Campaigning | City & Guilds Foundation

Applications for the London Creative Network (LCN) Programme at Cockpit open until 08 August 2022

by Stuart Tucker | 22 Jul 2022 | Charity partners, Heritage crafts, News, Our networks

The London Creative Network (LCN) Programme at Cockpit is a professional development programme designed to provide free creative business support to craftspeople who have talent and aspiration to succeed. They are now inviting applications to join them from September to December 2022. What's included Whatever stage you are in business or practice, confident communication is key to success. This autumn, our workshop programme will focus on advancing your business practice through communication...

How we’re supporting St Giles to change lives by investing in vital training

by Polly Rowe | 14 Jul 2022 | Awareness Raising, Campaigning, Funding, News, Prisoners and ex-offenders

St Giles is a London-based charity that helps people create a better future for themselves, and they’ve been an active part of our Foundation network for over five years. The charity works with people to overcome poverty, exploitation, abuse, addiction, mental health problems, crime or a combination of these issues. And a significant number of its peer advisors are people who have overcome their own struggles – often through St Giles’ own programmes. The peer advisors then use their ‘lived...

Unlocking refugee talent to access skilled people looking for work

by Lauren Roberts | 11 Jul 2022 | Awareness Raising, Campaigning, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Events, News, Our networks, Refugee support

The City & Guilds Foundation recently ran a virtual event with our partners The Launchpad Collective to examine how to unlock refugee talent to access skilled people looking for work. The Launchpad Collective (TLC) connects employers with refugee talent. Steered by refugees, for refugees, working side-by-side with both job seekers and employers so that roles are filled and refugees are empowered to contribute positively to society. TLC also...

Pride Month: celebrating LGBTQ+ inclusion in our networks

by Mike Ormand | 29 Jun 2022 | Awareness Raising, Campaigning, City & Guilds initiatives, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, News

The history of LGBTQ+ Pride Month LGBTQ+ Pride Month is celebrated each year in the month of June to honour the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States and its impact was felt globally. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Pride march in the UK, a day when hundreds of LGBTQ+ people and their allies arrived in London to protest a society where we were not safe to be ourselves. The actions...

Helping our partners in the offender / reoffending space to embrace neurodiversity

by Jennifer Warner | 16 Jun 2022 | Campaigning, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Funding, News, Prisoners and ex-offenders

Last week was my second week of secondment with the Foundation Team and I was fortunate to be able to attend a two-day Neurodiversity Train the Trainer event. It was delivered by Helen Arnold Richardson from DO-It Solutions, and was specifically for our Foundation charity partners who work with offenders and ex-offenders – all with one shared goal, to reduce reoffending. Our partners in this space includes St Giles, Groundwork, Bounce Back, No Going Back and HMP Hull – as well as colleagues...

City & Guilds Foundation supports new bursary for Black and minority ethnic trainees

by Lauren Roberts | 26 May 2022 | Charity partners, Critical transition points, Funding, Heritage crafts, News

The City & Guilds Foundation and Heritage Crafts are delighted to announce a new bursary for Black and minority ethnic trainees in heritage crafts. The first bursary is being awarded to Nkosi Kerr, who moved to the UK from Tobago in 2019. An incredible talent, he was taught carpentry by his father, a well-respected craftsman. With the support of the bursary, Nkosi will complete a Level 3 Bench Joinery course at the Building Crafts College in London setting himself up to make...

Princess Royal Training Award recipients change lives by investing in mental health training for staff

by Laura Mountain | 12 May 2022 | Awards alumni, Awareness Raising, News

Did you know more than 1 in 7 people have mental health problems in the workplace? As part of the UK’s Mental Health Awareness Week (9-15 May 2022), we’re spotlighting some recent Princess Royal Training Award winners who are seeing huge results from investing in staff wellbeing training. Using well-being to improve performance Eyres Monsell Primary School, Leicester This primary school, based in an area with significant deprivation, created the Spotlight Programme to develop teacher...

Connecting Communities: new free service to support London residents into full time employment

by Lauren Roberts | 22 Apr 2022 | Awareness Raising, Campaigning, Charity partners, Critical transition points, Digital poverty, News, Our networks

Connecting Communities: Your Bridge to Success Connecting Communities is a free service that can support eligible individuals* into full time employment. There are lots of jobs in the City of London, and Connecting Communities can help individuals by: Improving basic skillsLearning new skillsPreparing for a jobPutting together a CVGaining work experienceAccessing and applying for local jobs To arrange a meeting with one of their experienced Caseworkers, email...

Co-op Levy Share: working together to fund thousands of apprenticeships

by Julia Bena | 12 Apr 2022 | Awards alumni, Awareness Raising, Campaigning, News, Our networks

On Tuesday 5 April, City & Guilds Foundation held an event in partnership with The Co-op discussing how large organisations with unspent apprenticeship levy can share funds with smaller businesses in need as part of their Levy Share initiative. Aimed at businesses who may have a large enough levy pot to share, but also businesses who may not have enough levy for their own apprenticeship ambitions, the event provided advice on how to access levy funds and use them to realise apprenticeship...

[Podcast] Lost Opportunities: The Hidden Cost of Caring

by Lauren Roberts | 16 Mar 2022 | Awareness Raising, Campaigning, Charity partners, Critical transition points, Lived Experience, Our networks, Podcasts

To celebrate Young Carers Action Day, Lauren Roberts, our Foundation Advocacy lead invited Rosario Waterlow, Corporate Partnerships Executive to talk about her lived experience of being a young carer and navigating the education system and employment. Listen to hear about what more educators and employers can do support young carers to tackle the growing issues of isolation. At the City & Guilds Foundation we are all about removing the barriers that less advantaged members of our...