WE NEED TO STOP WHAT WE ARE DOING, THINK GLOBALLY, ACT SOCIALLY AND START MAKING CHANGES TODAY!
Future Foundations, an award-winning organisation that inspires young people across the world held the first of the two-day Global Social Leaders (GSL) Festival @ Home today, in partnership with the Wellington Leadership and Coaching Institute. This event puts young people at the forefront with guests including educators, parents and leaders from the public, private and third sector.
The Zoom rooms throughout the day included a global assembly where key speakers were speaking directly with the GSL cohorts, educators, parents and leaders, a future room for global classroom break-outs for the young, a foundation room for educators, teachers and parents to listen to key talks, plus a live stream room which showcased a large group of socially conscious young leaders networking and sharing their personal stories from getting involved in the movement.
Today there were over 10 guest speakers including:
- Lord Dr Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE
- Dr Hazel Harrison, ThinkAvellana
- Edward Brookes, The Oxford Character Project
- Hamzat Bala Lawal, UN SDG Action Award Winner
- Jason Moore, Future Foundations
- Mina Ogbanga, Centre for Development Support Initiatives (Nigerian Schools)
- And loads more!
Click here to read about all our speakers
The key sessions included:
- Mindfulness for young people
- Mental health around the world
- Getting the job done…without tearing each other to shreds
- Taking action during COVID-19
- Is education selling our children short?
- And loads more captivating topics for the educational sector to take note of!
Lord Dr Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE was one of the first people to present, and he had the absolute honour of announcing for the GSL Sustainable Goals Competition winners ‘Greener is cleaner’ from Chadwick International, South Korea.
Lord Dr Hastings quoted:
“The Global Social Leaders movement is a platform for young people to make real change through social actions. This year over 600 teams from 105 countries took on the challenge to run a project that supports one of the many global goals. We are here today to celebrate all of those teams. Firstly, let me say thank you to all the teams that were not able to complete their projects due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We appreciate your efforts and we know that they will be back soon with even bigger plans and even stronger actions. We are immensely proud to say that despite the lockdown, and all the difficulties of the global pandemic, 249 teams from 49 countries completed the challenge and submitted their final reports. Thank you and congratulations for your resilience and your passion”.
Hamzat Lawal, Founder, Follow the Money and Chief Executive, Connected Development (CODE), Malala Fund Education Champion, commented:
“The current pandemic may appear to have disrupted the progress of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, we remain undeterred and are repositioning to align with the goal of building a sustainable future for all. At CODE, we are passionate about Goal 16 and are ensuring that trust is regained in Government Institutions. Kudos to all the Global Social Leaders that are at the forefront of this cause and the vibrant young people. Together, we can create a transformational change. It’s a thumbs-up for the Global Action.”
Ben Scott-Robinson, Co-Founder, Small Robot Company, who has a guest spot during tomorrow’s festival commented:
“Where do we want to be in 2030? It’s this question that’s driving us to transform farming, making it more sustainable and enriching biodiversity. We’re honoured to support Global Social Leaders with this inspirational festival for youth-led action. Their vision for a brighter, more sustainable future is highly synergistic with our own – and yes, it’s time for action. Hear all about our Three Small Robots and their Dream to Save the World – I’ll be joining tomorrow to speak. Let’s Build Back Better. Small is for the future.”
Amy Mander, Head of GSL at Future Foundations, said:
“Today’s festival, has been an honour to host, you could sense the excitement and Goosebumps felt by everyone listening to the talks. I would like to say a big thank you to all our speakers, and congratulate, every team who has taken part in this year’s global goals competition. Outside of the main sessions we’ve created a lively festival through a Virtual Tea Garden, powered by the Small Robot Company, allowing us to chat and connect as you would in a physical festival. Our live stream has allowed us to amplify the voices of our inspirational speakers. Making the local global has never felt more important. I can’t wait for tomorrow and do tune in.”
The festival concludes tomorrow with even more topics and guest speakers exploring how we can rebuild towards a brighter more sustainable future.
To find out more and tune in live visit: www.globalsocialleaders.com/gslfest2020
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ABOUT THE ORGANISERS
Future Foundations
Founded in December 2004, Future Foundations is an independent training organisation that aims to inspire young people to achieve their full potential and become leaders within their lives and in society. Its vision is a world where all organisations are led by socially conscious people, with every young person making the transition into adulthood with the foundations they need for their future.
We design and deliver pioneering training programmes and experiences for young people between the ages of 7 and 24 globally and for teachers and adults who want to inspire the next generation. We partner with leading organisations from the third, private, and public sector who share our vision and mission.
Working with over 20,000 young people in the last fifteen years, Future Foundations has delivered programmes for government departments, schools, colleges, universities and global companies.
Future Foundations was a winner of the Department for Education Character Awards 2015. In 2016, Chief Executive Jonathan Harper, FRSA, won the RSA Catalyst Award for commitment to supporting young people to achieve their full potential and in 2017 won the Enactus Alumnus of the Year global award, for exemplifying how entrepreneurial action for others can create a better world for all. In 2017, Future Foundations project managed a response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy, working with Ark, the Aldridge Foundation and Kensington and Chelsea council, to organise a four-week summer programme of activities for young people living in the local community, who had been impacted directly or indirectly.
Future Foundations Contact Details
Jonathan Harper FRSA, CEO
E: jon@future-foundations.co.uk T: 020 34 32 34 50 W: www.future-foundations.co.uk
Wellington Leadership and Coaching Institute
Wellington Leadership and Coaching Institute is a part of Wellington College and aims to develop leaders with the passion, values and skills to serve and make a positive difference to the lives of others. They deliver this vision through partnering with organisations in the public and private sector, including the Government, the Civil Service, the Cabinet Office, schools (local, national and international), universities (Oxford, Harvard, UPenn, Birmingham, UC Berkeley), charities, businesses and the Armed Forces.
The WLCI was founded on the core values of Wellington College: courage, integrity, respect, responsibility and kindness. It has three pillars, which inform the type of leaders it hopes to develop: leaders with great strength of character; the desire to serve and the skills needed to become a positive leader. The WLCI team have presented on leadership at Number 10, the Cabinet Office, the Department of Education, in China, Singapore, Mozambique and Australia, as well as for England Rugby.
Wellington College Contact Details:
Katy Granville-Chapman
E: kegc@wellingtoncollege.org.uk
W: https://www.wellingtoncollege.org.uk/leading-education/coaching-leadership-institute/
For further information or press enquiries please contact:
Daisy Craydon PR E: contact@daisycraydonpr.com M: 07539494720
Register here: https://www.globalsocialleaders.com/gslfestmedia/, for more information and to join our live press announcements (17:15 on 18th June & 11:15 on 19th June), with the opportunity to speak directly with the organisers.