Marcus Rashford and Thrive
Mary’s charity based in St Mary’s church is a founder partner in Thrive, Marcus Rashford’s new programme with NatWest to encourage young people’s aspirations. The modules ‘I can’t afford it’ and ‘I need it’ were studied by 83 of Mary’s young people. At the end of the program, there was a 27% increase in the young people’s belief they could reach their goals and a 23% increase in understanding money issues. Marcus Rashford came on a Zoom call with the young people to congratulate them on graduating the course. Adil, a young leader, asked questions about mental health and thanked Marcus for his work reducing poverty. It was heartening to have Mary’s young people benefit from Marcus’ honest, thoughtful and encouraging responses.
Winter Food Support Scheme
Mary’s gives food vouchers for supermarkets to young people and their families to help with cost of living pressures and food poverty. Tristan Capital Partners has kindly funded the food vouchers for their core cohort over the winter. If you would also like to contribute you can here.
Trip Away
Young people from Mary’s youthwork in St Mary’s church do not experience many trips away. School exclusions and life challenges tend to get in the way. But in October, four Mary’s staff and sixteen young people headed off to East Sussex. The young people had lots of mentoring time, therapy groups and activities. After night hikes, balancing on things, waking up early, swimming, and many games they tumbled back into the coach. Jason Allen and the team had to go through quite a process negotiating with courts and social workers to get consent for the young people to go on the trip, but it was well worth it.
Young Londoner’s Fund
Mary’s started their Young Londoner’s Fund work for the Mayor of London back in 2019. The fund is for young people likely to have involvement in the criminal justice system. Mary’s cohort was 77 young people who received therapeutic sessions and support all year from a youth-worker. 67% had experienced exclusion from school and 12% had experienced care. These were exactly the at risk young people Mary’s aims to reach. An evaluation process was created with the Centre For Youth Impact and statistical analysis has begun. Mary’s will be reporting on the outcome in due course.
