5 min read
One Million Futures made brighter
Story synopsis
- In 2016 we set out to make an impact that matters to one million people, through supporting access to education and employment opportunities. We’ve worked alongside our network of charities, schools and social enterprises and in 2020, we reached our milestone. That’s one million people getting to where they want to be. One million futures made brighter. And one million stories to be told.
One Million Futures. It was a big number. An ambitious goal. And we set ourselves just five years to achieve it.
Four years on, in 2020, we reached our goal of positively impacting one million people - ahead of schedule.
From the classroom to the boardroom, we've helped people from different backgrounds all across the UK by raising aspirations and improving skills.
Others we've helped by working with 70 of the most inspiring charities and social enterprises, who support disadvantaged people across the country.
And having reached a million futures, we’re not stopping there.
One million stories
To celebrate reaching one million we asked five people to tell their stories.
Tracey, Akira, Russell, Moses and Solomon started in very different places and had different goals. But the thing they have in common is that, they're now on their way to where they want to be.
Their stories are a powerful reminder that no matter where you start, and wherever you want to go, a helping hand can make all the difference.
Solomon
As a kid, Solomon didn’t care much for school. Like many teens, he’d rather be on the football pitch working toward his dream of playing for Arsenal than stuck in the classroom. If only he would apply himself with the same determination and focus he demonstrated on the football pitch – potential that earned him captaincy three years in a row. In the classroom, he lacked an end-goal to aspire to. He had no clear idea of what his studies could lead to, or what future doors could be opened. That was until a meaningful mentorship with Deloitte.
A game-changing mentorship
Solomon was introduced to Deloitte through our school mentorship programme at Solomon’s school - St Mary Magdalene Academy in London. He was matched with a Deloitte volunteer with whom he could discuss his future. Where did he see himself going after his school years? What career paths had he considered? Who did he want to become?
Beyond one-on-one conversations, Solomon took concrete steps to sharpen his skillset. With the encouragement of his mentor, he participated in leadership skills lessons, CV workshops, and current affairs analyses. He said that through this relationship with Deloitte, he began to realise his own ambitions, to refine his existing qualities and skills.
Solomon began to apply the same focus and determination he exercised on the football pitch to his studies. In fact, his mentor helped him see that many of the skills that made him a valuable football captain could be translated to the classroom. His grades steadily increased. He became confident in class. He was even a contender for head boy in his final year. The cherry on top? Solomon landed a place in his university of choice. He is now studying at Liverpool University with ambitions to become a lawyer in the future.
Deloitte schools programme
The Deloitte schools programme works to address educational disadvantage across the UK. One Million Futures believes that where a child is from should not determine the quality of their education nor their future opportunities.
With over 20 school partners across the country, the programme offers a variety of activities to support students in overcoming barriers to education and employment and realise their potential.
From mentorships such as Solomon’s, to speaker sessions and ongoing workshops that build skills and broaden the aspirations of students, the programme supports brighter futures in a variety of ways.
Solomon is just one of the people that we have helped through this ambitious programme and we couldn’t have done it without our network of society partners and our wonderful volunteers.
Janet McGuigan, Deloitte relationship manager for St Mary Magdalene Academy
The benefits of the programme are far reaching, for our Deloitte volunteers, being part of the One Million Futures programme is extremely rewarding. Janet, who is both a school mentor and volunteer coordinator for the One Million Futures programme at St Mary Magdalene Academy, says working with students and opening their eyes to new possibilities has been hugely impactful – not just for the students, but for the volunteers as well.
“People volunteer to help others for many different reasons – the end goal is to make a difference to others, and it feels good to achieve that. But volunteering makes a huge difference to those that volunteer too. I have seen people blossom in volunteer roles, become more confident, learn new skills, make new meaningful connections and become happier at work”.
Claire Burton, responsible business director, Deloitte UK
Programme Director Claire Burton is extremely proud of achieving our One Million Futures target, particularly the impact we have made thorough working with our society partners.
“We know our professionals make the greatest societal impact when they use their skills and expertise to help people and organisations” said Claire.
“So that’s what we do – our people use their skills as leaders, mentors and problem-solvers to help individuals get to where they want to be through access to education and employment”.
“We are not stopping here and we look forward to continuing this work!”
Another 5 million futures
Now we’ve reached a million futures, we’ve set ourselves a new challenge.
We are working towards impacting a further 5 Million Futures across North South Europe and the Middle East, as part of our global WorldClass ambition to help 50 Million Futures by 2030.
Further reading
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