News

Earlier this week, a panel of young participants of the Jason Roberts Foundation, were invited to a virtual roundtable with Cllr Krupa Sheth, Lead Member for Environment, and Oliver Myers, Head of Environmental Strategy, to discuss climate change and how, collectively, we tackle it.

Brent Council approached the Foundation as they wanted to open a dialogue directly with local people about its draft Climate Emergency Strategy, alongside a formal consultation. There was a particular desire to hear from young people as they are “typically underrepresented as a group in council consultations”, and they can be particularly impacted by the significant health risks from air pollution as their lungs are still developing and they breathe more rapidly than adults.

Ahead of the roundtable the five young people were given a factsheet and a simple illustration of the draft Strategy to provide them with relevant information, to enable them to prepare some questions for Cllr Sheth and Oliver Myers.

Brent’s Draft Climate Emergency Strategy proposes a path to make Brent carbon neutral by 2030 which will mean making changes in all sorts of areas of life in Brent.

The hour-long discussion covered different elements of the draft Strategy and its real-world implications including:

Green homes. How do we make our homes more environmentally friendly? What does a ‘green home’ look like?

The stuff we buy and the stuff we throw away. How can we encourage local businesses to cut back on the amount of plastic they use? Why is recycling important?

Getting around. How can we protect children from air pollution which harms their lungs? How can we get young people into healthy habits, like walking or cycling to school?

In the past two years, young people have driven the climate emergency agenda forward internationally and the young people on the panel showed how incredibly passionate they are about this issue. They have been invited to join the Brent Environmental Network, which is being set up to bring people together to act on climate change. A special schools’ network is also being created.

The informative and engaging debate can be viewed here https://vimeo.com/502593344

On Tuesday evening, the Jason Roberts Foundation (JRF) hosted a virtual launch of a new addition to their offer, the ‘Cultural Media Centre (CMC), situated at Bridgestone Arena, the home of the Foundation since its launch in 2007.

The CMC was borne, in part, as a response to the ongoing pandemic and the need of the Foundation team to find creative ways to stay in contact with and continue to support their local community.

The CMC will be home to:

• CMC Radio – A hosted internet radio channel
• CMC TV – An on-demand video channel
• JRF TV – An on-demand video channel
• Video Production Facility
• Podcast Production Facility

Equipment to resource the studio was funded through grants awarded to JRF from the London Community Response Fund and Trustees of Wembley National Stadium Trust, and the Edward Harvist Trust Fund, as well as donations and refurbishment by local firm C&C Builders Ltd.

The online guests including the Mayor of Brent, local Councillors, the Funders, Media Companies including TalkSport, The Voice Media Group, and Tongue-Tied Media, as well as young participants of the Foundation’s Youth programmes, were shown a demo reel showcasing some of the community initiatives that have been made possible through the CMC. This short video can be viewed here https://vimeo.com/502178350

The variety of output is designed to appeal to the local and wider community, including young people, adults, elderly people, those with physical and learning disabilities, those who are socially isolated, schools, colleges, universities, businesses, and charities.

The CMC will provide a platform where “everyone has a voice” and will offer a vital connection in these disconnected times.

Content will encompass a variety of subject areas and issues including community, sport and leisure, wellbeing, education, careers and training, the Arts, and Heritage.

Novices with a keen media and creative interest will be able to receive training to create and deliver their own content, and those with media experience but no access to facilities will have the opportunity to use the CMC.

Otis Roberts, CEO of JRF said, “Creating a platform to share stories that might not otherwise be heard and providing a stepping-stone to kick-start media careers is central to our output.  We are delighted to have been given the opportunity to establish this vital resource, thanks to the funding we have been awarded. We look forward to sharing the CMC with our community.”

On Wednesday night JRF hosted an audience with former professional footballer Andrew Cole, to talk about his autobiography – Fast Forward: The hard road to football success.

The exciting initiative welcomed the Manchester Utd legend to talk with a special audience, including founder of the Foundation and fellow former professional footballer, Jason Roberts, about his career highs, and some of the challenges he has faced during his life.

A true community man and inspiration, Andrew has been an influential supporter of JRF for more than a decade. In 2010 he launched the Floodlights Programme in Grenada, he frequently visits JRF youth programmes and schools in Brent, and he helped to raise funds for the Foundation in December 2019 when he agreed to be the focus of a special tribute evening.

The select audience at the evenings’ event which was held via Zoom, was made up of Councillors from Brent, JRF Youth Ambassadors and Trustees, as well as some football devotees. They were rewarded by hearing insights into the prolific goal scorer’s career and life, and had the opportunity to ask their own questions.

