Please help propel Sally’s Cycle to Edinburgh for the Haberdashers’ Foundation with your donations.

Raising £££s whilst shedding lbs

Taking exercise is always the first thing I sacrifice when I am busy and the last thing I feel like doing when I have free time. I am more at home behind my desk, curled up with a cup of tea and a good book or chatting with friends or colleagues over dinner than pounding the pavements in my trainers but that sedentary lifestyle has been taking its toll on my waistline. My younger son, Eddie, had been an avid fan of Russ Cook, aka “Hardest Geezer” who managed to run the entire length of Africa, raising money for charity. Eddie dared me to come up with my own physical challenge. At the same time, my older son Oliver was heading back to university in Edinburgh after the Easter break. This coincided with my ambition to kick-start fresh fundraising for the Haberdashers’ Foundation and a plan was formed. I vowed to travel the 721km from Haberdashers' Hall in the City of London to university buildings at George Square in Edinburgh in time for the start of next term by a combination of static bike, rowing machine and laps in the swimming pool. Whilst I hope to avoid the bandits and civil wars that Russ Cook had to contend with, this will be a huge endurance challenge for me. When I feel like giving up, your donations to the Haberdashers’ Foundation will spur me on to reach the finish line. Thank you for your support.

Please read on to learn about our mission to empower young people from every background to fulfil their potential and our ambitions for the Haberdashers' Foundation.

I am Third Warden of the Haberdashers’ Company. This means that I play an active role in the governance and management of the Company. You can see me and my colleagues in our full regalia in the picture gallery but the Haberdashers' Company is not just about ceremony. We are a welcoming and inclusive livery company, proud of our hundreds of years of history but forward looking, modernising and vibrant, with a strong social purpose and a focus on education. The 19 Haberdasher schools span both the state and independent sectors, educating 12,000 pupils at any one time. Today, our mission is to empower young people from every background to fulfil their potential through our schools and by supporting our communities. We do this through the sponsorship and governance of our schools and by supporting local charities that are closely aligned with our aims. We have adopted the “funder plus” model where we roll up our sleeves and provide practical support and guidance to our charities as well as funding and we encourage our members to get personally involved. We are particularly proud of the Haberdashers’ Advantage that is now a central part of any Haberdashers’ education. The Haberdashers’ Advantage comprises three strands:

• Working together - School leaders sharing best practice and helping each other across our schools;

• Character - Providing an enriching character education encompassing trips, competitions, performances and funding of additional mental health support; and

• Futures – Setting our pupils up for success in their further education and careers with interactive careers workshops, visiting speakers, business competitions and mentoring.

The generosity of our historic benefactors has enabled us to provide meaningful help to many thousands of people but we don’t want to be reliant only on our forebears. We are now raising fresh funds through the Haberdashers’ Foundation so that we can deepen and widen our positive impact in our communities.

Our new aspirations – a mentor for every Haberdashers’ sixth former

The Haberdashers’ Aspire programme is the latest initiative from the Haberdashers’ Company. Our aim is, ultimately, to be able to provide our 2000 pupils in Years 12 and 13 with access to a career mentor as they progress through sixth form and into further education, training and the world of work. We have already conducted a successful pilot at our schools in Monmouth and we will be extending the pilot to Haberdashers’ Academies Trust South, our academies in South East London, in the new academic year. This will require sophisticated data base, website and communications operations as well as in-school mentoring co-ordinators to roll out and manage a consistent, professionally designed programme, delivering a high-quality experience and support for our mentors and mentees alike. To enable us to continue our existing great work and to help us meet our goal of extending a universal offer, we need to raise more funds now and this is where we need you.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Making your money go further

Those of you who are UK tax payers, do please remember to tick the Gift Aid boxes to increase your donation by 25% at no extra cost to you.

Some employers operate “match funding” schemes where they agree to make a donation to any charity that their employees also donate to. If you think that your employer might be willing to provide match funding for the Haberdashers’ Foundation, please email enquiries@haberdashers.co.uk and our Director of Charities will be happy to help.

Beyond money - Follow us if you might like to become a mentor in future

The success of the Haberdashers’ Aspire programme will depend on our ability to provide a wide pool of suitable mentors who can be paired with pupils at our schools. Our school populations are incredibly diverse with a wide range of backgrounds, interests and goals and we are looking to build a similarly wide-ranging field of mentors. Safeguarding and welfare of our pupils will be paramount and training will be provided. If you are interested in becoming one of our mentors, please follow our social media feeds so that you can be the first to know when we are ready to start recruiting. You will also see the on-going great work of the Haberdashers' Company and the Haberdashers' Foundation.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/haberdashers-company/

https://www.instagram.com/haberdasherscompany/

https://twitter.com/HaberdashersCo

Any support you can give is very much appreciated. Thank you!

Sally Dyson