The Mayor's Fund for London

Congratulations to Keir Starmer and the Labour Party for their historic win. We look forward to working with you and all London MPs to improve opportunities for all children and young people growing up in London and the UK. This generation of young people who've grown up through austerity, the pandemic and a deepening cost of living crisis need political commitment to ensure no child goes hungry at school and that skills development opportunities and apprenticeships are exciting young people about their futures and providing routes into good jobs. There is much to do to create a more level playing field for young Londoners facing the biggest barriers. MFL are committed to ensuring access to essential skills for careers and nutritious food and wellbeing activities during the school holidays. And importantly, we want to keep creating platforms for those young Londoners so they can shape their own future. Making sure they can connect with London’s MPs and the new government, as well as the Mayor, the London Assembly and with business will be a vital part of this

“Since this was my first work experience, let alone my first time working on a project like this, it felt quite daunting at the beginning as I was unaware of what the outcome would be like. However, I’m happy to say that my doubts were unnecessary as I feel genuinely satisfied with the outcome as the products managed to come out the way I had hoped.” Our employability programme Access Aspiration connects 16–18-year-olds with their future careers. We work with state schools in under-resourced areas at a time when students are making crucial decisions about their futures but don’t have the connections or information to open doors and get experience. Our opportunities serve to springboard young Londoners to explore careers they previously thought were unattainable, propelled by a sense of belonging and ambition that helps them thrive.  During May half-term Amelia undertook a work placement with Talking Tables, one of the UK’s most successful gift & lifestyle brands. Amelia spent her time with Talking Tables designing and creating a party decoration set. Amelia reflects on her placement in our latest blog. Read the full blog here👇: https://bit.ly/3VJh3Z4  

Last week we hosted the final of the Count on Us Secondary Maths Challenge. Taking place at City Hall, 13 schools battled it out to take home the 2024 title. Count On Us is our exciting pan-London programme for secondary schools that engages students in Years 7 to 9 with maths games designed to challenge and inspire.  Competing over four rounds, which included algebra, geometry, mental arithmetic and many other branches of maths, the schools were required to use their teamwork, initiative, and quick thinking. Camden School for Girls, who had impressed throughout the competition, were crowned 2024 champions and worthy winners.     The final was a celebration of not just this year's programme, which saw 67 schools from across London compete, but a celebration of the tenth anniversary of the programme. The Count on Us Maths Challenge is supported by the Jack Petchey Foundation and delivered in partnership with Chris Olley from the Maths Zone. With the sad news of Sir Jack Petchey's passing coming shortly after the final, we hope the day would have made Sir Jack very proud.     Speaking to students at the final was Charlie, a Mayor's Fund for London Youth Board member and previous Count on Us participant. Showing first-hand how the programme builds confidence and inspires participation in Maths, Charlie said:  “It boosted my confidence, and it made maths seem fun. Empathy and respect for what others have to say are skills that we used... and are skills I still use today as a tutor. In the future, I want to be a teacher or data analyst, which both use maths.”    Also speaking at the final was MFL ambassador, Simon Singh MBE, who provided students with some additional maths problems to solve. MFL Trustee, Roni Savage, spoke to students about how maths is used in everyday life and how it contributes to her work as an engineer and to her son playing video games. Giving closing speeches were MFL Chief Executive Jim Minton and Jack Petchey Foundation Director of Programmes Vicky Mirfin. Jim summed up the event by congratulating all the teams and stating: “I’m confident everyone in this room has a really great future ahead”.    Numeracy is a big part of what we do to ensure young Londoners feel comfortable and empowered with useful skills for the world of work. Find out more about Employability and Skills at the Mayor's Fund for London 👉 https://bit.ly/3VPEIqC

Everyone at The Mayor’s Fund for London was saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Jack Petchey. We send our warmest wishes and condolences to his family and those close to him.   Sir Jack was an incredible champion for young Londoners, and personally and through his Foundation, a hugely significant supporter of organisations that find positive opportunities for young people so that they can succeed and thrive.   Before many funders were considering things like youth leadership as important, Sir Jack and his foundation were funding thousands of young achievers each year to implement projects that they had designed and created themselves, and recognising the contribution young people had made to changing their communities for the better.   We have been privileged at The Mayor’s Fund for London to have enjoyed Sir Jack’s support for over 10 years, delivering in partnership with his Foundation the Count on Us schools maths challenge, helping thousands of young Londoners develop their numeracy skills, and build confidence, leadership and team work.   Only this week at the Count on Us final, we were reminded of Sir Jack’s own story, of how he struggled with maths as a young man, but ultimately found it an essential skill as he built his hugely successful range of businesses. The event was a lovely celebration of what young people can achieve, with the right support and opportunity, and was a great example of the power of partnerships that he and the Foundation have inspired.   Sir Jack also supported the direct development of young leaders, through the Foundation’s internship scheme. At the Mayor’s Fund we’ve been incredibly pleased to have had two fantastic young leaders join our team over the past two years through this programme. Laura and Dianne have made a huge impact, helping us put the voices and aspirations of young Londoners at the heart of our work.   We hope that would have made Sir Jack very proud indeed.

