Latest News | Drive Forward Foundation

Drive Ambassadors meet with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg

“Don’t let the past stop you from succeeding in life. Even if it is a long and bumpy journey, you will get there eventually and trust me: it is worth it!”

These are the words of Fatima, who fled violence and political unrest in Guinea to seek an uncertain future in an unknown country. Five years later, at 20 years old she has left waitressing behind her and achieved a prestigious apprenticeship with Accenture. Continue reading “Drive Ambassadors meet with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg” »

A day at Hill+Knowlton Strategies

In our third year of partnership with Hill+Knowlton Strategies, we are reaping the rewards of an established relationship with the “UK Consultancy of the Year” (as recognised by the Holmes Report 2016) and are confident that we can provide an environment in which young people from Drive Forward can thrive on H+K’s work placement programme. Continue reading “A day at Hill+Knowlton Strategies” »

Drive Talks with Hashi Mohamed: You have to deal with the world as it is, rather than as you would like it to be.

On 24th May we were delighted to host Hashi Mohamed, who delivered a truly inspirational Drive Talk to an audience of care leavers, corporate partners and reps from referral agencies.

“You have to deal with the world as it is, rather than as you would like it to be.”

Now a successful barrister in London, Hashi Mohamed has come a long way since fleeing his home in Somalia and arriving in the UK at the age of nine. In his BBC Radio 4 documentary Adventures in Social Mobility, Hashi reflects upon his own journey, transitioning from life at underperforming schools and being raised exclusively on benefits, to attending Oxford and becoming a successful and respected member of the bar. Continue reading “Drive Talks with Hashi Mohamed: You have to deal with the world as it is, rather than as you would like it to be.” »

The “tailwind” that raises everyone’s game

Nowadays, whatever your background, getting your foot into the world of business is a challenge. You may have spent years crafting the most dazzling CV with a glittering array of extracurricular activities, emerged with a first class degree from a highly regarded university, and have thought deeply about your Personal Purpose – the world you’d like to see, your contribution to it, your short and long-term ambitions, your values – but there is no guarantee that you will land your dream job, let alone one that pays the bills. Competition is venal, securing a salary in line with your talent, even tougher. Right from the start – in order to build a successful career – you need to be inexorably focused and resilient. Continue reading “The “tailwind” that raises everyone’s game” »

Filmmaking course with Lesley Pinder

Tom Tokeley talks about his filmmaking experience with Lesley Pinder and Drive Forward.

What’s your favourite movie? Do you even have a favourite movie or at least a preferred genre of movies? Action, romantic comedy, drama… Would you rather watch Russell Crow fight the Roman Empire, have a laugh with Hugh Gant and Julia Roberts, or follow Leonardo DiCaprio as he dives into the world of dreams? Or, are you the kind of person who enjoys watching wild animals on Discovery Channel and the stories of Making a Murderer on Netflix? Continue reading “Filmmaking course with Lesley Pinder” »

Drive Ambassadors: one year anniversary

Set up in January 2016, the Drive Forward Ambassadors group celebrated its one-year anniversary in March. King’s College London kindly provided a beautiful space for current ambassadors and those interested in joining the group to get together and look back on a busy year. Continue reading “Drive Ambassadors: one year anniversary” »

Your Voice, Your Music

“Hey, this is Lynn Destiny on your mics from East London radio about to play Salt and Pepper Push Iiiit”, Lynn would speak into the microphone in front of her before playing the artist’s Hip Hop track. During the final two weeks of January, Drive Forward’s training room was transformed into a recording studio where our young people explored Hip Hop music in depth. Continue reading “Your Voice, Your Music” »

Drive Forward at the World Economic Forum in Davos

“Davos has provided Drive Forward with access to a variety of companies, which then lead to fruitful relationships.” (Martha Wansbrough, CEO of Drive Forward Foundation)

For more than 30 years, the Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, has been a significant networking opportunity for leaders around the globe. With a vision of improving the state of the world, the unique ‘Spirit of Davos’ refers to mutual collaboration and collegiality amongst all participants. As an international organisation, the World Economic Forum in Davos brings together figures from government and politics, business and civil society, to shape global agendas and influence change. Continue reading “Drive Forward at the World Economic Forum in Davos” »

Care leavers and apprenticeships event

Companies of all shapes and sizes joined us for a breakfast seminar on apprenticeships last week. With the Apprenticeship Levy on the horizon, and the potential for a huge increase in work-based learning opportunities, we thought it was a great time to speak to companies about the world of apprenticeships and their own talent strategy. Continue reading “Care leavers and apprenticeships event” »

We’re growing – can you help us to find a new home?

We help care leavers to achieve their career goals. This year we will work with around 300 young people and are looking to double that number over the next couple of years. This means we need more space.

Continue reading “We’re growing – can you help us to find a new home?” »