The Crystal Palace Festival writes:

We have been trying to figure out what is the best thing to do to help lessen the impact of the pandemic on so many people in our community. This led us to spend some time speaking with local young people who we have supported with various projects as we thought that they might need our help more than ever now.
 
It was heart breaking to hear how much they feel that they have not been listened to during the pandemic and yet their education and future chances in life are being so badly affected. We want to help put that right with our Creative Futures project.
 
Our Creative Futures project will support up to 150 young people on three housing estates in Crystal Palace - Kingswood, St Hugh's and Central Hill where inequalities have hit hardest in our community.
 
It will give them the opportunity to work with professional artists on creative activities and performances that will support their well-being, give them new skills to help them find employment and a direction in finding their next steps in life. These include:

• Mentoring them to create their own artistic work for performance at a live event on their own estate
• Offering them performance opportunities at a gala event at South Facing Festival in August in Crystal Palace Park
• Inviting them to co-design and co-create a mural for their estate
• An opportunity to learn how to make podcasts and to create their own podcast series.

We have been successful in getting £3,000 in funding pledges from The Childhood Trust plus these amazing local businesses - Vital Health Group, Bambino, Martin & Co., Four Boroughs and Urban Cellar.

But we still need to raise £3,000 in donations to unlock these funding pledges and deliver all of these creative opportunities for local young people over the summer of 2021.
 
I would like to invite you to be one of our donors during The Big Give campaign week of 8-15 June.
 
If you can donate during that week your donation will be DOUBLED by our funding pledgers.
 
It may be that you are not in a position to support the Appeal and I totally understand if that is the case but I just wanted to give you the chance to help if you can and would like to.
 
If you would like to be a donor to Creative Futures Appeal then please sign up here for a reminder and I will be in touch to remind you to make your donation during 8-15 June, Big Give Week.
 
Thank you so much for your time today, for your consideration of our Appeal and your continued support for our work.