Our Count on Us Maths Challenge increases students' confidence in numeracy and helps them develop a sense of belonging and ambition that can help them thrive. It's part of what we do to provide skills to young Londoners to help them feel comfortable and empowered for the world of work. As we count down to this year's final we asked those involved in the challenge how Count on Us has helped them.    ✖️ Annoor took part in 2018 and is currently studying Mathematics and Computer Science:  “The maths challenge gave me motivation for maths, beyond my GCSEs/A Levels.”    ➕ His sister, Farza, also took part last year and is currently undergoing her GCSEs:  “It has helped me become more involved in discussions and competitions.”    ➗ Charlie is a member of our Youth Board and took part in Count on Us as a year 8 student:      “It really boosted my confidence and it made maths seem fun. Empathy and respect for what others have to say are skills that we used... and are skills I still use today as a tutor. In the future, I want to be a teacher or data analyst, which both use maths.”    The Count on Us Maths Challenge is supported by the Jack Petchey Foundation and delivered in partnership with Chris Olley from the Maths Zone. This year's final takes place at City Hall this Wednesday 26 June.    Read more about our Employability and Skills work 👉 https://bit.ly/3XzTgxe

🚨🚨 Applications to join our Youth Board close on Monday 🚨🚨 If you, or anyone you know, are thinking of applying this weekend is your last chance! The MFL Youth Board is a diverse group of 15 young Londoners who work with us to help ensure that we remain relevant and responsive to the needs of young people across the capital. Our Youth Board informs our work at every level, from governance to communications and programme design allowing us to ensure youth engagement underpins everything we do. That deadline is noon this Monday, 24 June. 👉 https://bit.ly/4enlpxI Please share with any young people you think might be interested.

At the Mayor's Fund for London, our ambition is for all young Londoners to have a real say in how our city is run, both now and in the future. This commitment to youth engagement shapes every aspect of our work. Recently we have engaged in events that exemplify our dedication to involving young people in meaningful ways and sharing our power and resources with them. At the Centre for London's Housing Summit earlier this month, we organised a workshop titled "Housing Reimagined." Facilitated by Peer Researchers from Partnership for Young London and members of our Youth Board, this workshop was part of an ongoing peer research programme in collaboration with Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH), Clarion Housing Group, and The Hyde Group. Our session at the London Funders Festival of Learning, "Shifting Power to Young People," targeted funders interested in enhancing youth engagement in funding decisions. This youth-led session featured Basma from our Youth Board, Azi M., the Deputy CEO of Salaam Peace, and Rhian Thomas, our Development Manager. Both events gave young people a platform to share their vision and discuss possible solutions to issues affecting them. With MFL’s participation and facilitation showcasing our holistic approach to youth engagement. By collaborating with experts and enabling youth-led discussions, we ensure that young Londoners are not only heard but also have a tangible influence on the decisions that shape their lives. Read our Youth Engagement Officer Aneesa Ali’s blog on our approach to youth engagement and the importance of young people’s involvement in events such as there.   👉 https://bit.ly/4c7qIiV

Young Londoners are ambitious, capable, and talented. But many can never see or access opportunities – and the city’s employers are missing out.   Our recently launched 2023 Impact Report shares the stories of young Londoners who now have access to opportunities through our employability and skills programmes. We meet young people facing the barriers where they feel comfortable and safe. Through our work, they build the skills and networks that springboard them to explore careers they thought were unattainable. One of those stories comes from Queren, who benefitted from our Access Aspiration employability programme and is now an Assistant Surveyor at a London firm.    “I got to speak to so many women leading in the industry, I network 100% better now, and I got invited to be on discussion panels at MFL events. That helped my self-esteem, and my future employers were in the crowd. At the interview, after graduating, they said they remembered me!”    Thank you to all our funders, partners, collaborators, and supporters for enabling our work. We look forward to the opportunities we can create together to help London become fairer, safer, and more prosperous. As Queren concludes:    “Working with MFL changed me from [...] thinking I couldn’t do certain jobs without a wealthy background, to wanting so much more... and achieving it.”    👉 Read the full Impact Report here: https://bit.ly/3L9iWcR     

In the lifetime of a young Londoner, we start with food as the foundation. We are the largest provider of holiday food and activities in the capital, working with community partners in every borough to ensure children facing the biggest barriers not only survive but thrive. In 2023, we provided 471,056 meals through our community hubs and recipe kits. Youth engagement underpins everything we do, including the recipes designed for our Take & Make meal kits. Last summer, we visited North Paddington Youth Club and spoke to young people aged between 6 and 13 about what they like to eat. Lots of unhealthy meals were mentioned, so we spoke about how we could turn them into healthier options and their favourite fruits and vegetables. North Paddington Youth Club focuses on support for refugees, and many of the fruits the young people listed can be hard to get hold of throughout the year in London. But there was a big, shared love for apples. That discovery led to an idea for an apple crumble dessert we could design. Ensuring young people feel positive about the food they make and eat is crucial to ensuring they take healthy eating knowledge and habits into adulthood. Food Equity as central to our approach, and so the food and recipe kits we provide to families are healthy, culturally inclusive, and use surplus food that would otherwise go to waste. Now, apple crumble is one of our most popular Take & Make recipes, and the young people order it with pride knowing they created this recipe with us. Families tell us what a difference the Take & Make boxes make to them, too. One father told staff: “These boxes are a tool for families to build up positive relationships with their children” – and we completely agree. You can read the full story of work with North Paddington Youth Club and the stories of other young people in our Impact Report: https://bit.ly/4b1olNv

📢📢 We are excited to announce that we are now accepting applications to join our Youth Board. 📢📢 The MFL Youth Board is a diverse group of 15 young Londoners that work with us to help ensure that we remain relevant and responsive to the needs of young people across the capital. Our Youth Board informs our work at every level, from governance to communications and programme design allowing us to ensure youth engagement underpins everything we do. In 2023 we created 56 opportunities for our Youth Board. Including roles as event speakers and panellists, policy roundtables, and co-creating a new podcast: The Intersect. Apply to join by 12pm on Monday 24 June. 👉 https://bit.ly/4enlpxI Please share with any young people you think might be interested.