The Foundation kicked off the partnership by presenting the funds at a workshop held at a Street League Academy in Glasgow last week.
A group of 10 young people from Street League attended the event, alongside Andy Button-Stephens, Head of The Barratt Foundation, David Scott, MD of Barratt West Scotland and Dougie Stevenson, CEO at Street League.
Street League works with unemployed young people aged 16 to 30 who face tough life challenges, personal barriers, and live in some of the most disadvantaged communities. The organisation currently operates in 35 unemployment hotspots across the UK. Youth unemployment is currently three times the national average (12% for young people compared to 4% across all ages). In the most deprived communities where Street League works, as many as one in six young people are unemployed.
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The £300,000 donation will support over 1,500 unemployed young people and enable at least 700 young people to secure and sustain stable and meaningful employment. The Barratt Foundation was set up to help communities throughout the UK to thrive, focusing its support on children and young people, and those most disadvantaged. The Foundation donated £4m in the financial year 2024. At a session hosted by Street League, employees participated in a workshop that included a Q&A on their experiences and routes to work, alongside mock interviews and tips for overcoming difficult challenges.
Dougie Stevenson, CEO at Street League, said: "We are over the moon with this donation from The Barratt Foundation. It will make a monumental difference to our mission, it will enable social mobility by helping thousands of unemployed young people, get healthier, gain qualifications and enter employment. This partnership will allow us to continue supporting the young people we work with from across the country, face their challenges head on and build better futures for themselves. We'd like to express our deepest gratitude to the Barratt Foundation for choosing Street League, we look forward to realising the full potential of this alliance."
Andy Button-Stephens, Head of The Barratt Foundation, said: "Our investment in Street League reflects the impactful work they do tackling young unemployment across Scotland and England – and we're honoured to support the charity with this significant donation. With so many 16 to 30-year-olds struggling, we know that our donation will make a huge difference and we look forward to working closely with the team at Street League."
