Unloc & Verizon Business scoop impressive awards at the Better Society Awards 2024
13 June 2024
We’re thrilled to reveal that we and Verizon Business won two awards at The Better Society Awards 2024!
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We’re thrilled to reveal that we and our partners Verizon Business have been shortlisted for not just one, but two awards at The Better Society Awards 2024! The first category is for the National Commitment to Skills & Training Award, something we’re hugely proud of as we roll out our skills focused programmes, workshops and bootcamps across the UK.
The second is for the Philanthropy Award category, given to celebrate individuals and organisations who advance innovation, new solutions, and demonstrate meaningful progress in a community, association, or other nonprofit organisation.
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Unloc’s Managing Director Haydon Taylor is thrilled about the announcement, saying:
“What an incredible honour to be shortlisted for such impressive awards and gaining recognition for the extensive work we do with young people around the country. We’ve worked with the amazing team at Verizon Business for five years now to provide collaborative training and skills opportunities to more than 100,000 young people from across the country, many from disadvantaged communities.”
“Our partnership allows us to provide them with access to free skills and opportunities they’d otherwise miss out on. Working throughout the education sector we’ve been able to expand our reach and help develop the potential of young people from all different backgrounds. Building their confidence, their skills, and their ability to become young changemakers in their communities. I hope everyone will wish us, and Verizon the best of luck on awards night!”
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Talent and opportunity in the UK is often mis-aligned, with young people growing up in the most challenging socio-economic communities facing life expectancies up-to 6 years below the national average and lifetime income earning potential up-to 40% below the national benchmark (such as Portsmouth). Our joint skills and training programmes are helping to redress this imbalance.
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This uniquely collaborative approach between a global corporate, and our own non-for-profit skills & training organisation has:
The outcomes described above are the combined results of the six bespoke and innovative programmes in entrepreneurship, leadership, career pathways and amplifying student voices, which are curated and delivered by Unloc’s expert youth-focused facilitation team, working in close collaboration with Verizon employee mentors, guest speakers and industry experts.
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“We’re so proud of the programs that we’ve developed with Unloc and the impact that they’ve had. I’m delighted that our partnership has been award-nominated as it shows that our approach to levelling the playing field for young people and helping them to develop entrepreneurial skills is making a marked impact and achieving our ambitions in line with our responsible business plan, Citizen Verizon.”
Sanjiv Gossain, Head of EMEA, Verizon Business
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Changemaker Challenge Enterprise Days
These day-long events take place in schools across the country with a particular focus on the most deprived communities, reaching more than 10,000 young people every year. They inspire young people to explore what it means to be a changemaker, including widening their career horizons and putting their entrepreneurial skills to the test through a series of social business challenges.
Each event brings together between 30 and 100 primary or secondary school students to learn about the life and career journeys of local entrepreneurs, Verizon employees and participate in entrepreneurial skill building workshops. Each day culminates in a ‘changemaker challenge’, whereby a team of young people work together to identify and develop an entrepreneurial solution to a real-life social, environmental or economic issue.
Saiqua Zaneb, Deputy Head Teacher at Central Foundation Girls School in Tower Hamlets said
“These experiences have been transformative for our students, giving them the skills and training experiences they need to thrive in the real world.”
Unloc Academies
Our 3-month long Leadership and Enterprise academies develop the skills of more than 1000 passionate young people annually, supporting them to successfully tackle a solution to an issue they or their peers have faced in their schools, colleges or communities. For those participating in the Leadership Academy, Unloc provides practical instruction in project planning, facilitation and effective communication, as well as building personal confidence and leadership. Enterprise Academy students gain skills in business planning, market testing, setting up a business, financial management and more from entrepreneurs and Verizon employees and volunteers.
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I AM:
I AM is a new kind of social change incubator putting 100 young people annually at the heart of tackling issues around equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), whilst developing their life-long employability. For 6 months, young people from across Portsmouth and London come together over 4 immersive weekends of training and collaboration to learn about EDI and apply what they have learn to create and implement social change projects, with the support of community leaders, local professionals, specialist consultants, and democratically-elected representatives Following participation, 100% of young people say they feel more inspired to do something different or take action in the future, and 92% say they want to take part in similar programmes.
