beat Chief Executive attends European Council on Eating Disorders conference

In September, beat Chief Executive Susan Ringwood joined 200 therapists, clinicians and researchers from around the world for two days of debate and discussion at the European Council on Eating Disorders Conference in Florence.

beat Project Officer Leila Lahfa and beat Ambassador Naomi Cavaday were invited to give a presentation about the charity's mentoring work. It was the first time anyone with personal experience of an eating disorder has ever been invited to speak to this conference in its 20-year history - so beat was honoured.

Attendees were all keen to collaborate and exchange views and experiences about such topics as campaigning against pro-ana websites and whether full recovery from a chronic eating disorder is possible.

 

Blue Sky Founder announced as a Big Venture Challenge Award winner

Mick May, Blue Sky's Founder and Chief Executive, has been named as a winner of the Big Venture Challenge, a national competition to find 25 of the most ambitious social entrepreneurs in England. The winners, who are identified for their vision, talent and determination, receive an initial £25k grant and the chance to access up to £150k of seed funding if matched by loans or equity from co-investors, plus first-class business support and mentoring designed to keep pace with high-growth social entrepreneurs.

Big Venture Challenge is funded by The Big Lottery Fund and the Millennium Awards Trust, and is operated by UnLtd.

 

Zonta International Charity Auction and Dinner… and happy 10th birthday COUI - Teens & Toddlers!            

On Sunday, 18 September, women's organisation, Zonta International, hosted a charity dinner and auction in honour of Teens and Toddlers at the celebrated restaurant Roast in Borough Market.  Sponsored by the owner, Iqbal Wahhab OBE, guests, including leading corporates such as Deutsche Bank, PricewaterhouseCoopers and The Consulting Consortium, experienced dining at its finest. The event was a tremendous success, raising £14,000.

And on Thursday 29 September, the charity held its 10 Year Birthday Party! The event, held at the elegant offices of the Duke of Westminster's Grosvenor Estate in Mayfair, attracted over 100 guests to an evening of drinks, canapés and musical entertainment from their talented Teens & Toddlers graduates.  Impetus Chief Executive Daniela Barone Soares attended the Party and spoke to guests about the aims and achievements and the continued ambition of the charity to transform the lives of even more young people.

 

Cadbury Dairy Milk to go Fairtrade in South Africa

This June, Fairtrade celebrated another world first with the launch of the first-ever Fairtrade chocolate bar made and sold in Africa. With cocoa from West Africa, manufactured in Port Elizabeth, and sold in stores across South Africa, this all-African-affair is part of a Fairtrade move into markets in the global South.

Since converting to Fairtrade in the UK in 2009, and subsequently in other countries around the world, Cadbury Dairy Milk has quadrupled the amount of cocoa sold under Fairtrade terms from Ghana. A total of £2.7m of 'Fairtrade Premium' (the extra amount paid under Fairtrade terms) has been generated and used for a wide variety of purposes including extra teachers and classes at local schools - like the one pictured here.

                  (Photograph copyright of Kennet Havgaard)

 

FRC Group driving change: From long-term unemployment to a brighter future

FRC has been putting increasing resources into building relationships with employers to improve the opportunities available to its trainees to move from long-term unemployment into the world of work. The effort has had some fantastic results, and has seen employers demanding more staff trained by the charity.

The drive from the companies comes a result of the high quality of FRC trainees they have employed previously and is a great boost to the charity's approach of giving people the skills, experience and self-esteem they need to transform their lives and gain meaningful employment.

 

Five out of six students on IntoUniversity's new Mentoring Scheme achieve places at University of Cambridge

IntoUniversity has teamed up with Deutsche Bank and The University of Cambridge to run a new pilot mentoring scheme, which has given their most academically able students a boost towards success.

The scheme consisted on matching students from IntoUniversity's partner schools in disadvantaged areas with employees from Deutsche Bank, who provided invaluable support and motivation to the students throughout their exams and helped with the transition from school to university.

IntoUniversity is now reviewing and developing the programme with the aim of repeating its success in 2012.

 

Kainos graduate wins art award

Andrew, a Kainos graduate from the Challenge to Change programme, has won a highly commended award by the Koestler Trust. The Trust's annual arts awards received over 7,500 entries this year from offenders and people in secure settings around the country.

His piece entitled "Innocence" (pictured) was inspired by a photograph of his niece. Using a technique called "pointillism", Andrew re-created the beautiful image that is being displayed as part of Koestler's Art by Offenders Exhibition at the prestigious Southbank Centre until 20 November 2011.

Andrew is pursuing further education and has ambition of starting his own art business following release.

 

News from Impetus graduate Keyfund Federation

Following its recent graduation from the Impetus portfolio, Keyfund continues to excel. The charity has acquired a new licensee, the well-known Regional Youth Work Unit North East.

The Impetus ethos has left its mark, as Keyfund's Corporate Enagagement Strategy starts to pay dividends. Keyfund initiated its own packages of financial and pro-bono support from car dealership giant Benfield Motor Group, Asda and Accenture. Each long-term partnership will help Keyfund to extend its reach by helping more marginalised young people to re-engage in society and will provide innovative blueprints for future corporate partnership strategies.