Celebrating support for young Londoners at milestone QCA event
The Mayor’s Fund for London was delighted to be the beneficiary of the funds raised at the Quoted Companies Alliance (QCA) 30th Anniversary event on 15 September 2022.
The QCA is a not-for-profit, membership organisation that champions the interests of small and mid-size quoted companies in the United Kingdom.
Already a long-standing supporter of the charity, the QCA selected the Mayor’s Fund for London as a partner for the event – with valuable funds being raised for the charity by those in attendance.
The new Chief Executive Officer of the Mayor’s Fund for London, Jim Minton and other members of our team were welcomed to the dinner, with Jim invited to share a few words about our work with the guests and supporters.
Acknowledging the generous support of the QCA, Jim said:
“For many of the young people we work with, London can seem like a very challenging place. They may lack connections or networks, they may have struggled at school, they may face poverty, they may live in poor housing – the list goes on.
“But it is also a city with such huge potential, offering so many opportunities. The QCA and the firms represented here are key to creating and sustaining those opportunities, so it’s a privilege to be in your company this evening.
“Our focus at the Mayor’s Fund for London is on supporting and working with young people so that they can access and take advantage of those opportunities.
“Starting with the essentials – making sure young people and their families have enough food, through offering free healthy meals to thousands of London families.
“We help young people prosper in school and in their communities – through support with maths and numeracy, and opportunities to experience the world of work. They can get a foot in the door which might otherwise have been closed to them.
“And above all, we give young people a platform to make their voices heard, and the chance to have a stronger stake in London, so that they can shape the future for themselves.”
Jim also spoke of how during his first few days at the Mayor’s Fund for London, he’d been lucky enough to attend the launch event for a series of podcasts created by young Londoners:
“The podcasts showed how the young saw and experienced London; bringing to life all its vibrancy, diversity, and vitality – yet with a confidence that whatever the challenges, they could be overcome.
“It was moving and powerful – and made even more so, in some ways, as the very sad news of the passing of Her Majesty The Queen was confirmed during the event.”
Jim noted that the young Londoners had been as united in their respect and tributes as the QCA’s members had been in their observance of a minute’s silence at the beginning of their event. A reminder of how much we all share, whatever our backgrounds.
The Mayor’s Fund for London is hugely grateful that the QCA share our same ambition to create a better future for, and alongside, young Londoners. The generous funding raised will help us meet that ambition.