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EDI Changemaker Days
Running alongside I AM, EDI Changemaker Days take place in 5 schools in disadvantaged communities and deliver an immersive day-long experience on EDI and racial justice for 1000 young people each year. With the help of the Unloc team and Verizon mentors, students build their own in-school campaigns to tackle a problem or address a challenge that impacts their lives.
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The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge
The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge is an annual event that identifies and encourages young entrepreneurial talent. Now in its 5th year, the challenge provides the opportunity for any young person aged 16-25 with an innovative technology-led, business idea to apply for a grant of £10,000, plus mentorship, training and specialist pro-bono expertise, to help them translate their idea into a successful social enterprise or business. To date, 35 young people have been supported, with their ventures in turn employing more than 250 people.
Recently the Unloc team took a group of our young changemakers from the PAC programme to the PAC Liverpool Conference and the Gamerchanger Awards 2022, one of which turned out to be a true winner!
In partnership with Co-op the Gamechanger Awards celebrate the work of ten incredible young people and projects, who are part of PAC, a ground-breaking new youth-led network, which is funded by the Youth Endowment Fund, the #iwill Fund (a joint investment between The National Lottery Community Fund and Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) and The Co-op.
Through the programme, over 120 peer researchers listened to over 4,500 young people, recording their lived-experiences of violence, and finding out what needs to happen to make their area a better place to live. They’ve also been working with local partners to turn what they’ve learned into action.
The awards ceremony was held in partnership with Co-op in front of an audience of local leaders and other young researchers.
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We were absolutely thrilled to see our young changemaker Ace Merriott win the Networker Extraordinaire Award! Ace took part in our Unloc Inspiring Change programme last Summer, a social action programme for young people in partnership with the Peer Action Collective, Artswork, Co-op, and Youth Options.
Ace really worked hard to push themselves outside of their comfort-zone to connect with range of different stakeholders to increase the impact of their team’s social action project, called the Teal Umbrella, focused on to de-stigmatising people talking about their experiences of sexual harassment.
The project was promoted by an article in a local newspaper in the area as a result of Ace’s networking skills which led to Ace giving a brilliant interview about their project.
Ace didn’t just stop there however, Ace pushed onward and spoke to the Crime Commissioner about the current projects the local authority are running and how the voices of the young people from the Teal Umbrella can help to influence change to make young people feel safe.
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Ace said: “Having the opportunity to go to the PAC conference and see everyone else’s projects as well as discusses my team’s project made me realise how much of an impact young people are making. We are the future of societal change.”
Through this the Teal Umbrella team are now in talks with a range of different mental health services in the area to help put young people’s voices at the heart of their practises! A fantastic result, we’re incredibly proud of Ace and we’ll be closely watching to see what this talented group of young people achieve next!
Massive thanks to the Peer Action Collective, the Co-op, Youth Options, and Artswork for their dedication to improving the lives of young people and the wider community. Knowing we have such inspiring organisations around us with the same mission to improve the lives and opportunities of young people energises us on our mission to develop young potential! Together we can make such lasting change.
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For more information about the Peer Action Collective Conference and Awards click here!
Beth Hunt joined Unloc this year as our Programme Facilitator for Entrepreneurial Skills & Career Pathways, but she’s also an entrepreneur, running her own business for the past two years ‘Beth’s Boutique‘. She’s also just gone through to the final for the Business Mum, Small Business of the Year Award 2022!
We’re proud to have so much talent and entrepreneurship within our team, so as it’s Global Entrepreneurship Week we thought we’d catch up with Beth to find out how she became an entrepreneur and started running her own small business.
So Beth give us the low-down on how this all began!
“Before Unloc I was a teacher, teaching secondary Drama and children with special educational needs, which I have always loved. It was an ideal job when my two children, Leo and Daisy were growing up.
