Continuing our partnership with UK Youth

In May 2024, we announced our 2-year partnership with UK Youth. RSA will support young people based in Manchester and Liverpool who are furthest from the job market, and often at a disadvantage when it comes to seeking employment.

4 inspirational colleagues at RSA have become our ‘Building Aspirations’ Leads. Our leads will mentor youth workers in both Manchester and Liverpool. They are focused on making a real difference to the lives of young people to be ready and confident to set their career goals.

RSA's four Building Aspirations Local Leads: Cathy Hogarth (Manchester), Felicity Morton (Liverpool), Evie McHugh (Manchester) and James Gregory (Liverpool).

What have our Local Leads been up to?

Our Local Leads have been busy building relationships with youth workers. This has involved sharing their knowledge, as well as helping them connect with local business networks. As our 4 Leads are based locally to Manchester and Liverpool, they have great knowledge of the local areas. They’ve also been directly engaging with young people to provide career insights.

In August 2024, we welcomed our first cohort of young people into the Building Aspirations Programme.

One of our Building Aspirations Leads is Cathy Hogarth, Outsource Business Analyst at RSA. Cathy is a Local Lead in Manchester, and has been working closely with youth organisation Rise Up alongside her day job.

Cathy said:

“Having previously worked with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, I have seen first-hand that opportunity is not shared equally across the UK.

“Socio-economic inequality has long been an issue, particularly when it comes to opportunities in the North versus the South. Many of my family and friends moved to the South to secure better career prospects after struggling to find suitable employment in their home cities. So being a Local Lead for Rise Up in Manchester felt like an opportunity close to home and one I couldn’t pass up.

“Being a part of this social mobility partnership, I’ve learned the significant role businesses like ours play in improving social mobility. Something as simple as training, mentoring and skill sharing – which can all be done on a voluntary basis! – can go far in empowering a young person to feel confident in harnessing the talents that have gone untapped because of the barriers they’ve had to face.

“The experience so far has been a powerful reminder of knowledge and the importance of positive influence.

“It’s encouraging to see that more investment is being reintroduced in the North and I’m proud to be able to play a small part through this partnership, giving people from my home area the support they need to pursue their career aspirations.”

We also caught up with our other Local Leads

As well as catching up with Cathy on our partnership’s progress, we also heard from the other three Local Leads: Evie, James and Felicity:

RSA is a large organisation that is widely recognised in the market, therefore they have the power and connections in order to be able to support social mobility. It’s important that we recognise that there are many talented people, that may be overlooked or not have the same opportunities as others. Therefore, large organisations, like RSA, have the power to influence and change the way in which we can offer opportunities for the next generation. We have a CEO that is very passionate about this partnership due to his own experiences, and I think it is really powerful to have someone in his position fully onboard.

Felicity Morton - Strategy and Insight Manager at RSA

The reason I feel so passionately about the work conducted by UK Youth is because I understand the importance of experience, getting a foot in the door, and building a network. Without brilliant advice and guidance from my Mum and sponsorship at RSA, I would never have ended up in the role I enjoy so much now where I am learning every day and fortunate enough to be exposed to so many excellent opportunities and role models. If we can replicate even 10% of the support and guidance I have received within the last 3 years at RSA for the young people working with Greater Manchester Youth Network, then I have no doubt it will be an incredibly powerful partnership.

Evie McHugh - Executive Personal Assistant at RSA

At the launch of the partnership, UK Youth stated that out of 14 million young people in the UK, only 4 million receive some form of youth work. Given my experience growing up in the Liverpool City Region, youth work provided an essential service that allowed young people from all backgrounds to participate in events, sports and educational sessions on a level playing field. These resources were formative in shaping the person I am today and gave me firm belief in opening up opportunities for all young people. RSA’s partnership can really add resources, knowledge and skill to the great work being done by local youth delivery partners in areas that are currently neglected.

James Gregory - Head of Insight, Planning and Telephony at RSA

Having an impact: William’s story

UK Youth have shared a story about how the Building Aspirations Programme has made a positive impact on the life of 15-year old William:

At 15 years old, William was at risk of exclusion from school and had recently lost his best friend to knife crime.

Following a referral from his school to a local youth club, Williams was approached by Nathaniel – an outreach youth worker in William’s community in Birmingham. Nathaniel encouraged William to take part in a UK Youth programme that used music to engage young people, unlock new skills, realise their potential and build their aspirations for the future.

William made new friends, learnt spoken-work poetry, and supported other young people through the programme. 3 years later, William and Nathaniel have set up their own youth organisation. This continues to support disadvantaged young people through the power of music.

We will continue to share updates during our 2-year partnership with UK Youth. You will find out what our Local Leads are up to, positive stories, and how we’re making a difference.