BIG CHANGE & STRIVE FUNDRAISING PACK

we invest in big ideas that help young people to thrive in life, not just exams

ABOUT BIG CHANGE Big Change is on a mission to support the next generation to thrive in life, not just exams. We do this by partnering with pioneering projects tackling the root causes of problems faced by young people. Big Change backs projects at a very early stage, when no one else will. We leverage this support by providing a program of non-financial support over three years – allowing them to learn, grow, and prove their model to create long-term positive change at scale.www.big-change.org

ABOUT STRIVE Since 2014 STRIVE has been supporting the Big Change mission by assembling groups of extraordinary people to challenge themselves, fundraise for Big Change and have the experience of a lifetime! In September 2018, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, inspirational speakers, extraordinary young people and educational trailblazers will form a diverse tribe of Big Changers, striving to transform the way we support the next generation.https://www.strivechallenge.org/

BIG CHANGE PROJECT PORTFOLIO 2018

The Virgin STRIVE Challenge 2018 is aiming to raise over £1m, which we will use to support amazing early stage projects. Each and every one of us is responsible for achieving this target! We are currently undergo-ing a rigorous project finding process – projects will have been selected by October 2018. The projects will be in these focus areas, among a couple of others to be announced in the coming months:

TEACHERS THRIVING Teachers are a primary influence on young people’s development, yet the profession is facing a crisis of burnout and teacher attrition. Recruitment, retention, and overall teacher wellbeing is a top issue at the moment, with factors including poor training, support and CPD, concerns about workload and work/life balance, and the pressures of high stakes accountability all effecting this. In order for the next generation to thrive, we need a thriving teacher workforce. The projects we back are all creating new solutions to improve wellbeing and professional capability.

ORACY Communication is a critical life skill that young people need in order to understand and be understood. It is fundamental to a young person’s development, to their achievement in school, to their self efficacy and confidence, to their ability to get a job, and to be able to have a voice in society. Yet speaking is grossly underserved and undervalued in the current education system, and the Government has recently made addressing the ‘word gap’ a priority in their social mobility action plan.

Broadening horizons Young people are leaving education with little idea of their unique strengths and real career support. Organ-isations such as the CBI, Speakers4Schools and the EY Foundation are all campaigning on the importance of life skills, careers education and provision of work experience. We back projects that help young people gain authentic support so they can develop the skills they need to thrive in their future.

WHY BIG CHANGE NEEDS TO HAPPEN

we invest in big ideas that help young people to thrive in life, not just exams

General Stats

• Mental health issues in young people are on the rise. Childline have seen a 36% rise in children needing help for depression and other disorders.

• Postcode still remains the most powerful predictor of educational outcomes in the West.

• The UK ranks as having one of lowest levels of social mobility in the world. (24% of vice-chancellors, 32% of MPs, 51% of medics, 54% of top journalists, 70% of high court judges went to a private school, yet only 7% of the population does.

• Young people are leaving education ill-prepared for the world of work - 75% of UK employers report a particular shortage of soft skills such as spoken communication and work ethic.

Teachers Thriving

• 26% of teachers are on stress related medication.

• 40% of teachers leave the profession within 5 years of qualifying.

• Teacher attrition is at its highest rate since records began.

• Applications for teaching posts are down by 33% year-on-year, leaving 30,000 job vacancies.

Oracy

• An average inner-city child will only speak 4 words a lesson

• By the time a child from a low-income family leaves school they would have heard 30 million fewer words than from a high-income family.

together we will transform the way we support the next generation.

BIG CHANGE PROJECT CASE STUDIES

Whilst we are selecting the new cohort of projects over the coming months, below are some of our past projects you can use as case sudies:

ORACY - Helping young people find their voice.

• Voice 21 is a project that supports schools and teachers across England to develop students’ speaking skills and improve the quality of talk in the classroom. They aim to lead a lasting change in the education system so that schools in England give Oracy the same status as reading and writing. Voice 21 are pioneers in the sector. Their project makes sure that all children and young people, regardless of their background, have access to high quality Oracy education enabling them to develop the skills and confidence they need to thrive in the 21st Century.

