Business leaders convene to support young people in Hounslow as part of BITC’s flagship The King’s Seeing is Believing programme
- Business leaders visit the London Borough of Hounslow to understand the barriers facing people living and working in the borough.
- The visit comes as research shows that one in four 19-year-olds in Hounslow do not have any level 3 qualifications.
- The visit was led by John Bason, Chair of Primark, Chair of BITC’s Hounslow Pride of Place Partnership.
Business in the Community (BITC) has today brought senior business leaders to the London Borough of Hounslow, under the leadership of John Bason, Chair of Primark and Chair of BITC’s Hounslow Pride of Place Partnership, to understand the challenges faced by those living and working in the borough, leading to high levels of deprivation. During the visit, business leaders convened to come up with meaningful, long-term solutions to these challenges.
The visit comes as research shows that one in four 19-year-olds in Hounslow do not have any level 3 qualifications,[2] while 2.9% of young people aged 16-17 are not known to be in education, employment or training in Hounslow.[3] Research also shows that the unemployment rate in Hounslow is 4.8%, far higher than the England average of 3.8%.[4]
As part of the visit, business leaders visited the Feltham Community Development Association, an organisation working to support disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people in the local community, hearing from young people and Brentford FC coaches who provide programmes to support young people in the area. Business leaders also visited the Hanworth Centre Hub, a collection of community organisations working to make the borough a safer place, including Perfectly Imperfect, an organisation aiming to reduce violence across the borough, and Rise and Thrive, giving young people the tools and opportunities they need to succeed. Business leaders also heard from young people attending the Skills Centre at West Thames College, which offers training and certification across trades including plumbing, carpentry and logistics.
The visit was attended by senior business leaders from a range of companies, including Primark, British Airways, JCDecaux, Sky and Phoenix Group.
John Bason, Chair of Primark, Chair of BITC’s Hounslow Pride of Place Partnership, said:
“The senior leaders who are participating in the Seeing is Believing visit to Hounslow today represent a number of businesses which have both a national scale and importantly have close ties with the borough. The visit provides these leaders with a first-hand opportunity to understand many of the challenges faced by residents in the most deprived areas of the borough and as a group allows us to start the consideration of the collective ways we can tackle the deprivation.
“We visited the Feltham Community Development Association, the Hanworth Centre Hub, Rise and Shine and the skills Centre at West Thames College. Their work includes providing support to disadvantaged young people and taking an active role in preparing them for the world of work.
“As business leaders we can drive meaningful change in the communities with the most deprivation. It is my hope that this visit will inspire the collective business actions to bring about that change. By working together and harnessing the work of the Hounslow local authority and community groups we can build a better future.”
Mary Macleod, Chief Executive of Business in the Community, said:
“Business in the Community’s mission is to transform lives and help communities across the UK to thrive. Through The King’s Seeing is Believing programme, we bring business leaders into communities around the UK to understand the challenges faced by the people living and working in these communities and come up with meaningful long-term solutions to address the barriers they face and support the incredible work already being done on the ground. Today’s Seeing is Believing visit in Hounslow highlighted the challenges faced by those living and working in the borough, leading to high levels of deprivation. All individuals deserve support for a life of opportunity and hope, and it is a privilege to work with our network of leaders, local government and community organisations to ensure that no one gets left behind.”
The Seeing is Believing programme was established by the then Prince of Wales in 1990. The programme, supported by Salesforce and Linklaters LLP, was born from a simple but powerful belief that the best way to close the gap between the boardroom and the community was to take business leaders out to the communities and, through the power of experiential learning, to inspire and challenge participants. The visits are designed to encourage business leaders to think strategically about the implications for their own businesses and the practical actions that can be taken in response, leading to meaningful and sustained impact for both businesses and communities. To date, over 25,000 business leaders have taken part in the Seeing is Believing programme which has led to various initiatives being set up including Career Ready, Ban the Box and mentoring circles in collaboration with the Department for Work and Pensions.
ENDS
Notes to editor
- Photos of the visit are available upon request.
- Trust for London: https://trustforlondon.org.uk/data/boroughs/hounslow-poverty-and-inequality-indicators/
- Department for Education: NEET and participation: local authority figures – GOV.UK
- Trust for London: https://trustforlondon.org.uk/data/boroughs/hounslow-poverty-and-inequality-indicators/
For further information, please contact Polly Dacam, Press Officer, on 020 7566 6638.