Cole spent six years with Manchester Utd and won eight major trophies, including the Treble of the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League in 1999, and was capped 15 times for the England National Team.

A synopsis by Waterstones of his autobiography: Fast Forward states; “Much misunderstood, the powerhouse striker sets the record straight about a successful yet complex career.”

The book, which is published by Hodder & Stoughton and features a Foreword written by Sir Alex Ferguson is described as “a thought-provoking and gripping autobiography about Andrew Cole’s determination to succeed against all the odds.”

The Jason Roberts Foundation (JRF) were delighted to host their first ‘Virtual Career Fair’ at the end of the November. The initiative, which is not the first Careers Fair the foundation has hosted, was certainly a different approach to the normal format of face-to-face interaction that visitors are accustomed to. Although this virtual offering was something born from circumstance rather than choice, it proved to be a big success.

The format and execution were simple, as the charity listened to five key-note speakers from local and national organisations who informed viewers on the opportunities for training, employment, and development within their sector and specifically the company they represent.

The Royal Air Force, St George Property Developers, University Campus of Football Business (UCFB), Network Rail, and Brent Works, were all given a short time slot to deliver their presentation, expertly facilitated by Jo Tongue from Tongue Tied Management and Trustee of JRF.

The 90-minute live broadcast gave viewers the opportunity, to remotely interact and ask questions of the presenters, enabling them to discover more about the opportunities available to them, and to obtain valuable key contacts and careers advice.

Otis Roberts, CEO for JRF said: “The success of our previous Careers Fairs has meant they have become a mainstay in our operational calendar. However, the impact of COVID-19 on peoples’ livelihoods and future employment prospects meant it was more important than ever to deliver a Careers event. We had to think innovatively to be able to overcome the restrictions and to find a way to deliver this. I’m pleased that, despite the hurdles, we were able to deliver this, thanks to the involvement of the organisations that generously gave their time and expertise. We will certainly look to deliver more online Careers Fairs in the future.’

If you missed the live event, a Highlights reel is available https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEFGSg8rWhw providing the information needed to take your next step in your career journey.

For more information, please contact info@:jasonrobertsfoundation.com

JRF were thrilled to be approached by the Office of Dawn Butler MP for Brent Central, to feature on a virtual Christmas advent calendar.

Rather than delivering a calendar constituency wide, Dawn wanted to create a virtual calendar to promote the work of charities, schools, and community groups in Brent, to cover “the great, and often unsung, work being delivered to those that desperately need it.”

JRF was chosen as one of the charities to highlight in the advent calendar because, they said “Your work has been invaluable during this time and Dawn would love to share your stories about all that you are doing!”

Dawn Butler is a British Labour Party politician who is Member of Parliament for Brent Central since 2015. Butler served as Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities in Jeremy Corbyn’s Shadow Cabinet from 2017 to 2020 and MP for Brent South from 2005 to 2010.

JRF feature on Door 9 which can be seen via the following link: https://calendar.myadvent.net/?id=13c2b94998cf8aca3f71dde332010600&door=9&door=9

In football they say that you are only as good as the team around you which is certainly the case for the Jason Roberts Foundation (JRF). When they were approached by Brent-based C&C Builders, with a proposal from them to make a regular donation to the charity, the team at JRF were delighted.

Established in 2004, with many years of experience in the construction industry, C&C Builders aim is to provide the highest quality for its clients. Their work includes disabled adaptations, home building and renovations for Local Authorities, Commercial Businesses, and private Individuals. The professionalism of the firm and their workmanship is evident from the redecoration work they carried out earlier this year at Bridgestone Arena, JRF’s hub in the heart of Stonebridge.

Martene Carroll, Business Development Manager for JRF said; “The generosity of spirit C&C Builders has shown should be applauded. During this last year that has proven particularly challenging for businesses, charities, and individuals, it is heartening that the Directors of this local firm are thinking of their community by supporting a charity that puts community first.”

The building firm also regularly highlights the work of JRF through their own media platforms and have had their vehicles wrapped with JRF branding. Community really is at the forefront of their thinking as they promote their association with the foundation while they work in residential homes and businesses across Brent, Ealing, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington, and Southwark.

A representative from C&C Builders commented; “We are extremely proud to be associated with JRF and to support the outstanding work and dedication they provide to the people of Brent. We really feel that JRF make a huge difference within the communities they reach out to.

We look to maintain our long-term working relationship with the JRF and are proud to continue to support the foundation to enable them to continue to meet their ambitions and goals.”

For more information on C&C Builders please visit www.ccbuildersltd.com or call 0203 667 2563.

The JRF team were thrilled to  receive a donation from Capital City Academy, for funds raised as part of the school’s Black History Month event.

