Mace Foundation announces new charity partners

Over the last four years the Mace Foundation has donated £1.6 million to over 200 charities and worthy causes. This is helping drive forward Mace’s ambition to make a real and sustainable difference to the lives of disadvantaged people and communities where Mace works.

The Mace Foundation 2016 Annual Review has now been published. Highlights of the report include £380,000 donated to charities, the results of our work to end youth homelessness, supporting vital humanitarian training around the world and breaking down barriers to education and employment in the construction industry. Also featured is Mace employees’ efforts to tackle the stigma around mental health by raising over £66,000 for Mace’s 2016 Charity of the Year, Mind. For this and many more inspirational stories, just click here. 

This year, the Mace Foundation has set up four new strategic charity partnerships, helping to continue this work and deliver the Foundation’s 2020 goals with a more focused approached to the communities where Mace works, education, employment and health and wellbeing.

Mark Reynolds, Mace’s CEO and Mace Foundation Chairman, said: “I am very pleased to announce our new charity partners; Construction Youth Trust, LandAid, Mind and Youth Hostel Association. We have identified and will be supporting numerous programmes with our charity partners where we can effectively give back to people and invest in long-term support for wider parts of our communities.”

For the next three years the Foundation will be working with;

• Construction Youth Trust – to inspire and enable young people to develop career opportunities in the construction industry, with a priority focus on young people facing significant barriers to employment. Together we will be raising awareness, providing hands-on training, connecting young people with employers and offering one-to-one employability support to help young people progress into work.

• LandAid – to end youth homelessness in the UK. LandAid tackles the root causes of youth homelessness, protects young people on the streets, provides accommodation and support for those who have been homeless and gives a platform to young people to be heard. The Foundation’s annual donation will fund projects that will provide safe housing for vulnerable young people so they have a safe space to reach their potential.

• Mind – to provide information, advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. Funds donated by the Foundation will help support new local Mind projects rooted in local communities across the UK to provide life-changing, in-depth support.

• Youth Hostel Association –  to offer more than just a bed. For over 80 years YHA have delivered life changing adventures that create memories which last a lifetime. Every year it delivers positive powerful outcomes for over 700,000 young people with challenging histories. The Foundation will support disadvantaged children including those that have experienced homelessness or mental health issues to have the educational adventure of a life time; learning practical skills at inspirational locations through their residential Breaks for Kids Programme. 

Carol Lynch, Chief Executive, Construction Youth Trust, said: “This support from Mace Foundation is invaluable in ensuring that we continue to inspire and enable the next generation to join the construction industry. We will be able to reach more young people and therefore contribute towards creating a more diverse workforce reflective of 21st century Britain.”

Leah De Silva, Deputy CEO and Head of Fundraising & Partnerships, said: “We’re delighted to be chosen as one of the Mace Foundation’s strategic partners. With their help, we can provide more homes for young people who desperately need them. We believe that with safe housing and the right support, young people can go on to achieve incredible things. This generous donation means we can help more young people overcome homelessness so they can look forward to bright, independent futures.”

Kathleen Miles, Director of Fundraising at Mind, said: “We are hugely grateful to the Mace Foundation for choosing Mind as one of their charity partners and helping to ensure that we can support the one in four people who experience a mental health problem in any given year. Money raised over the course of this partnership will allow us to continue to be there for people who need it, when they need it the most and to fight to make sure that everyone with a mental health problem gets the support and respect they deserve.”

Caroline White, YHA Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Mace Foundation – our partnership will ensure that more young people, especially those of disadvantage, will be able to access the positive benefits that a stay with us has on their lives.”