OnSide gains Impetus

OnSide is delighted to announce a new partnership with Impetus Trust which will support the charity’s next phase of growth as it moves beyond the north west.

The organisation, which describes itself as ‘the pioneer of venture philanthropy in the UK’ will not only provide a financial contribution worth £75,000 to OnSide in 2013, but also support the charity’s growth as it moves towards the next stage of its vision:  to build and sustain youth zones wherever they are needed in England.

Experts from Impetus will support OnSide in reviewing several key areas of its work, including theory of change, impact measurement processes, strategic and business planning as well as helping to develop  senior personnel at both executive and board level.

Kathryn Morley, chief executive of OnSide said, “Now that we have fulfilled our original dream of building five youth zones in five years, we face a new set of challenges.  Although we have learnt a great deal from our experience to date, the scale of our ambition is significant and I’m delighted to have the support of Impetus Trust to help us move forward, delivering  somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to for all young people.

Commenting on the investment, Impetus Chief Executive Daniela Barone Soares said: “Youth unemployment is at a high and many young people today, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, have little hope or ambition for the future. OnSide is a dynamic organisation that is enthusing young people with activities that genuinely inspire them. We are excited by the opportunity to help it scale up so that more young people are engaged in their education and community and crucially, their own future.”