ANNUAL REVIEW 2017

EMPOWERING YOUNG PEOPLE IN MORE COMMUNITIES TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL A YEAR IN REVIEW TEAM HIGHLIGHTS

CHARLIE GREEN, CHAIR AND My role is about making sure KEVIN MUNDAY, CEO ThinkForward young people in NICOLETTE, EDUCATION Kent get to experience the careers 2017 WAS THE YEAR AND EMPLOYMENT they’re interested in. WE LAUNCHED IN COORDINATOR I also arrange enrichment activities to broaden horizons and improve confidence. OUR THIRD LOCATION Exposure to the workplace and taking part AND STRENGTHENED in new activities open their eyes and help them understand what they need to do to achieve EXISTING PARTNERSHIPS their goals. For me, this was the attraction of ThinkForward’s vision is moving from teaching to ThinkForward. I’m simple – to prevent a new now able to focus full-time on helping students generation of youth find a career and start building their lives. unemployment. We do this through a coaching programme that provides long-term support LONDON A highlight for me in 2017 was to young people at high risk of seeing my students graduate unemployment. At the end CHARLENE, COACH AND from ThinkForward. of 2016 we set out ambitious PROGRAMME ADVISOR One young person’s journey particularly plans to do this more widely, sticks out because I was able to help her by refining our coaching when she was struggling to get into programme, diversifying university. After a bit of a battle she’s now funding and scaling up delivery. studying social work at Canterbury. I’ve In the context of constrained been a coach for five years and I’ve learned public finances, continued a lot about what works so I’m now going to changes to educational policy be putting my knowledge to use by taking and the distractions of Brexit an organisational lead on developing our looming over many employers, programme design. this was challenging. Nonetheless in 2017 we consolidated in six London neighbourhoods, completed NOTTINGHAM In 2017 we came to the end of our our first year in north first full academic year in our first Nottingham and launched DAN, REGIONAL DELIVERY four schools in north Nottingham. in coastal Kent. We started MANAGER A key achievement for me was creating DFN-MoveForward, targeting the business mentoring programme for the young people with learning our Year 10s, and we built excellent disabilities who are amongst partnerships with some key employers in the most at risk of future the city to do this. Staff who took part in unemployment. None of this mentoring told me how much they got out would be possible without of the experience, and the young people the help of our funders and were inspired by the insights they got from business partners, and we our brilliant volunteers. We also grew, value your ongoing support. expanding to a fifth school in St Ann’s. YOUNG PEOPLE’S STORIES

Working with my coach has improved. I’m getting on KENT has changed my life in a better with my teachers and I’m KERRI NEWLAND – 14 good way. I used to storm listening more. The teachers out of the classroom if see that I am behaving and I got annoyed but that’s they’re changing their part of my past now. perception of me. I used to think school was pointless but My behaviour is better at home now I want to do well because and at school, my attendance I want to be a nurse. has gone up and my attitude

What I learned with start conversations and being LONDON ThinkForward has stayed friendly. Gradually as my English LANSINET – 19 with me. improved it all came together and I became more confident. PROGRAMME LEAVER I arrived in London from Guinea In 2017 I discovered I got a place when I was 11. I couldn’t speak at university. Now my dream, English so it was hard to make amazingly, is to be an actor. friends. I was lonely and my The confidence I got from being confidence was low. My coach on ThinkForward is where it gave me advice about making eye all started. contact, shaking hands, how to

I used to get angry really do the punching. It really helped NOTTINGHAM quickly and I would punch me to calm down. We talked a lot ELYCIA – 15 things. My hands would and really got to know each other. BULWELL ACADEMY hurt and be really badly I’ve gone to every business insight bruised. day and business mentoring session my coach has organised My coach encouraged me to do because all these opportunities boxing after school and she did it help me realise what I want to with me. She would hold the pads do for a career. and I would wear the gloves and THINKFORWARD KENT WORKS WITH SOME WE LAUNCHED IN SIX COMMUNITIES OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE PUPILS. In the summer of 2017, supported It was a busy year signing up THE COACH HAS by Kent Community Foundation, the six new partner schools and we were able to enrol young building a new team. With the ENCOURAGED people across six new schools. move to a more rural setting, Expanding to Kent is an we reviewed and adapted our STUDENTS TO RAISE important step to test and programme to better reflect the adapt ThinkForward’s design needs of our students and the THEIR ASPIRATIONS in new contexts. local labour market. AND BELIEVE THEY Our third location is, in reality, There was a big focus on getting six very different and widespread parents and carers on board, CAN HAVE A BRIGHT communities in Deal, New with coffee mornings and Romney, Maidstone, , meetings to explain the benefits FUTURE. Margate and Folkestone. Rural of ThinkForward. This has Geoff Matthews, and coastal isolation, lack of resulted in a very supportive public transport, public transport group of carers, mums and dads. In the winter term, all young costs and intergenerational The coaches have risen to the people were able to take part in unemployment all contribute to challenge of covering the large a range of business insight and the obstacles facing young people. distances in Kent and passed enrichment activities, including For example, Thanet is one of the their mini-bus driver training. behind-the-scenes trips to a lowest ranking local authorities This allows them to use school theatre and a power station, for social mobility, according to transport to take groups of a team-building day with the the 2017 report by the Social students to different Army and a visit to the Skills Mobility Commission. opportunities. London jobs fair.

