Local social enterprise, Freedom Foundation, is on the shortlist to win a share of £1million from Persimmon Homes’ Building Futures, an initiative to support children (U18’s) in the areas of health, sport, education and the arts but they need your help to win.
Freedom Foundation was set up in May 2017 by Laura Grant and Stacey Green and is an organisation that offers children and young people, the opportunity to explore their individuality and learn to appreciate their self-worth.
They have developed a series of programmes to enable young people to share their feelings and ideas whilst educating them about the pros and cons of social media. Working with industry professionals, the programmes are current and relatable to young people today, using singing, songwriting and dance as a way of encouraging young people to express their individuality and creative ideas. The programmes offer young people the opportunity to have a voice and vocalise that it’s ok to be different and individual. Starting conversations at an earlier age about mental health and a positive mind-set, gives them the tools to cope with outside influences that can have an adverse effect on a young person’s outlook on life and their worth.
Their programmes also support parents, carers and teachers to understand the many pressures children are faced with in today’s modern society.
With the increase in mental health issues amongst young people and the age of the selfie where people have the desire to post daily images of themselves to gain likes and approval, Freedom Foundation, if successful in securing a share of the £1 million funding, plan to launch SafeSelfie. A campaign designed to educate and help young people gain a positive mental attitude, working with parents about the dangers of posting selfies and images online, and to address the misconception that receiving ‘likes’ somehow measures a person’s self-worth.
Co-founder of Freedom Foundation, Stacey Green commented: “With over 25 years of teaching experience and working with children and young people, I have seen a dramatic change in the way young people view themselves and the outside world. Freedom Foundation aims to empower children and promote positive body image and self-confidence. The SafeSelfie campaign is an initiative designed to help change the thought process behind posting images online and is a call to action on how to act responsibly.”
One organisation from each category in the Persimmon Homes’ Building Futures competition will each go on to win £100,000 each in the national award scheme with other cash prizes of £50,000 and £20,000 also to be awarded.
The winners are decided by a public vote and this is how people can get behind Freedom Foundation by voting for them online https://www.persimmonhomes.com/building-futures/finalists
Laura Grant, co-founder and director of Freedom Foundation said: “It is a huge achievement to have been selected as a regional finalist, but now we really need people to get behind us and get voting so that we are in the strongest possible position to secure one of the top three cash awards on the night. Funding will enable us to reach young people throughout Nottinghamshire and if successful nationally too. We would really appreciate everyone’s support.”
Persimmon Homes is an official partner of Team GB and the Persimmon Charitable Foundation enlisted the support of Olympic medallists Kat Copeland and Callum Skinner to help arrive at the three regional finalists for each category.
Persimmon Homes Nottingham is backing Freedom Foundation to be a prize winner at a gala dinner being held in October, when the recipients of the cash prizes will be announced.
Voting closes at midnight on Friday 27 September 2019.
