Following the closure of their 2020 grant application programme, cross-community charity Hope for Youth NI is celebrating a significant milestone, having supported over 450 youth-oriented projects in Northern Ireland during its 47-year history. The charity, formerly known as the Women Caring Trust, was founded in 1972 and provides valuable funding to a range of projects which are geared toward young people with the hope of inspiring skills development, relationship building and creativity in a safe environment.
Each year, the charity encourages youth-orientated organisations to apply for much-needed funding to help support their initiatives which span across the fields of music, art, drama and the great outdoors. Recipients of the 2019 grant scheme include Northern Ireland organisations Creative Arts and Social Team (CAST), Fusion Theatre, Rhythm Youth Club, Kinship Care and Dreamscheme NI.
Hope For Youth NI hosts a series of fundraising events each year to help generate vital funds for such initiatives, and every two years these efforts culminate in the biennial Charity Swim and Gala Dinner, sponsored by Speedo. Set to take place this year on Thursday 21st November in London’s Porchester Hall, the event will include swimming representatives from the world of politics going head-to-head alongside well-known competitive swimmers including 2016 Olympic medallist and Speedo ambassador Jazz Carlin and Jonathan Higham, two-time British Masters record holder and Brand Manager at Speedo, in a friendly rivalry to raise awareness and funds for Hope for Youth’s good work.
Reflecting on the charity’s work over the years, Hope for Youth NI Chairman Noel Lamb said, “It’s a real pleasure to be a part of Hope For Youth and to support projects which have helped foster community development across Northern Ireland. It’s so rewarding to see how we, as a whole community, are embracing diversity, whether it be differing ethnicities or religious backgrounds. Building inter-community relationships is a contributor in building a positive and peaceful future for Northern Ireland. We are incredibly grateful to Speedo for its continued support of our charity Swim and look forward to welcoming both participants and guests for what will be an excellent event in raising funds for Hope for Youth in November.”
Now in its 29th year, the Swim has seen a variety of famous participants including Team captain The Lord St John of Bletso, Chris Bryant MP, charity supporters Joanna Lumley OBE, Duncan Goodhew MBE, and Speedo world-class UK swimmers James Hickman, Kerri-Anne Payne and Michael Jamieson, among many others.
The Swim also marks a successful partnership with long-standing sponsor Speedo. Rob Hicking, Brand Director for Speedo at Pentland Brands, said, “The Hope For Youth Charity Swim is an incredibly important event that not only raises crucial funds for Hope For Youth but also gives swimming a platform and highlights its benefits for staying fit and active. It’s a great event that encourages swimmers of all strengths to engage and have fun, while bringing out a competitive edge in those who are up for the challenge.”
Speedo is passionate about inspiring people to learn how to swim. In 2017 Speedo launched Swim Generation, a global initiative that aims to teach children basic swimming, swim survival, water safety and safe rescue skills to help build a lifelong passion about swimming as a life skill.
By supporting life-saving projects around the globe, Swim Generation aims to help contribute to the reduction of accidental drowning worldwide, striving towards a world where everyone everywhere has the right to be able to swim. To date, Swim Generation has enabled partner organisations to already reach over 600,000 people.