New Look Supports #iwill
23-06-2015
High streetfashion retailer, New Look, has pledged to support a growing campaign that aims to make involvement in social action part of life for more 10-20 year-olds around the UK. Youth social action is defined as ‘young people taking practical action in the service of others to create positive change’ and includes activities such as campaigning, fundraising and volunteering.
With hundreds of thousands of young people unemployed in the UK, New Look have pledged to work with the Head Start Programme and The Prince’s Trust ‘Get into Retail’ programme to support them and help young people become more employable.
Together with The Prince’s Trust, New Look have pledged to support 84 people through the programme, and aim to help many more to build a better future through on-going work with the Trust. Alongside this, New Look’s work with the Head Start Programme is to help over 1,800 young people become more employable, and inspire more than 30,000 hours of community volunteering across London.
Helene Williamson, Head of Talent & Development at New Look, says: “We want to help young people improve their confidence and gain skills that will help them to pursue careers. We’ve pledged to the #iwill Campaign to inspire more community volunteering as we know that participation in social action helps develop the skills young people need for work and life”.
Recent Cabinet Office research produced compelling evidence that young people who take part in social action develop key character and employability skills. It follows on from this that involvement creates a double-benefit, strengthening communities and enhancing the skills of young participants.
Charlotte Hill, CEO of the charity running the #iwill campaign says: “We are delighted that New Look has pledged to support our work. If we are to make involvement in social action the norm for 10-20 year-olds we need partners to commit to tangible actions just as they are doing. The involvement of New Look will undoubtedly help us to progress towards our goal.”
JoJo Iles, Editor of www.fashioncapital.co.uk adds: “Through the Stitching Academy, FTA and our Apprenticeship schemes we meet so many young adults looking for a way forward. We understand the frustrations that come with leaving school, trying to fit in and find a job. The #iwill initiative sounds like the perfect stepping stone to help young adults feel involved socially which will reflect on their general outlook, confidence and working lives.”
Working with business, education and voluntary sector partners, the campaign aims to ensure that all young people can access social action opportunities, whatever their background.
