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Envision is a registered charity in the United Kingdom which works to improve the employability and civic engagement of young people through social action projects. It operates in schools local to its regional offices in London, Birmingham and Bristol, delivering a number of programmes aimed at 16-19 year olds. Participants in Envision’s programmes develop and deliver their own community projects with support and coaching delivered by volunteers from the local community and corporate partners. Envision focuses its work on those in disadvantaged and ethnically diverse communities.

=History=

Envision was established in 2000 in London, United Kingdom, with the declared goal to inspire and empower young people to create a positive change in their local community and dispel the image of young people as “apathetic and disengaged with the issues going on around them”. After spreading across London, a regional office was established in Birmingham in 2005 and the charity later spread to Leeds and Bristol. As of 2014, Envision has a professional staff of 37 spread across offices in London, Birmingham and Bristol, supported by 300 volunteers, working in over 130 schools with more than 1600 young people a year.

=Charitable activities=

Programmes
Envision works in schools local to its 3 offices to deliver its charitable programmes to young people, supported by volunteers from the local community and from its corporate partners. Envision provides training to its volunteers in coaching skills and other areas to enable them to develop along with the students within the programmes. In Bristol and Birmingham, the charity's work is consolidated into a single flagship scheme in each location. In London, three programmes are offered:

Community Apprentice
Community Apprentice is a scheme in which young people take part in a competition to identify and deliver a social action project. The scheme is loosely based on The Apprentice, a BBC television show. The programme intends to develop entrepreneurship and social engagement in the students, while enabling them to build links with their local community.

Young Leaders
The Young Leaders programme is designed to enable young people to improve the skills required to increase their employability, provide networking opportunities, and to raise their aspirations. Small teams of young people are supported to propose, take ownership of, and deliver their own social action projects over a 10 month period. The programme also aims to build resilience and problem-solving skills to support them in their future careers. Coaching is provided via weekly sessions by Envision's volunteers.

Children 4 Change
Children 4 Change was developed with a focus on the needs of young people with disabilities. It was adapted from the organisation's other programmes with the intention of making social action more accessible to those with special educational needs and to increase their confidence and independence.

The Truth about Youth
In partnership with the Co-operative Foundation, Envision co-designed and piloted the Co-operative Foundation’s Truth about Youth campaign, which piloted in Birmingham in 2009. Following the pilot scheme, the programme spread to seven UK cities and Envision continues to deliver the programme’s Birmingham operation.

Young Ideas for Europe
In 2011 Envision joined the Young Ideas for Europe programme, an initiative of the Robert Bosch Stiftung foundation developed and implemented by IFOK. The programme is targeted at 15-18 year olds and aims to inspire young people to “actively shape Europe’s political, economic and social future”.

Youth Travel Ambassadors
Youth Travel Ambassadors is a youth education project developed by Envision in partnership with Transport for London and the London boroughs. Groups of approximately 12 secondary school and sixth form college students develop and deliver projects to address travel and transport issues in their local communities.

Legacy Champions
Envision formed a three-year partnership with EDF Energy to launch the Legacy Champions scheme which aims to "use the inspiration of the Games to develop projects for young people to tackle environmental and social issues by taking action in their community".

=Finances=

In 2011-2012 the charity's income was £1,061,231.

=Corporate partnerships=

The majority of Envision's programmes are delivered in collaboration with its corporate partners, which provide employee volunteers and funding to support the projects. In recent years, corporate partners have included:


 * Life Agency.


 * EDF Energy.


 * Aberdeen Asset Management.


 * John Laing plc.


 * Reed Smith.


 * Morgan Stanley.

=Awards=


 * The Legacy Champions campaign were runners up in the “Award for Invaluable Volunteering Project” category at the Podium Awards in 2012, which recognised educational initiatives building upon the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
 * Envision Birmingham was a finalist for the Best Education Project Award in the 2008 National Lottery Awards.
 * Envision was named Guardian Charity of the Year in the 2008 Guardian Charity Awards.
 * in 2013 Envision won a Big Society Award, with Prime Minister David Cameron remarking that "Envision gives young people the tools they need to make the changes they want to see in their communities".
 * Envision was named Birmingham Future's Charity of the Year for 2012/13.

=References=



=External links=
 * Envision web site