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Our Future Now - Inspiring Scotland

Our Future Now

Our Future Now

Our Future Now is Inspiring Scotland’s fund aimed specifically at supporting young people into education, employment or training.

Our Future Now builds on a 15-year track record in helping to reduce youth unemployment, working with 12 high performing and high potential charities active across Scotland.

Exceptionally well-placed to make lasting changes in young people’s lives, these charities support young people in their communities and schools, at home, and in their workplaces.

12

Charities

24

Areas across Scotland

£13.1m

Invested in 2022-23

5,000

Young people supported

Action is more important than ever

In 2019, youth unemployment had reached a record low. But for a group of  young people in Scotland life was getting harder. Too many  were still being excluded from the opportunity to fulfil their potential due to circumstances beyond their control and largely attributed to poverty.

Now the needs of young people are now even greater.

The damaging effects of the pandemic, the cost of living crisis, associated poverty and soaring mental health issues make the future ever more challenging for the young people we are here to support.

We know that with access to the right support young people can change the trajectory of their lives. We can help them to equip themselves with the resilience and skills required and open up better opportunities to succeed and live a happy and fulfilled life.

A track record

Our Future Now (OFN) is in year five of a ten year fund which invests in a portfolio of 12 independent, third sector organisations.

This highly skilled and capable portfolio of charities is very effective in working with young people. Our model is a  highly engaged multi-investor model based on long term commitment.

The model is flexible and  Inspiring Scotland Fund Managers work with charities in the portfolio to ensure  investment is put to best use and achieves the best possible outcomes for young people.

Our Future Now builds on Inspiring Scotland’s first and longest running fund, 14:19 Fund which between 2008 and 2018 supported 36,000 young people into education, employment or training. This fund remains a benchmark in its long term funding approach for the voluntary sector and is unequalled in terms of investment raised, scale, and impact achieved.

 

Find out more

Read our Annual Impact Report:

Year four: Our Future Now Annual Impact Report 2022 2023

Year three:  Our Future Now Annual Impact Report for 2021 – 2022

Year two:  Our Future Now Annual Impact Report for 2020-21.

Year one:  Our Future Now Fund Report for 2019-20

Read  insight papers:

Inspiring Scotland Chief Executive Celia Tennant’s blog on how Our Future Now can rise to the challenge of youth unemployment post-COVID-19.

Funded Services

Aberdeen Foyer

Aberdeen Foyer

Aberdeen Foyer provides housing support to young people aged 16 years and over in crisis situations. This core service is complemented by a holistic range of programs including money management, employability initiatives and counselling. Investment supports those aged 16-25 who have been, or are at risk of, exclusion from education and supports the provision of

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Enable Scotland

Enable Scotland

OFN investment supports ENABLE Works’ flagship schools transition programme Stepping Up, which enables young disabled people to make a successful transition from school into employment, education or training.  Supporting young people age 16+, specialist Employment Coordinators work with each young person to build their aspiration for work and to gain the skills employers value.  Through vocational

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Street League

Street League

Street League is a leading Youth Employability provider in Scotland who deliver services with 16-25 year olds who are not in work and who face barriers to progressing in life.  Street League delivers sport (including football, dance, gym based fitness and multi-sport programmes), SQA accredited learning opportunities and employability work as a package to support

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Resources

Inspiring Scotland’s Annual Report 22/23
19.12.2023

Inspiring Scotland’s Annual Report 22/23

Inspiring Scotland’s Annual Report 22/23 provides an overview of the work undertaken to deliver on  strategic priorities and mission to improve the lives of people across Scotland. In the period we supported over 700 organisations across 16 funding programmes worth over £50m. As well as new funding opportunities being created, nine of  programmes  provided vital

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13.09.2023

Our Future Now Report 22 23

Our Future Now (OFN) is  a 10-year committment for  Scotland’s young people.  Here for young people whose start in life isn’t equal. Affected by poverty and disadvantaged by where they live or their family circumstance they must work unfairly hard to overcome a wide range of challenges. In addition to the statistics for the last

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04.10.2022

Our Future Now Year 3 Report 2021- 2022

Our Future Now (OFN) is here for young people whose start in life isn’t equal and who face barriers to success even when the economy is thriving, and opportunities are plentiful.  This year three (April 2021 to March 2022) report covers a period of challenge and when the support provided for young people as never

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News

Inspiring Scotland’s Annual Report published
18.12.2023

Inspiring Scotland’s Annual Report published

We are pleased to share our Annual Report 22/23 providing an overview of the work undertaken to deliver on our strategic priorities and mission to improve the lives of people across Scotland. We supported over 700 organisations across 16 funding programmes worth over £50m. As well as new funding opportunities being created, nine of our

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Specialist Volunteer Network at the Gathering
01.12.2023

Specialist Volunteer Network at the Gathering

Earlier this month saw 3,000 people from the third sector attend SCVO’s the Gathering, the largest free voluntary sector event in the UK. Our team were more than attendees, taking part in a collaborative funders session and our Specialist Volunteer Network (SVN) hosted a panel discussion alongside Pilotlight on opportunities for charities to access professional

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Mentoring with Morgan Stanley thanks to Inspiring Scotland’s Specialist Volunteer Network
04.08.2023

Mentoring with Morgan Stanley thanks to Inspiring Scotland’s Specialist Volunteer Network

Late last year we announced the launch of an exciting Specialist Volunteering Network (SVN) mentorship programme with Morgan Stanley Glasgow’s Women in Tech (WiT) working group. Six months, 12 matches, and nearly 60 mentoring hours later, we came together again at Morgan Stanley’s Waterloo St office to celebrate the graduation of cohort one’s mentees. The

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Contact us

We work with experts from the voluntary, public, private and academic sectors. Get in touch if you want to help us build a better Scotland.

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