Our Patron, the Mayor of London

London is the greatest city in the world in which to grow up. It gave me the chance to go from a council estate to being elected Mayor.

While I know that talent is shared evenly across London, it pains me to say that the same is not always true for opportunity. Every day, we see the devastating effects of economic, health and educational inequalities on young Londoners. The aim of the Mayor’s Fund for London is to help tackle that injustice and ensure our young people can fulfil their potential.

I have been heartened to witness the impact of our various programmes on young Londoners, especially as our capital remains in the grip of a cost-of-living emergency. As families struggle, it is crucial efforts such as tackling food insecurity continues.

This past year, the success of the Diversity Pledge campaign to promote inclusive career routes has been a real highlight and the Access Aspiration programme has been vital in helping so many young Londoners to secure work experience and business insights to inform their education and career choices. Moreover, the Mayor’s Entrepreneur Competition once again recognised some outstanding business proposals, with the winners each receiving £20,000 of investment to help transform their dreams into reality.

Given the extent to which young people’s lives were affected during the pandemic, I am enormously encouraged by the decision to increase engagement with youth voices. Furthermore, I am pleased to see the charity’s Youth Board actively involved in decision-making and the developing relationship with the Greater London Authority.

The Mayor’s Fund for London is proudly going from strength to strength. I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to our partners that make the programmes delivered by the charity possible and for their help in building a better London for everyone. I know that together we will write a fairer and more prosperous future for the next generation of Londoners.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London

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