Helping the next generation thrive: The Building Brighter Futures fund reveals its 2024 beneficiaries.
Launched in 2023, the Building Brighter Futures fund was created in a partnership between EMR and regional Community Foundations. In its first year, over £220,000 was provided by EMR to charities and community groups supporting young people close to its sites.
From efforts to combat the influence of county lines gangs in Dorset and South West England, to a community interest company in Stirling, Scotland, that delivers dog-assisted learning opportunities to schools and prisons – the Building Brighter Futures fund has unveiled more than 20 organisations in line to receive its 2024 grants.
A total of £228,896 has been allocated to uplift local charities and community groups that support young people. This support is just the next step in the Building Brighter Futures fund’s ongoing commitment to the next generation.
Among those groups receiving contributions from the Building Brighter Futures fund are:
- Paws for Progress (received £9,500): A community interest company based in Stirling, Scotland, that operates dog-assisted learning programmes in prisons, schools, and the local community.
- Sheffield Unit 302 Sea Cadets (received £8,340): An initiative which helps young people towards responsible adulthood by encouraging high standards of conduct and personable behaviour – using a nautical theme based on the customs of the Royal Navy.
- Starling (received £10,000): A group that delivers activities designed to incorporate evidence-based approaches to wellbeing and inclusion for neuro-divergent children and young people in Greater Manchester aged 13 to 25.
- Just drop-in youth info and advice (received £15,132): An initiative which provides counselling, wellbeing activities, life skills and mentoring for children and young people in the Macclesfield area. Offering early interventions and acting as a safety net to those who would otherwise find themselves ‘lost in the gap’.
- Escapeline (received £8,936): A group established to address the criminal exploitation of children by county lines gangs in Dorset. Providing training, awareness raising, mentoring and support to parents – while working closely with other agencies, including the police, to address these issues.
Mel Sproston, Chief Executive at Cheshire Community Foundation, who are managing this fund for EMR, commented: “We’re delighted to work alongside EMR to deliver a second year of grants, to address community needs in so many different UK locations. Small charities are providing a lifeline for vast numbers of young people, and their local knowledge makes them experts in the lives they’re enriching. For socially conscious businesses like EMR, working with a community foundation is the key to unlocking that local knowledge and ensuring they’re maximising their social impact. We’re proud to be uniquely placed to help.”
EMR sustainably recycles everything from a single toaster to the US Navy’s huge supercarriers at its over 130 global sites, with 60 sites in the UK.
Beyond that, EMR has always prioritised enhancing the communities in which it operates, from hiring local people and working with local suppliers to getting involved in community activities and providing financial contributions.
Dedicated to identifying local needs and helping communities to thrive, UKCF is the fourth largest charitable funder in the country. As a membership organisation, with 47 accredited community foundations, UKCF has a physical presence in every part of the UK.
Ian Sheppard, UK Managing Director at EMR added:
“The team at EMR are dedicated to contributing to a more sustainable future for children and young people regardless of background.
The Building Brighter Futures fund is one way our team can provide support in the communities where they work and contribute to best possible starts in life. We’re particularly excited to announce EMR’s support for over 20 charities and local organisations in 2024. Each group is focused on working with young people who for one reason or another may require extra support to fully realise their potential.
As a family business, rooted in our neighbourhoods, we want to make sure we are involved in projects that carry out great work every day and reflect what we stand for.”