Latest News
Thursday 7th July 2016'Imagine' campaign launched at Plymouth Community Homes | July 2016
The Plymouth Drake Foundation has received backing for their new project to transform the future of 4,000 young people across the City. This month marks the launch of the ‘imagine’ campaign, which is targeting resources to projects that will help young people improve their opportunities and aspiration.
Arthur Ainslie, Chair of Drake shares: “With so much uncertainty in our world today, it is important we help our young people see they can play a vital part in our City. Last year we highlighted that over 10,000 children are living under the poverty line. A lack of opportunity and aspiration will massively affect our future prospects as a City. So Drake has decided that during 2016 / 2017 we will be working across the City with community groups to launch and support projects which help young people lift their sites so that the effects of social and economic deprivation can be challenged.”
Over the course of 2016/2017 Drake will be partnering with businesses and community groups to fund and deliver projects which will help 4,000 young people to get into training, education or build life skills. Drake believes that a poverty of aspiration can limit the scope of opportunity for young people, resulting in higher absenteeism from school, vandalism and lower educational achievement.
“Young people are our City’s future and we are delighted that Plymouth Community Homes have been championing this initiative. I have seen first-hand how a little bit of encouragement and support can transform a young person’s life. I know of one report of a young man we helped last year who was homeless and wasn’t able to get his life together. With a little help from Drake we could help him find a home, get into training and build a life for himself. It’s not costly just £25 can help someone turn their life around. We don’t believe in hand-outs, but we can through this initiative fund projects which will help our young people have a hand-up”.
Plymouth Community Homes (PCH), who have pledged support to the ‘Imagine’ campaign, is the largest social landlord in the City with almost 15,000 properties; housing over 50,000 people. John Clark, Chief Executive of PCH said: “As an organisation we value the staff who work for us and the tenants and residents who live in our properties. It’s important to us as a
landlord and employer that we invest in our young people so we’re delighted to be supporting the Plymouth Drake Foundation to assist 4,000 young people over the next year. Our staff are already playing their part and we are pleased to be able to pledge financial support to help 400 young people because of their fund raising efforts. We hope other businesses will also get involved and pledge their support for young people across the city and help them achieve their full potential.”
Drake has set the goal of helping 4,000 young people across the City and with support for 400 young people pledged from Plymouth Community Homes; they believe that the target will be reached.
“We’ve been working in the City for over 10 years; this is our biggest project for a number of years. We believe that this is one of the most important things the Foundation will have done for the future of our City. Our young people are vital to the future prosperity of our City.”