On 21st November, our CEO, Laurance Hancock headed down to Westminster where The Centre for Social Justice Awards 2023 took place. Nominations were received from 212 different charities from across the UK.
The Boathouse Youth was a finalist – having made the top 16! Unfortunately, we weren’t to be winners during this event, but it was a privilege to be a runner-up against those charities that did:
Children Heard and Seen
Power2
The Oasis Centre
The Recruitment Junction
In our nomination, we spoke about our uniqueness as a charity tackling both the symptoms and causes of poverty for the longer-term.
We are proud to be an organisation which prioritises the longevity of our relationships with young people, as opposed to simply parachuting over them for short periods of time or focusing on a single ‘tick-box’ outcome.
Our ability to respond rapidly to changing needs and trends with young people due to our network of philanthropists who give so generously negating our reliance on lengthy funding application processes.
No criteria or thresholds for participating. All young people are free to make their own choice whether they would like to work with us. This means we do not ‘problematise’ young people or make judgements.
Our commitment as a learning organisation to continual staff development and our Young Leadership Academy. This means that staff not only have a professional responsibility to support the growth of young people, but also a genuine interest in doing so as a result of their lived experience.
All barriers unlocked. Everything is fully funded and free at the point of access.
There are 8,000 children and young people currently living in poverty right on our doorstep, here in Blackpool, and it is this statistic which fuels our relentless ambition to launch additional youth facilities across the town.
If you would like to donate or become a supporter, please contact Danielle on 01243 375 293. Your offer of time, experience or finances could help to change one of those children’s lives. Help us to help them.