102 YOUNG PEOPLE TOOK PART IN AT LEAST ONE EMPLOYABILITY ACTIVITY Students enjoying a visit to Turner Contemporary, IN JUST THREE MONTHS Margate LONDON

IN LONDON ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS REPORTED London graduation SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN ceremony at Nomura BEHAVIOUR FOR YEAR 11s headquarters DURING OUR SIX YEAR PARTNERSHIP, WE CELEBRATED WITH OUR GRADUATES ICG HAS SEEN THE POSITIVE IMPACT In our longest running region, make a contribution towards we said goodbye to the Class of the cost of delivering the OF THINKFORWARD 2017, the second group of young programme. We continue to people to complete our five-year develop collaborative partnerships ON YOUNG PEOPLE, programme. Eight out of 10 with six London schools across graduates were in employment, Tower Hamlets and Islington. AND WE KNOW training or work when they In schools no longer able to graduated. Like Lansinet partner with ThinkForward, we OUR MONEY AND (see Young People’s Stories), committed to supporting young OUR MENTORS’ their journeys on ThinkForward people in the final two years of demonstrate the value of the programme through to 2019. TIME IS BEING ThinkForward’s unique coaching ThinkForward continues to approach, combined with targeted develop strong relationships WELL SPENT exposures to the world of work. with local businesses. In 2017 Jo Zendel, ICG This combination empowers we partnered with the Careers young people to take control of and Enterprise Company, who to prepare young people their lives and to build essential provided funding to develop our for employment. Through life and employability skills. business mentoring programme partnerships, young people have We wish all our graduates the in all our London schools, linking also developed important life best for their future. with companies including ICG, skills by taking part in an array In 2017 we diversified our funding Credit Suisse, Bank of America of enrichment activities including mix to become more sustainable. Merrill Lynch and Nomura workshops with Google, Sky and As a result we asked schools to to deliver a targeted curriculum the National Theatre. THINKFORWARD NOTTINGHAM HAS PROVED IT WE DEVELOPED LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS TRULY UNDERSTANDS THE VALUE OF There was a lot to celebrate in Nottingham reach in line with PREVENTING RATHER Nottingham in 2017. We completed our other two locations and our first year of delivery in the city, allow for the recruitment of THAN TREATING working with more than 170 young an Education, Enrichment and people by the end of the year. All Employment Coordinator, who NEET, THAT’S ONE four schools renewed their support, will provide dedicated support a great testament to the strength building partnerships with OF THE REASONS of partnerships developed and the further education providers, impact coaches have had working businesses and cultural I LOVE WORKING with young people in Years 9–11. organisations. Engagement rates were high, with WITH THEM The Careers and Enterprise over three quarters of young people Graham Allen, former Nottingham North MP Company helped fund seeing their coach every week. ThinkForward’s first year of In September we also launched delivering employability activities After one year, our impact data in a fifth school – Nottingham in Nottingham. To do this, we shows that young people are Academy Alternative Provision. established new partnerships with making improvements in terms This allows us to reach students thirteen local employers including of their engagement at school. We who have been excluded from KPMG, Nottingham City Homes can see, for example, that when mainstream education and who and Nottingham Trent University. it comes to behaviour across our are often most at risk of youth They have offered insight days, first four schools, 83% of Year 9s, unemployment. Looking ahead mentoring, and skills workshops 90% of Year 10s and 89% of Year we are launching in a sixth school to enable young people to be 11s have all improved their in 2018. This will bring our more ‘work ready’. behaviour at school.

