McDonald's partners with My Back Yard to unlock potential for youth in the city

McDonald’s across Northampton has been partnered with My Back Yard as part of 18-month pilot to better support young people and unlock genuine opportunity. Following success across Northampton McDonald’s is rolling out Makin’ it initiative nationwide, funding 500 new youth work qualifications and creating safe spaces for young people in all 1,450 restaurants.

New research of 2,000 young people aged 16 to 24 across the UK, including those in the East Midlandshas highlighted the impact of growing challenges and uncertainty young people are facing when it comes to the future, with some stark issues raised when it comes to support, career opportunities and safe places to go.

Almost 1 in 2 (44%) nationally don’t feel there are enough projects in their area aimed at providing support and opportunities for them. Young people in the East Midlandsfeel there is a lack of opportunity and barriers to success, with 53% changing their expectations for the future and 28% admit they’ve become less ambitious altogether.

68% of young people in the East Midlandssay they worry often about the future, yet only 11% of young people nationwide have a youth worker or counsellor to turn to for support.

McDonald’s across Northampton has been part of a national pilot to build Makin’ it, a programme that provides young people with genuine opportunity in the areas they live in.

McDonald’s across Northamptonshirehave been working with My Back Yard, providing space for Northamptonshire police officers and the Community Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV) Navigators for young people who are in gangs, or at risk of becoming involved with them. They meet across Northamptonshire restaurants a few times a month and are provided a free meal from Perry Akhtar’s team. This initiative has been so successful, it has spread across wider McDonald’s across The Midlands including Coventry and Kettering.

Makin’ it will now be expanded nationally, with all 1,450 McDonald’s restaurants connected to youth services and the funding of 500 new youth work qualifications, in order to help unlock the potential of young people in every community. McDonald’s will also be diverting an unspent part of its Apprenticeship Levy to support more youth workers to undertake their youth work apprenticeship in England.

McDonald’s has committed to providing resource and funding to enable all young people to get access to genuine opportunities where they live, including music partnerships and sports programmes to be launched this Summer in partnership with Youth Music and Kick it Out.

Perry Akhtar, Franchisee of 10 restaurants across the East Midlands, said: “Young people in Northamptonshire are facing some incredibly challenging times, particularly when it comes to accessing trusted adult support and opportunities. With the vast amount my workforce being under 25, we’ve seen first-hand the difference that access to opportunities can have on unlocking someone’s potential.

We want all young people in Northamptonshire to feel like their ambitions are achievable and they have access to support and tangible, local opportunities that will help them to make it. We’ve already seen some fantastic results since we began working with My Back Yard and we’re so excited that we’ve been able to inspire other restaurants across the country to make a frontline change and help rebuild youth services in their communities.”

To find out more about Makin’ it visit: https://mc-ds.uk/makinit

–