We have made grants to these incredibly inspiring charities
Jamie's Farm
Jamie’s Farm acts a catalyst for change enabling young people at risk of social and academic exclusion to thrive and engage more fully with education, at home and in their community.
Last year Jamie’s Farm took 1,148 vulnerable young people for a week living on one of their five farms.
For more information about Jamie's Farm and their brilliant work please have a look at just some of their photos below and also their website here... https://jamiesfarm.org.uk/
"Jamie’s Farm has really valued and enjoyed the partnership with Ned’s Fund over the last year. It is always great to work with a like-minded organisation who put young people first enabling them to succeed at the forefront of their work. I have especially enjoyed working with Jo and find her passion for helping young people infectious and admire her hard work and determination in getting Ned’s Fund up and running, she is a very special person. We look forward to working together again this year and going forward." Toby Meanwhile, Head of Jamie's Farm, Lewis
Snowcamp
Snow-Camp is the UK's only charity using a unique combination of skiing, snowboarding and vocational opportunities to support and empower inner-city young people. Snow-Camp plays a key role in motivating and inspiring young people from communities with high levels of deprivation, enabling them to gain qualifications and to develop key life-skills.
Snow-Camp is passionate about providing an alternative approach to engage young people by providing an energising environment at artificial ski slopes in the UK in order for them to build relationships and gain employment. Snow-Camp’s programmes require initiative, individuality and courage. And therein lies the attraction and the challenge, providing a much-needed complimentary service to youth organisations working closely with those in local authority care, the youth justice system and excluded from education.
Young people can gain their accredited Snow Life Award, ASDAN in Sports & Fitness Certificate, Safeguarding and First Aid Certificates, BASI and Snowsport England/Scotland instructor qualifications and an NVQ in Activity Leadership through their programmes. Thus noticeably improving their CV.
Furthermore, for every hour on the slopes, the same amount of time is spent in life-skills sessions which have been planned to help young people reflect upon the skills they are demonstrating whilst learning to ski or snowboard – namely perseverance, commitment, listening, patience and overcoming fear as well as learning how to respond to challenges, deal with peer pressure and setting goals for their future. All of which are essential skills young people need in order to deal with the problems they may face in their everyday lives.
Snow-Camp is passionate about providing an alternative approach to engage young people by providing an energising environment at artificial ski slopes in the UK in order for them to build relationships and gain employment. Snow-Camp’s programmes require initiative, individuality and courage. And therein lies the attraction and the challenge, providing a much-needed complimentary service to youth organisations working closely with those in local authority care, the youth justice system and excluded from education.
Young people can gain their accredited Snow Life Award, ASDAN in Sports & Fitness Certificate, Safeguarding and First Aid Certificates, BASI and Snowsport England/Scotland instructor qualifications and an NVQ in Activity Leadership through their programmes. Thus noticeably improving their CV.
Furthermore, for every hour on the slopes, the same amount of time is spent in life-skills sessions which have been planned to help young people reflect upon the skills they are demonstrating whilst learning to ski or snowboard – namely perseverance, commitment, listening, patience and overcoming fear as well as learning how to respond to challenges, deal with peer pressure and setting goals for their future. All of which are essential skills young people need in order to deal with the problems they may face in their everyday lives.
Haroun Al-Goned, age 20, snowboarder, from London
Haroun joined Snow-Camp through New Horizon’s Youth Centre and he has been homeless for over a year. He regularly moves from one hostel to the next, often sharing rooms with multiple people. He dreams of living in a permanent flat with his own room. Horoun said:
“I find it difficult to keep myself positively occupied, it’s so easy to make bad decisions and to get into trouble when you feel there’s no other option in life. I’ve made mistakes in my life. Last year I was given an electronic tag by the police, which kept me on a strict curfew to steer me away from the trouble on the streets.
Snow-Camp has helped me to make positive steps forward in life. Being on Snow-Camp programmes, out on the snow and in the cold, makes it is easier for me to clear my mind. The weight of my day to day life is lifted and all I need to focus on is my snowboard. The snowboard is my therapy! I feel more mentally, emotionally and physically better with Snow-Camp.
Thank you to the Ned’s Fund for this opportunity. It has really changed my life. I'm so happy that you will be following my journey through Excel, thank you.”
Haroun joined Snow-Camp through New Horizon’s Youth Centre and he has been homeless for over a year. He regularly moves from one hostel to the next, often sharing rooms with multiple people. He dreams of living in a permanent flat with his own room. Horoun said:
“I find it difficult to keep myself positively occupied, it’s so easy to make bad decisions and to get into trouble when you feel there’s no other option in life. I’ve made mistakes in my life. Last year I was given an electronic tag by the police, which kept me on a strict curfew to steer me away from the trouble on the streets.
Snow-Camp has helped me to make positive steps forward in life. Being on Snow-Camp programmes, out on the snow and in the cold, makes it is easier for me to clear my mind. The weight of my day to day life is lifted and all I need to focus on is my snowboard. The snowboard is my therapy! I feel more mentally, emotionally and physically better with Snow-Camp.