I have always had a love of clothes and fashion – especially Italian clothing for women! During the lockdown of 2020 when everything shut down due to Covid-19, 2020 my own little business ‘Beth’s Boutique Clothing’ was born.
It’s a new online Boutique Clothing Shop that offers customers a place to find unique and timeless fashion pieces. I now sell quality clothing to customers across the UK. I’ve also collaborated with a jewellery company ‘Sharkie & Bear‘ to create an exclusive range of earrings, and now there’s another collaboration in the pipeline too – watch this space!
Through my business I’ve met some brilliant women, reconnected with others and the support around me has been amazing.”
So how did you get the idea to start the business?
“Well I’m originally from North Wales, and I was out shopping with my mum in a lovely town called Llangollen one day. We came across and walked into a little boutique that funnily enough specialised in Italian clothing!
The lady that owned it had a soft Welsh accent and she was so friendly and warm. Whilst browsing I said to my mum “This is it! One day this is what I want to do”
That was about 10 years ago, before I’d ever been to Italy (that’s another story!). My children were 3 and 1 years old, and I was rather busy with them and teaching part time in a secondary school!
I loved teaching but also felt it was time to attempt something I’ve always wanted to do, a point for a change, time to bite the bullet so to speak. Many years before i’d gone to evening classes to study Business and I felt it was time to put that knowledge to good use!”
What made you choose Italian fashion in particular?
“There’s something so stylish and opulent about Italian clothing. It’s absolutely unique I think, they really know how to dress, and make it look so effortless to ooze style and creativity. There’s also the high level of craftsmanship and attention to detail in italian clothing, you just don’t tend to see the threadwork, embroidery, luxury fabrics or appliqué on clothing from other countries. It’s just stunning.
Fashions from Italy are also well renowned around the world for their elegance and refined construction. They don’t body shame women for not being a size zero like a lot of the fashion world, they absolutely embrace curves and hourglass figures, and use construction and fabrics which accentuate and compliment a woman’s body shape.
I wanted to take that love and share that with other women who don’t always get the chance to see or buy that kind of clothing on the high street. As much as i’d love to be selfish and just buy it all and keep it for me – i’m prepared to share lol.”
How did it feel when you made the decision to go for it?
I was incredibly nervous. All I knew was whatever happens I’ll have lots of lovely Italian clothes! (what’s not to like about that?!). So here we are, a family run business (they chip in and help from time to time) that now specialises in Italian clothing in one sizes.
My models are my customers – check-out the gallery on my website! I love that the clothes I sell look good on every day women, and figures of all shapes and sizes. It’s about feeling good and self confidence, and the clothes I sell reflect that. The feedback from it all has been incredible. Body confidence is key no matter what your age or shape or size!
I’m especially proud as I have just gone into the Final for the Business mum, Small Business of the Year Award 2022- which I am absolutely thrilled to bits about!
It just shows that one moment, one small thought or event can have a major impact on your future and your happiness – you just have to seize the opportunity and be brave enough to do something about it!”
Click here to visit Beth’s Boutique
Click here to check out Sharkie & Bear
We’re thrilled to reveal that we and Verizon Business won two awards at The Better Society Awards 2024!
Last Thursday industry professionals from across the country gathered at Verizon’s slick London Hub in at MidCity Place, Holborn, for a Changemaker Moments event on Manufacturing.
During the February half-term and Easter holidays this year, 53 young people, in Year 11 and 12, from across Portsmouth participated in our ‘Portsmouth Inspires’ Programme, funded by NCS.
. We’re looking for a passionate & creative young person aged 16-25 in the Portsmouth or London areas to become our first official social media
We’re thrilled to reveal that we and Verizon Business won two awards at The Better Society Awards 2024!
Last Thursday industry professionals from across the country gathered at Verizon’s slick London Hub in at MidCity Place, Holborn, for a Changemaker Moments event on Manufacturing.
During the February half-term and Easter holidays this year, 53 young people, in Year 11 and 12, from across Portsmouth participated in our ‘Portsmouth Inspires’ Programme, funded by NCS.
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