here.

We supported weekly activities for local children and families in South London with Time & Talents, helping to provide support, improve wellbeing and strengthen community ties.

January 2018

dmthomasfoundation.org

13

Share the love and give young people a chance by taking part in Chocs for Chance! Auction Bid for unique boxes of chocolates made exclusively by top chefs and chocolatiers in the Chocs auction on 26th January - 5th February Discover the incredible participants: chocsforchance.org/auction

Raffle Our special Chocs raffle takes place on 12th January - 12th February Raffle tickets cost £10 each and can be bought online: chocsforchance.org/raffle-2018

Star prize: An exclusive box designed by Fred Sirieix of Galvin at Windows Other prizes* include: A 2hr chocolate masterclass for up to 6 people with Ben Spalding, a £150 Dinner voucher for 2 at any of José Pizarro’s restaurants, and chocolates boxes created by Anna Hansen of The Modern Pantry, Carla Henriques of Hawksmoor, and Paul A Young of Paul A Young Fine Chocolates.

chocsforchance.org | @chocsforchance All profits from Chocs for Chance will go towards Galvin’s Chance the into work programme for young people aged 18-24. galvinschance.co.uk Chocs for Chance is supported by Valrhona.

Chocs for Chance is an initiative of DM Thomas Foundation for Young People, registered charity no. 1084220 (England & Wales) and SC038995 (Scotland).

Mayfair Power & Tower Race London Hilton on Park Lane & Hyde Park 5K Run | 28 Flights of stairs

Friday May 25th 2018 Reg fee: £20 Minimum Fundraising Target: £100

Sign up: galvinschance.co.uk/mptr2018 | [email protected]

Sign up for a challenge in 2018 and help us transform the lives of young people!

Hackney Half Marathon Run your way through vibrant East London 13.1 Miles

Sunday May 20th 2018 Reg fee: £50 | Suggested Fundraising Target: £100 Sign up by 1st February to secure your place Sign up: dmthomasfoundation.org/hackney-half/ | [email protected] The Mayfair Power & Tower Race is in aid of Galvin’s Chance, an initiative of DM Thomas Foundation for Young People. The funds raised from Hackney Half Marathon will got to the DM Thomas Fundation for Young People. Registered Charity: 1084220 (England & Wales) SC038995 (Scotland)

June 2018

Sign up to host an event: dmthomasfoundation.org/foundation-summer-fete