Responsible Business Week - Growing Youth Social Action

Growing youth social action - the opportunities

for business

Amanda JordanCo-founder, Corporate Citizenship Company

Co-founder, Step Up To Serve

Charlotte HillChief Executive, UK Youth

Chief Executive, Step Up To Serve from 22nd April

www.stepuptoserve.org.uk@stepuptoserve


A cross-party, cross-sector national Campaign to

Increase the number of young people aged 10 -20 participating in meaningful social action to

over 50% by 2020

What is the Step Up To Serve #iwill Campaign?


Social action means practical action in the service of others

Social action has a double benefit – improving life chances of young people and strengthening society

• Building skills young people need to be successful in the workplace and in school

• Strengthening society by increasing employment, safety in communities, educational engagement, civic participation and building better schools

• Providing support to the voluntary sector and community projects who benefit from young people’s talent, energy and passion.


Why does this Campaign matter?

• The current estimate of 29% of young people involved in social action means we are failing to maximise the energy, talent, commitment and potential of 8.4 million young people in the UK aged 10-20

• Educators and employers recognise the potential of youth social action to help improve the educational outcomes for young people as well as build the skills they need to be successful in the workplace.

• We need to galvanise cross sector and cross party support to dramatically increase the opportunities for young people to participate.


Five areas of focus to deliver the Campaign’s goal:

Desired outcomesObjectivesThemes

▪ Youth social action is the norm▪ Attract and sustain interest in social action among young people, and support from the peers and parents

Promote engagement and participation

▪ All stakeholders aligned and committed to the Campaign aim

▪ Identify and manage all relevant groups across youth, business and education sectorsEngage, enable and influence

▪ Sufficient opportunities for 50% of 10-20 year olds to participate

Stimulate opportunities for young people to engage

▪ Enhance existing schemes

▪ Promote new initiatives

4

▪ Benefits of youth social action recognised and tracking of participation embedded in every activity

Understand▪ Understand participation levels and demographics of

participants

▪ Understand and demonstrate benefits to youth and society

1

3

5

SOURCE: 19 September CYSA workshop discussions

▪ Opportunities provide the double benefitEnsure quality

▪ Enable organisations to increase quality of opportunities2


#iwill Campaign Pledges

• In 2013 the Campaign received over 60 significant and potentially groundbreaking pledges from organisations across business, VCSE, education, faith, government and public service

• We have formed working groups across sectors to build on the momentum of these pledges towards achieving the 2020 collective goal


Existing Support


Kate Van der PlankHead of UK Community Investment, National Grid

13

Line of sight

Business Drivers:•HR: Engagement, retention, attraction, performance

•External Affairs: Leadership, Reputation, stakeholder engagement

Citizenship programme:Create shared value for our communities, people and business by inspiring social action to build sustainable communities for the future.

Our Aim…• Use our key role at the heart of society to build stronger communities and create shared

value for our business, our employees and our society by:

Inspiring the next generation to contribute to society to develop their personal and employability skills and connect with and contribute to their communities

Inspiring & connecting our people with communities to develop & transfer skills, share time and expertise

RETIREMENT

▸ Community focus in retirement planning courses

▸ Professional’s programme for new retirees

BUILDING CAPABILITY

Community activity tailored to develop core business capability and leadership qualities, especially:

▸ Coaching and leadership

▸ Stakeholder Management

▸ Innovation

▸ Developing a wider external focus

ENGAGEMENT

▸ Team building projects

▸ Networking and employee connections

▸ Supporting employee effort (e.g Matched Giving)

▸ Responsible business: Pride

HR agenda: Where community activity adds value

ON-BOARDING

▸ Community Action Days as part of induction

▸ Tailored volunteering linked to development plan

▸ Mentor from within business with previous volunteering experience

▸ NewNet volunteer activities

RECRUITMENT

▸ Value and encourage Social Action at application and interview

ATTRACTION

Targeted:

▸STEM education activities

General:

▸CR Reputation and leadership

▸Local community involvement, employee ambassadors

Bill EyresHead of Sustainability, Telefónica O2 UK

Think Big_The value of thinking big

Bill EyresHead of Sustainability,Telefónica UK and Europe@BillEyres

18Telefónica UKThink Big

We believe that the possibilities of technology should be open to everyone so that people can live better, do more, be more.

Who we are

Telefónica UKThink Big 19

Think Big

• Put money directly in the hands of young people to run projects in their local community

• Complemented by Think Big Schools and GoThinkBig.co.uk

• Helped with employee engagement, driving our sustainability plan, collaboration, reputation and brand awareness.

Our youth programmes

o2.co.uk/thinkbig



Brand, marketing & reputation

• Greater brand warmth• Seen as different, innovative, engaging, in

touch with young people and caring about customers

Customers Young People

Parents

O2 RecycleLocal / national

media & campaigns

Think Big YouthThink

BigSchoolsGoThinkBig.co.u

k

Awareness of Think Big


Value to the UK

“Now more than ever before, digital offers the chance to drive sustained economic recovery, but this will only be realised if we become a nation of digitally confident businesses with a digitally literate workforce”

Ronan DunneCEO Telefónica UK

September 2013


Our commitment: Step up to serve

By 2020, O2 (Telefónica UK) will have backed

10,000 youth social action ideas, which will inspire a

further 50,000 young people to participate in

youth social action through Think Big.


Key points

• Do what you’re good at• Partner for impact• Involve employees • Invest in your future talent • Build trust and reputation• Know what you want to be

famous for

Keep in touch_

Twitter - @O2UKThinkBig@BillEyres

Blogs – news.o2.co.uk/tag/think-bigEmail – [email protected]


Radhika Patel &Daniel Borgenicht

Lloyds Scholars

Roundtable discussions1. Introduce yourselves

2. What do you think of, when you think of youth social action?

3. What can businesses most usefully do to help grow youth social action?

4. What could support and enable businesses to do this?

Thank you & get in touchwww.stepuptoserve.org.uk

www.bitc.org.uk

http://www.stepuptoserve.org.uk/

http://www.bitc.org.uk/

Government & Nonprofit

Responsible Business Week - Growing Youth Social Action