Thank you to the Ned’s Fund for this opportunity. It has really changed my life. I'm so happy that you will be following my journey through Excel, thank you.”
In August 2019, Haroun and Kavell joined our two-day First Tracks programmes, taking part in two slope sessions and two life-skills classroom sessions each day. In the life-skills sessions Haroun and Kavell reflected upon the skills they were demonstrating on the slopes –perseverance, commitment, listening, patience and overcoming fear as well as how to respond to challenges, deal with peer pressure and setting goals for the future. At the end of the two-days Haroun and Kavell had made significant progress on the slopes and experienced, for the first time, the feeling of coming down a ski slope. An awards ceremony the programme, with Haroun and Kavell receiving a Snowsport England Snow Life Award along with a medal and certificate.
Having experienced the thrill of snowsports for the first time on First Tracks, Haroun and Kavell moved onto our Graduate Programme in October. With 6 days on the snow, spread over six weekends, the Graduate Programme gave them both the opportunity to take their snowboarding to the next level. Group classroom sessions held before each slope lesson exposed Haroun and Kavell to the wider world of skiing and snowboarding, with talks each week from snowsports industry representatives and Snow-Camp ambassadors including Jamie Barrow and Jenny Jones.
Haroun and Kavell will begin our Excel Programme in February. It’s a hugely exciting time for them both as they will now take part in 10 weeks of advanced snowsports training with assessment by Snowsport England, which includes 20 hours shadowing their instructors during a 9-day residential to Austria with Equity Ski. The programme includes life-skills sessions throughout which will focus on career opportunities, working with young people and the theory of teaching snowsports. Haroun and Kavell will receive a Snowsport England Instructor qualification and First Aid and Safeguarding certificates.
It is at this point in the Snow-Camp programme journey that the young people become an integral part of the development, delivery and monitoring of Snow-Camp programmes becoming young leaders and ambassadors for the charity. When a young person completes Excel and gains an instructor qualification, they then volunteer by teaching the next cohort of young people on First Tracks the following summer. Not only is this empowering for them, it's inspirational for the new young people who they may already know from their youth club or estate, showing them exactly what can be achieved in one year at Snow-Camp. We look forward to updating you on their progress!
T H A N K Y O U
Ocean Youth Trust South
Ocean Youth Trust South is an award-winning charity which uses Adventure Under Sail as a personal development opportunity for young people aged 11-25, the majority disadvantaged or vulnerable in some way.
The charity takes young people to sea in their beautiful 105-foot sailing vessel, Prolific, to develop confidence, teamworking, communication, resilience, the ability to cope with new situations and deal with setbacks, and much more. Young people sail as active crew members and can earn sailing qualifications - but it can also be an opportunity to make friends with others facing similar problems at home or at school.
The charity takes young people to sea in their beautiful 105-foot sailing vessel, Prolific, to develop confidence, teamworking, communication, resilience, the ability to cope with new situations and deal with setbacks, and much more. Young people sail as active crew members and can earn sailing qualifications - but it can also be an opportunity to make friends with others facing similar problems at home or at school.
Ocean Youth Trust South works in partnership with mainstream and special schools, local authorities, youth groups and other charities, offering voyages for a very wide range of groups such as young carers; looked-after children; young people struggling in education or excluded from school; victims of crime, bullying, abuse, domestic violence or neglect; young people who may be unemployed or homeless; individuals with physical or learning difficulties, emotional or behavioural problems or issues with their mental health; young people living in families affected by alcohol or substance abuse; and more. There are also places for individuals as well as those from organised groups, and for people who may not be enduring major problems but are nevertheless at risk of not fulfilling their potential. In school holidays there are some voyages for mainstream young people who can afford to pay for their own places - for Duke of Edinburgh's award residentials, or a challenging outdoor adventure for people whose lives may otherwise be largely spent indoors staring at a screen.
The aim with all of OYT South's voyages is to help young people to develop the skills to succeed in life. JP first sailed with OYT South at the age of 13, when he was really struggling. As an adult he made this video to explain how the sailing had helped him turn his life around:
Ned's Fund is supporting a voyage in September 2020 for the Vyne School in Basingstoke which has a long track record of using Ocean Youth Trust South voyages to help turn things around for students who are at risk of under-achieving. The Vyne has sent 67 students on voyages over the last eight years and has been able to watch the impact over the long term. One of their teaching staff says: “These experiences have given life changing skills such as confidence, self-belief, trust and an "I can" attitude. For some of these students, getting through to Year 11 and final exams was looking bleak, but the experiences enabled them to complete it and achieve.” She tells the story of one boy, the last in a large family, none of whom had completed their education successfully until the youngest was chosen to sail at age 13. The experience helped to integrate him, making him feel recognised and valued in school, building positive friendships and breaking down barriers with school staff. Three years later he left school with a good attendance record and some GCSE passes, to train as a motor mechanic.
THANK YOU