As a busy academic year draws to a close, we are excited to announce that Ahead Partnership has won the Silver Award in the Partnerships & Sponsorship category at the International CSR Excellence Awards.
Our award entry focused on the overall impact of our work as well as notable partnerships and programmes that have expanded in recent years, including Netcompany’s Smart Cities Challenge and headline sponsorship of Girl Tech, which has allowed the programme to reach over 350 young women around the UK this year.
The award entry also featured the expansion of our partnership with Federated Hermes MEPC, developer and asset manager of Paradise in Birmingham, Wellington Place in Leeds, Silverstone Park in Northamptonshire and Milton Park in Oxfordshire, whose schools engagement programmes focus on engaging young people with the places, spaces and opportunities in their local areas, as well as bringing together on-site communities around a common purpose.
Our sustainability initiatives and programmes focused on increasing inclusion within the ‘green’ economy were also highlighted, including our new flagship Greener Futures Youth Festival which launched in Leeds and Manchester this year, made possible by headline sponsor and long-standing partner, Landsec.
Dominique Murray, Associate Marketing Director at Federated Hermes MEPC, said: “As a people-first business with ESG at its core, we’re always exploring new ways to bring our communities together and support the next generation. Our partnership with Ahead Partnership has been pivotal in inspiring young people and highlighting the diverse opportunities available across our network.
“Together, we’ve brought our vision to life by creating more connected, inclusive places and extending meaningful support to young people across the estates we manage throughout the UK. By opening doors to real-world experiences and fostering genuine connections, our collaboration has gone beyond career development. It builds confidence, raises aspirations, and helps shape brighter futures for young people in our communities.”
Ben Anderson, Senior Sustainability Manager at Landsec, said: “The scale of impact that we have seen through our collaboration with Ahead Partnership has gone far beyond what we could have hoped for. Having worked together for over 12 years, we have engaged thousands of young people with our business; becoming more aligned with our priorities, with growing interest in the areas that we operate within, such as the future of retail and the building of community.
“Ahead Partnership has helped us to facilitate and grow a legacy which is a point of pride for our business and for our team alike. Across over a decade of partnership, our outputs have gone from strength to strength. Beginning by offering smaller events, we are now able to provide longstanding programmes of engagement and targeted initiatives which reach young people and involve our teams from all across the country.”
The Ahead Partnership team are delighted that our collaborative and innovative approach to public and private sector engagement has been recognised on an international stage. We would like to extend our thanks to all our partners and supports who have championed our work and supported us to have a positive impact on young people and employers alike.