Novartis will provide vital volunteering projects, career plans for young people and financial support to local charities
Novartis UK has announced new partnerships with local charities as part of its annual community partnership day, supporting the company’s social mobility commitments.
The partnerships will encourage young people to strive for a career within the life sciences sector and realise their full potential, regardless of background or location.
The company has partnered with Founders4Schools and Social Mobility Foundation, and provided financial support to two new OnSide Youth Zones in White City and Grimsby.
Sarah Atkinson, chief executive at Social Mobility Foundation, commented: “It’s important for us to help organisations have the difficult, open conversations about what social mobility is to drive positive change. We are delighted to work with Novartis UK so the company can be a social mobility champion across the whole sector.”
Associates empowered to volunteer with the charities will share their knowledge and expertise with young people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. The volunteers will also offer a range of support including mentoring, career guidance, application support and CV workshops.
“We’re always looking to grow our base of our role models from companies such as Novartis, so this partnership is key to achieving our goals,” said Sherry Coutu, founder and managing director at Founders4School. “In particular, partnering with Novartis is a great step in achieving our ambition of increasing the number of people going into STEM subjects.”
Chief executive at OnSide, Kathryn Morley, concluded: “Social mobility is at the heart of what Youth Zones do across the country. Youth Zones play a transformative role in helping thousands of young people from diverse backgrounds achieve their full potential and defy social limitations.”
“We’re so grateful for this support from Novartis to help us provide life-changing opportunities for even more young people, in two new areas – West London and Grimsby,” she added.