TEACHERS THRIVING - Trailblazing teacher wellbeing.

• The Difference is a new charity hoping to build a new career route for mental health specialist teachers. Led by Big Changer Kiran Gill, The Difference’s systemic approach will create special-ists in complex need through a two-year Masters programme. Chosen specialist teachers will go into alternative provision schools (PRU), to learn how to deal with severe behavioural difficulties, before taking this expertise back into the school system - gathering best practice in developing healthy, thriving and learning environments for students and staff.

• The Institute for Teaching aims to develop best in class teacher training to create expertise in the profession. Big Change funding will improve the development and delivery of a world class holistic curriculum. The central teaching program will not only focus on the technical and academic process of teaching but will ensure that psychological and wellbeing aspects of performance are central to the teaching program.

BROADENING HORIZONS - Setting the next generation up to succeed.

• Headstart has created a new and effective model to bridge the gap between education and employment - supporting young people to gain the critical character traits and skills for work and life, whilst connecting them with their local community. From the team that developed the NCS, this new innovative program uses volunteering placements and professional training workshops to help set young people up to succeed in work experience placements.

together we will transform the way we support the next generation.

BIG CHANGE & STRIVE CORE MESSAGES

• Through STRIVE we are raising £1million for BIG CHANGE to back projects that help young people thrive in life, not just in exams.

• Big Change act as a catalyst, providing support at a critical time to accelerate the success of projects and put them in a position to amplify these successes exponentially.

• We are bringing together a group of people, all of whom believe now is the time to Reimagine Education, so that it is setting young people up thrive.

• We believe the time has come to reimagine education, creating systems that prepare all young people to thrive—not only in livelihoods, but in meaningful, fulfilling lives.

• The complex world we live in demands an approach to education that is as thoughtful and interdisciplinary as the problems and opportunities we face.

• We have an opportunity to reimagine education together - unlocking the potential of the next generation- equipping them with the beliefs, skills, knowledge and values they need to thrive in life and play a positive role in the world around them.

• To create the big change required – for young people, economies and society to thrive in the 21st century – we need to work together.

• There is powerful evidence around 1) the importance of early childhood development and 2) Growth mindset and social emotional skills

• Striving is about embracing the journey – learning from setbacks and failure, supporting each other, having that ‘growth mindset’.

• STRIVE brings together a group of extraordinary people from CEOs and entrepreneurs to teachers, ex-gang leaders and artists who live and breathe a growth mindset in their daily life.

• The STRIVE philosophy is: “Growth happens when you step out of your comfort zone, magic happens when you do it with others.”

together we will transform the way we support the next generation.

Fundraising campaign tips & techniques

Follow these golden rules to make your fundraising campaign as effective as possible…

• APPEAL TO YOUR DONORS AT A PERSONAL LEVEL. Include why you are so passionate about the cause and why it resonates with you, ideally so that those reading your emails can relate to it themselves.

• GET CREATIVE. Fundraising emails no longer cut it alone – start collecting training content, shoot first person videos, invite people to dinner so you tell them face-to-face about Big Change – people will respond positively if they see you putting a lot of effort in.

• START EARLY. Fundraising takes time and effort. The earlier you start the more likely you are to smash your target. We are here to support you as best we can and there will be lots of copy/content/collaterals saved in the Useful Documents Portal on the STRIVE website.

• USE SOCIAL MEDIA. A sustained social media campaign in the months leading up to the challenge and on the challenge itself demonstrates your passion for the cause but also how much you are dedicating to it. You will find plenty of social media assets in ‘Assets’ section on the Useful Documents page of the website. Use the #westrive and #bigchange hashtags to spread the word “#westrive for a #bigchange”.

• MATCH FUNDING. Appeal to your company to match fund whatever you raise. You will find lots of employers have this as a policy. And if you are an employer and don’t, maybe you should think about it! ;-)

• SET UP A MINI-CHALLENGE pre-event that you can invite your colleagues/friends/family to take part in. This will give them a taste of the action and engage them in the idea of striving. You can ask people to donate in return for taking part.

