Creating Opportunities for Young People at our Latest CommuniTea Event.

We often talk about creating opportunities for young people, but opportunities only make a difference if they can be seen, accessible and supported. For many young people, particularly those facing disadvantage, the challenge is not simply whether opportunities exist, but whether they feel within reach. Confidence, belonging, trusted relationships and practical support can all play a role in helping young people recognise and take advantage of opportunities that might otherwise pass them by. Equally important is ensuring that the organisations and people around them work together, creating pathways that are clear, connected and accessible. 

These themes were explored at our recent CommuniTea event hosted at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, home of Essex Cricket Club. CommuniTea is our networking and discussion series, designed to bring together charities, businesses, donors and public sector organisations to explore issues affecting communities across Essex. By creating space for open conversation and shared learning, the series aims to turn good intentions into meaningful community action. Bringing together representatives from across the county, the event  examined how communities can work together to create more opportunities and help young people thrive. The discussion focused particularly on the experiences of young people who are care-experienced or facing disadvantages, while recognising that many of the issues explored are relevant to young people more broadly. Through perspectives drawn from sport, education, youth work and lived experience, the conversation considered what helps young people succeed, what barriers can stand in their way and how different organisations can work together to provide effective support. 

One theme emerged consistently throughout the morning: the importance of having someone who believes in you. 

Olympian, World Champion and founder of Fatima’s UK Campaign, Fatima Whitbread MBE, shared reflections from her own experience of growing up in care and the impact that encouragement, opportunity and support can have on a young person’s future. 

Drawing on that lived experience, Fatima established Fatima’s UK Campaign to help improve outcomes for children in care and care leavers. The campaign works with charities, businesses, education providers and community organisations to create practical opportunities for young people, while encouraging a more joined-up approach to support. At its heart is a belief that no young person should face the transition into adulthood alone, and that collaboration can help create pathways into education, employment, independent living and a brighter future. 

Fatima Whitbread MBE said:

“CommuniTea was a wonderful opportunity to bring our Essex community together around something that truly matters: creating better futures for children and young people in care, and for care leavers.

Through Fatima’s UK Campaign, we are connecting businesses, charities and community partners to open real pathways into growing confidence, skills, employment, belonging and independent living.

That work continues with our Essex Super Hub on 18 November at Hatfield Place, bringing together more than 18 partners from education, housing, financial awareness, the NHS, mental health, Virtual School Heads, employers and local businesses. When we work together, we can ensure that care does not simply end at 18, and that every young person has the opportunity to thrive.” 

Alongside Fatima, panelists explored the different factors that help young people build confidence, develop aspirations and access opportunities. Daniel Feist, CEO of Essex Cricket Club and Essex Cricket Foundation, spoke about the role sport can play in developing life skills and creating a sense of belonging. Jamie Sawtell, CEO of Bar N Bus, highlighted the importance of trusted relationships, safe spaces and early intervention, while Shope Fashade from Anglia Ruskin University discussed the barriers that can prevent young people from accessing opportunities and the role education, mentoring and outreach can play in raising aspirations. 

The conversation also recognised that opportunities alone are not always enough. Young people can face barriers that make it difficult to see, access or take advantage of the support available to them. Creating meaningful change therefore requires more than individual programmes or initiatives; it requires organisations and communities to work together, ensuring support is connected and centred around the needs of young people. 

That was one of the reasons behind CommuniTea itself. While organisations often share similar goals, they do not always have the opportunity to come together, hear different perspectives and explore how they can work collectively to address challenges facing local communities. By bringing charities, businesses, donors, public sector representatives and people with lived experience into the same room, the event created space for conversations that may not otherwise have happened. 

Niamh Murphy, Fund Development Administration Officer at Essex Community Foundation, said:

“One of the most valuable things about CommuniTea is bringing together people who may not otherwise have the opportunity to have these conversations. When people hear different experiences and perspectives, it can deepen understanding, challenge assumptions and inspire action. That’s how stronger communities are built.” 

For ECF, creating those connections is an important part of its role. Alongside grantmaking, the Foundation works to bring together people, ideas and resources, helping organisations learn from one another and explore how they can respond to issues affecting communities across Essex. 

 

Gavin Benn, Director of Programmes and Partnerships at Essex Community Foundation, added:

“Young people need more than opportunities alone. They need people who believe in them, support they can access and organisations that work together around their needs. The challenge for all of us is how we create more of those opportunities and connections across Essex.” 

While the discussion focused on care-experienced young people, its message was broader. Opportunity is not simply about opening doors. It is about ensuring that young people have the support, confidence and connections needed to walk through them. 

As communities across Essex continue to respond to changing needs, the challenge is one that belongs to all of us. Whether through mentoring, volunteering, employment opportunities, community support or philanthropy, everyone has a role to play in helping young people build positive futures and ensuring they have someone who believes in them along the way.