Bulwell Academy students and coach Michelle, with business mentors from Nottingham Trent University

IN NOTTINGHAM ALL YEAR GROUPS ACHIEVED SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTENDANCE 2017 IN NUMBERS OUR SCHOOLS WE SUPPORTED NOTTINGHAM • Bluecoat Beechdale Academy 857 YOUNG PEOPLE • Bulwell Academy • Ellis Guilford School • Nottingham Academy TO ACHIEVE Alternative Provision • Nottingham University THIS WE SPENT Samworth Academy £2.2MILLION* LONDON of our London graduates were • City and Islington College* in a **positive destination • City of London Academy, 8/10 when they left the programme Highbury Grove • City of London Academy, Islington** Together we can transform the prospects • George Green’s School of young people most at risk of • Green Spring Academy, Shoreditch unemployment. We are funded primarily • London East Alternative Provision through voluntary donations. Donating: • Samuel Rhodes School* £2500 £500 • Swanlea School supports a young covers the cost of KENT person on the skills and confidence- • Bradfields Academy* programme for building activities • one year for five young people • for one year • • MidKent College* provides a month of • New Line Learning Academy one-to-one coaching • Strood Academy £250 for a young person • *unaudited accounts ** a positive destination means being in employment, *MoveForward Pilot training or further study ** ThinkForward and MoveForward school DFN-MOVEFORWARD PILOT

Our pilot programme, DFN-MoveForward, which In Kent the coach has been in post since December, is supported by the David Forbes Nixon Charitable working in Bradfields Academy in Chatham, where Foundation began in 2017 in Islington in London, 25 students are enrolled, and MidKent College in its and Kent. Maidstone and Medway campuses, where we have The programme provides young people who have 20 students. mild to moderate learning disabilities with long-term MoveForward has a dedicated education and specialised support, to enable them to move into employment coordinator who will arrange business sustained paid work. It starts in Year 9 and continues insight days, volunteering, mentoring and work beyond entry into paid employment, ensuring students placement opportunities. These are all designed to are supported on every step of their journey into work. prepare the young people with the confidence, skills Our Islington coach started in October and is now and experience required for the workplace. well established in two schools – City of London As an innovative and new programme, the design of Academy, Islington and Samuel Rhodes School – and MoveForward will be subject to ongoing review and City and Islington College. Forty five young people are development to ensure we are providing students on the programme. with the best possible support. ThinkForward 337 City Road, THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS London EC1V 1LJ 020 3559 8390 [email protected] www.thinkforward.org.uk THINKFORWARD RELIES ON PARTNERSHIPS TO BE ABLE TO @ThinkForwardUK ThinkForward is a charity TRANSFORM YOUNG PEOPLE’S LIFE CHANCES. OUR COMMUNITY registered with the Charity Commission. OF SUPPORTERS IS INTEGRAL TO MAKING OUR WORK POSSIBLE. Registration number 1152862.

STRATEGIC PARTNERS Supporting with a donation of £100,000 or more per year

STRATEGIC The Careers and Barts Health PRO BONO Enterprise Company BBC Radio 1 PARTNERS The Dulverton Trust Betteshanger park SUPPORTERS Bank of America The Nomura Blackstone Group BCG Charitable Trust* Merrill Lynch* British Army Clifford Chance UBS* David Forbes Nixon Capital One David Andrews Charitable Foundation EDF Dungeness KKR Garfield Weston Foundation THINKFORWARD power station London School of Economics ICG* PIONEER DONORS Emirates Aviation OC&C Impetus – The Private Experian Equity Foundation Attwood Education Svetlana Basovsky Foundation EY Kent Community Foundation Charlie Green Five Paper Chambers IN KIND SUPPORTERS The Credit Suisse EMEA David Vaughan Gateley Law Deal and Dover Youth Hub Foundation* Humphrey Battcock Hilton Microsoft* Matt Grinnell HSBC RR Donnelley DONORS Rory Macmillan JP Morgan Ardian* Simon Palley Kiwi Gray BBC Children in Need Tom Walker KKR William de Winton BVCA Folkestone Cinven Foundation National Theatre Drapers’ Charitable Fund BUSINESS Nonsuch Epic Foundation SUPPORTERS Nottingham City Council European Social Fund Volunteer their time to Nottingham City Homes KPMG Nottingham* prepare young people for Nottingham Forest FC work and/or provide Mikheev Charitable Trust Nottingham Trent Proskauer* entry level jobs. University Rebalancing the Outer Almeida Theatre Rockar Land Rover Estates Foundation Arsenal FC Weil, Gothsal & State Street* Bain Capital Manges LLP The Asfari Foundation Barclays Yu Energy

*Also Business Supporter Design: Steers McGillan Eves. Printed by RR Donnelly