• AIM FOR 80% BEFORE YOU GET OUT THERE. Setting yourself personal goals will really hone your efforts and will give you the best chance of smashing your overall fundraising target. You should aim to reach 80% of your fundraising total before you get on the plane – allowing you give live updates on the route and knock your target out the park!

• STARTERS FOR TEN. We’ve had some pretty ingenious STRIVE fundraising campaigns in the past. Sally Hughes created STRIVE business cards with a tiny url to her fundraising page and links to follow her STRIVE journey on social media. James Burton created badges with mini challenges like 1000 burpees in a month, which he sold to his friends in return for donations. Paul Williams even created his own photography book, donating thousands of pounds of proceeds to Big Change!

together we will transform the way we support the next generation.

Fundraising EMAILS & COMMunications

How to construct your fundraising email

The best fundraising emails give a very personal account of why you are taking part in the challenge, why you are so passionate about Big Change and why you personally want to create a better future for young people.

Hopefully by answering the questions below (in prose and not necessarily in exactly the same order) you will be able to construct the perfect fundraising email.

1. Why are you so passionate about Big Change?2. Why do you believe that education is so important? 3. What makes you optimistic for future generations and conversely what makes you nervous? 4. Why are you taking part in the Virgin Strive challenge 2018?5. What does striving mean to you? 6. What are you most nervous about on the challenge?7. How hard have you had to train in order to take part?8. What’s been your hardest moment – how did you overcome that?9. Why do you believe people should be donating to you?

If you are still stuck, below is an example of a generic fundraising email that isn’t personalised at all. Rather than copying this word for word, write your own version of it...

Education is our greatest lever for positive social change, yet the current system is failing the needs of young people today. Unacceptable gaps in academic attainment, poor social mobility, rising mental health issues and a failure to provide young people with the skills they need for life in the 21st century are just some of the symptoms of a broken system. It is vital that we all take action now.

Big Change was founded to think differently about how charity can be a catalyst for positive change and be a part of the solution. They have disproportionate impact by supporting organisations at a really early stage - those with the big ideas that help young people thrive in life, not just exams.

I am paying my own costs to take part in STRIVE, so 100% of whatever you can donate will go towards making ambitious, game-changing projects like these happen. Your money and my mindset now have the chance to impact a whole generation.

Thank you very much for your support.

Follow me on my Twitter/Instagram/Facebook* page and see how I get on, as well as some far more famous people doing their bit too!

*hyperlink

together we will transform the way we support the next generation.

example EMAILS & COMMunications

example 1. Virgin Money Giving Fundraising page

Why is this important to me?In my early teens I got ill. I missed 4 years of school and was either bed bound or in a wheelchair for the majority of that period.Being a spotty teen is tough for everyone. Now imagine spending that time alone. No energy to hang with friends or flirt with girls. No energy to learn how to experience the world or find your place within it. Over time, living in that world makes you become terrified of trying anything. Because with trying comes the fear of relapse and pain. So you eventually just stop. You give in and become locked to a world of repetition and loneliness.Good news for me, I was lucky. I landed in life with an incredible family. They were patient yet assertive. Thanks to their support, over many years and literal small steps, I pulled back from that world and learnt the exact opposite. I learnt that you always recover from relapses. I learnt that no challenge is too hard as long as you keep going. I learnt to love the pain and the fear of a challenge.This outlook has recently been called having a ‘Growth Mindset’.What is Strive and Big Change?Strive is a charity event that embodies Growth Mindset more than anything else I’ve ever seen. It’s built on the attitude that nothing is easily won, but everything is winnable. That with challenge comes fear, but with conquering challenges comes pure awesome.Big Change, the charity incubator behind Strive, funds projects that will permanently change our society and education systems to ensure every child has the opportunity to develop a Growth Mindset and the skills they need to thrive in life, not just in exams. I was lucky to get the support I did, but countless of other children - experiencing illness, poverty, and simply teenage angst - all need and deserve that support too. And that’s why Big Change needs to exist and why Strive needs your support.What are you doing?I’ve signed up to do the first leg of the Strive Challenge. We’re climbing not just a mountain, but a few. Hiking off road through the Alps from Zermatt to Rima San Guiseppe (north italy). Walking over 9 hours a day for 5 days through the Alps. Covering 66km of steep mountainous terrain, at elevations of 5072m (Ben Nevis is 1300m for comparison). Although I’ve come a long way health wise, this is going to be by far the hardest physical challenge I’ve faced. I’m terrified about it, which is why it’s worth doing!How will donations achieve impact?Every single penny you donate goes directly to Big Change, supporting a handful of carefully picked projects. These projects are typically too early and ambitious for normally funding channels, but I’ve seen them already achieving astounding impact. For this hike, I’ve put in £2,500 and will be giving much more to come.Massive Thanks.I hope this has inspired you to donate. But also, I hope I’ve encouraged you to learn more about Growth Mindset, how it can improve to your life and the lives of your loved ones.I look forward to giving each of you who donate a massive wet kiss. And for donations over £60 a sexy dance!Follow me on my Twitter/Instagram/Facebook* page and see how I get on, as well as some far more famous people doing their bit too!

