Northampton Saints Foundation had the honour of hosting Northamptonshire’s High Sheriff, Milan Shah, at their head office at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s gardens, to see the impact of their education and social inclusion programmes.
His visit came after he presented the Foundation with an Excellence in Education award at the Northamptonshire Community Foundation Awards, in recognition of the Engage programme, which aims to get disengaged young people back into education.
Intrigued by their work and wanting to find out more, Milan joined Rachel McGrath, CEO of Northamptonshire Community Foundation, for a tour and to meet with staff and students.
Milan heard first-hand how the Foundation uses the power of sport and the values of rugby to inspire, support and educate over 6,000 people each year. Formalised as a charity in 2018, the Foundation helps tackle real problems in the community and provide support to people who need it most.
One of the staff members Milan and Rachel met was Shirley Lynch, a HITZ Officer who supports young people, aged 16-19, through qualifications, workshops and work experience, to become employment-ready and reduce their chances of becoming not in education, employment or training (NEET). She emphasised the magic ingredient is the Foundation’s phenomenal team, who collate and collaborate to make sure they do the best for young people.
They also spoke with students from the Engage programme, many of whom tend to struggle in mainstream school environments. Attending up to three times a week, students take part in a wide range of social and emotional development opportunities, creating an environment that is specific to addressing their needs and challenges.
Milan said:
“Having been intrigued by their willingness to engage with the most challenging cohorts and yet deliver unbelievable turnarounds, I was so pleased to be granted a ‘peek under the hood’. As expected, at the core is a dedicated team of true professionals, so passionate about delivering real change and underpinned by the wholesome philosophy of the original rugby club. A truly humbling morning.”
Rachel McGrath of Northamptonshire Community Foundation, who have supported the Foundation through the provision of a variety of grants said:
“Northamptonshire Community Foundation has been a funder in many success stories of local charities that make a key difference to people’s lives. It was great to visit Northampton Saints Foundation with the High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, to appreciate their incredible work to support young people who have been excluded from school and are supported to get back on track with their lives inspired by a team of professionals who care about their best future. It was deeply humbling. Thank you for your passion about how we should create a space in education that isn’t based on outcomes and tests, but journey travelled in learning. The Department for Education has much to learn from such community initiatives.”
The Foundation’s programmes taught within schools and delivered from their hubs across Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes and Ipswich, take the time to understand each individual and focus on building character and improving their social emotional and physical wellbeing.
This academic year the Foundation needs to fundraise over £500,000 through corporate, individual and grant funders. Without this, the breadth of opportunities for individuals, many of whom are vulnerable, on the cusp of or involved in criminal activity, would be limited.
Sue Wright, Fundraising Lead at the Foundation, said:
“It was an honour to host, showing them the breadth of the work that we do supporting our local community. All of the young people we work with are unique and we are proud to work with each one individually to make the right pathway for them”.
The Foundation offers several opportunities for companies to volunteer and meet CSR goals, find out more at www.northamptonsaintsfoundation.org
