Charity Partnerships

BIE is proud to name Drive Forward Foundation & The Aldridge Foundation our charity partners for the next three years.

Empowering young people from all backgrounds

At BIE we are committed to creating a voice that raises the profile of social mobility as a key consideration within the executive search market. Our belief is that social mobility drives diverse hiring and helps our clients create more inclusive teams.

To help forward the social mobility agenda we are pleased to name Drive Forward Foundation and The Aldridge Foundation our charity partners for the next three years.

Both Drive Forward Foundation and The Aldridge Foundation are dedicated to improving the life chances of children and young people who come from underprivileged backgrounds. They share the belief that meaningful support offers the best hope for them to master the challenges in front of them and build positive futures for themselves.

The work of both The Aldridge Foundation and Drive Forward Foundation is needed more than ever, with the cost-of-living crisis disproportionately impacting those from lower socio-economic backgrounds and adding further pressure on those with care experience. Their mission is to break this cycle of deprivation and create equal chances for young people from underprivileged backgrounds. 

 

Drive Forward Foundation is a registered charity specialising in supporting care-experienced young people aged 16–26 in London into sustainable and fulfilling employment, education, and training. Since 2010, they have empowered over 3000 young people to take control of their lives through meaningful careers and have developed a bespoke service package tailored to this group’s specific needs and requirements.

Working with about 600 young people per year, they offer tailored 1-2-1 support, intensive employability skills training, a bespoke counselling service, and in-work mentoring support.  Over the past decade, they have built a robust network of business partners offering exclusive training and employment opportunities, skilled volunteering and much more, thereby fostering social mobility and inclusive working environments.

 

The Aldridge Foundation, founded in 2006 by Sir Rod Aldridge, tackles inequality by empowering disadvantaged youth (aged 5-25) across the UK (north-west, south-east and inner London). Focusing on areas with high poverty and low social mobility, they work with over 7,000 young people each year. Through various programmes (exploring enterprise and entrepreneurship, building confidence through outdoor experiences and coaching, discovering creative art pathways, developing skills through sport, and next steps: beyond school) the Foundation inspires young people and equips them with essential life skills and an entrepreneurial mindset. These programmes nurture creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, and ambition, helping young people break cycles of poverty and achieve success in education, careers, and life. AF believes that by creating opportunities for these young people, they can create positive change within their communities, fostering economic growth and social mobility.

 

Gordon Whyte, CEO at BIE Executive

"We are incredibly pleased to name Drive Forward Foundation and The Aldridge Foundation our charity partners for the next three years. We see both organisations' value in creating equal opportunity for young people. For us, our ability to support early career social mobility is a chance for BIE to link diversity of lived experience to really making a difference in the world of corporate ED&I.  Thank you to Shona and Anton for creating this opportunity, we look forward to partnering with you in the coming years."

What to expect?

Throughout our partnership with Drive Forward Foundation and The Aldridge Foundation, we will hold a range of workshops and events with the aim of equipping young people with the key skills needed to pursue their careers and thrive in the workplace.

Starting in September 2024, we'll be hosting a series of skills workshops to deliver quality training, insights and networking opportunities to the young people working with DFF and AF to improve their skillset and prepare for entering the workforce.

To equip young people with the essential skills needed to enter the workplace a selection of our BIE employees and clients have volunteered their time to mentor the young people both charities work with. These sessions are designed to offer a dedicated  go-to contact for bespoke career advice and guidance from our experienced recruitment consultants. 

At future charity events hosted by each organisation, our employees will be encouraged to leverage their skillsets and offer their support. 

From bake sales to marathons, we'll be actively encouraging the BIE team to get involved in a variety of challenges and events to support both Drive Forward Foundation and The Aldridge Foundation. For the BIE team it's about more than just raising money, we want to raise awareness and promote the work of both charities to drive real change in this space.

If you would like to donate to this cause please use our Give As You Live donation page.

To celebrate the progress of the young people impacted by this cause and the development of our partnership with Drive Forward Foundation and The Aldridge Foundation, we'll be holding an annual event with the aim of bringing everyone involved together.

How to get involved

If you share our passion for this cause and would like to offer your support in any of our upcoming events, workshops or mentoring programme please contact our CSR Lead celine.clark@bie-executive.com

If you would like to donate to this cause please use our Give As You Live donation page.

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