together we will transform the way we support the next generation.

example EMAILS & COMMunications

example 2. Virgin Money Giving Fundraising page

My story Dear all my friends & family… This September I’ve decided to embark on The Strive Challenge to raise money for Big Change. I will be cycling over 750km over 5 days in September, from the Italian Alps to the South of Tuscany … which is approximately 100miles a day.I wish I could say I am an accomplished cyclist. In fact, I don’t even own a bike, and my experiences with cycling don’t extend beyond a couple of spinning classes. I was actually put off cycling from a young age when my cousins tried to teach me without stabilizers - I ended up losing balance and consequently fell on a pile of dog sh*t… which, much to their amusement, put me off bikes for majority of my childhood!!So why am I getting back on my bike and putting my body through this gruelling month of training?I think to really answer that question, you first need to understand my story.By the age of 12, both my parents passed away and my life was uprooted in London to go live with my family in Dubai. For such a long period in my childhood, I felt sorry for myself, and like that it was me vs the world. There’s a lyric from a Libertine’s song that always resonated with me, which pretty aptly reflected my mentality at the time - “Cornered, the boy kicked out at the world, but the world kicked back a lot f***ing harder”. I was an angry and upset kid, who was ultimately underachieving in and outside of school.But over time, something changed.There was a point in time when my misery turned to gratitude for the support of my friends & family. When my laziness turned into desire to physically push myself. When my “coasting in school” mentality turned into drive & discipline. When my tendency to bottle up my emotions turned into talking more openly about my feelings and struggles. I was growing, and what was changing was my mindset.I am so lucky to have had an amazing support system of family & friends, as well as colleagues & mentors at Next Jump, who provided me with the belief and encouragement to help me grow. But not everyone is so lucky.Young people today are growing up in an increasingly complex world - full of new challenges and opportunities - but the ways we are supporting and educating them haven’t always caught up. There’s such a strong emphasis on passing exams, but what about teaching how to learn through failure? Or building the skills to empathise and communicate with people? Or building resilience through setbacks and trauma?That’s why Big Change backs innovative ideas that are thinking differently about how we set young people up to thrive in life, not just in exams. It acts as a venture capital incubator, finding projects with big potential and supporting them with seed funding, connections and expertise.I’ve been fortunate to be able to get to know and meet these projects in the last year, including School 21 Frontline, Reclaim & How To Thrive… all of whom are making a real change in addressing the gaps in skills, support and experiences that young people need to build a growth mindset. I’ve included more details about these projects on my donate page, if you’re interested. I would really appreciate any donations of any size, as I’m ambitiously looking to raise over £5,000, and it’s the donations that makes all the training & sacrifices worthwhile.I’m doing the Strive Challenge to help support these projects, and I know first hand, the huge impact of the work that they’re doing.So can I ride a bike? Not very well. Am I prepared (yet)? Not at all. Am I terrified about what I’ve signed up to? Absolutely…But that’s why I am doing it, and that’s what the challenge & Big Change represents … that you can “strive” to overcome any difficult obstacle in life.Much love....