JRF is well-known to the teaching staff and many of the students of Capital City Academy, who regularly attend the sports and fitness sessions delivered by JRF at Bridgestone Arena.

Jason Roberts, MBE, founder of the charity, took the time to record a special video thanking everyone at the school for their contribution in raising funds, and for thinking of the Foundation to receive the donation.

The video will be shown in the different tutor groups over the course of this week.

In the video Jason said, “I feel very fortunate to have had an upbringing in the Brent, Harlesden community, that looks after each other so well.”

He talked about the importance of community and retaining links with where you were brought up, saying “Brent is a community that is so proud of it’s heritage and somewhere that has produced some amazing people, who have used the opportunities afforded to them by the community.”

Jason thanked Capital City Academy saying, “It means a lot for you to think of us (JRF) and I’m very proud that you consider our work valuable enough to invest in and fundraise for.”

A representative from Capital City Academy said “As an academy with a history embedded in sports, it was only right that we chose the Jason Roberts Foundation as our charity to make this donation. The JRF are part of our local community and the tireless work that they continue to provide towards the development and wellbeing of our youth, is strongly aligned with our core values as an educational institution. Capital City Academy looks forward to collaborative projects with the JRF in the near future!”

Follow the work of JRF via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @JasonRobertsFdn

On Wednesday, 7th October, the Jason Roberts Foundation launched its new branding, following three months of work in partnership with creative agency, Fresh Lemon, and social purpose agency, 3GLOBE.

The update, which includes a new logo, identity, and website, was first revealed to select participants in a socially distanced preview at Stonebridge Arena, the Foundation’s hub in North London. Featuring an improved user journey and a bespoke media centre, the website was officially made live by the participants’ very own, Malik.

New Brand, Same Focus

The response thus far has been emphatically positive. Introducing the changes, Jason Roberts said:

“Our growth as an organisation, since the launch of the Foundation in 2007, is seen in both the scale and scope of our projects and partners — it was time that our brand and website reflected this. 

The new website brings intuitive navigation and makes it easier than ever before for supporters to get involved, while the brand refresh continues to focus on our most valuable asset – our community. 

Amy O’Brien, Founder & CEO of 3GLOBE — a newly formed agency powering professional athletes in social purpose, said of the project:

“We wanted to elevate the exterior look of the organisation, while embracing the versatility and on-the-ground approach that has fuelled the Foundation’s success for more than a decade. 

Together with Fresh Lemon, we wrote and designed for real people who will relate to the family-centric approach of the organisation. These new tools will support the Jason Roberts Foundation in engaging stakeholders across the charitable and commercial sectors with one consistent message: community first.”

Craig Heath, Creative Director at Fresh Lemon commented:

“From our earliest conversations with Otis and Jason, it was clear that ‘family’ and ‘community’ were key factors that the foundation were driven by. As such, we created a new identity that has these two central pillars at the heart of the logo with the roundel embracing them to form a tight and flexible icon.

Complemented by a vibrant new colour and clearer messaging we feel the Jason Roberts Foundation is now equipped as a forward-thinking brand empowering people to get involved and to do even greater things in the future.”

Cllr Ernest Ezeajughi, was re-elected Mayor of Brent for a second term, due to the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Cllr Ezeajughi who represents Stonebridge ward, was re-elected unanimously, and will have the opportunity to carry on in his role until May 2021.

“It has been a difficult year for everyone with the Covid-19 pandemic and I will continue to raise awareness and support families and communities affected by this,” the mayor said.

“We live in uncertain times – our lives changed in March 2020. Many of us have seen the suffering this pandemic has caused; some of you have lost friends and family to this dreadful disease.

“At times like this, we show what an amazing borough we are. The coming weeks and months will be challenging. We must stand together and support each other – the pandemic is not over.

“Please, look after your families, look after your friends, look after your loved ones, and look after each other.”

Born in Anambra state, Nigeria, Cllr Ezeajughi has served as a councillor since 2014.

The Jason Roberts Foundation, a community charity for young people set up by former footballer and Brent native Jason Roberts, and the Sickle Cell Society, which supports and represents people affected by sickle cell disorder, will continue as his chosen charities.

“Because of the issues and the problems that we face with the pandemic it would only be right for you to be nominated to continue until May next year,” Cllr Muhammed Butt said. He was seconded by deputy leader Cllr Mclennan.

Otis Roberts, CEO of the Foundation said; “We were very happy to hear the news that Cllr Ernest Ezeajughi has been re-elected for a second term, and will have the opportunity to continue his work in the Borough as well as maintaining his support of the Foundation into next year. We wish him well in his second term.”