Trusts and foundations | Drive Forward Foundation

Partnerships built with trust

We work closely with funders who share our vision of a society in which all young people enjoy empathy, opportunity, and respect.

Partner with us to make real change

Since 2010, Drive Forward Foundation has enabled thousands of care-experienced young people across London to move from care to career.

Our trauma-informed model combines one-to-one support, employability training, counselling, and mentoring with direct access to employers and exclusive opportunities.

In 2024–25, we supported over 700 young people on our flagship employment programme. 45% of them achieved tangible employment, education and training outcomes, including over 200 jobs.

Building strong partnerships

More than just a job

The most important measure for us is sustainment, as it’s consistency, stability, and progression that truly change an individual’s life. Last year, over 80% of young people who entered employment or education sustained for at least 13 weeks.

“Drive Forward doesn’t just help young people find jobs — they help them build futures they can be proud of.” – Russell Winnard, CEO

Behind every statistic is a person whose life trajectory has changed — and a ripple effect that strengthens families, communities, and workplaces.

We collaborate with trusts and foundations that believe in our mission, and seek evidence-based, measurable impact. Dedicated to continuously improving our offer, sharing our learning, and contributing to a growing evidence base, we champion transparent reporting and robust evaluation.

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Your grant could help us

Trauma-informed

Deliver trauma-informed employment programmes for 16–26-year-olds.

Counselling

Expand specialist counselling and wellbeing services.

Qualifications

Develop and trial bespoke pre-employment programmes for those furthest away from employment including refugees, ex-offenders, young parents, and those lacking baseline qualifications.

Mentors

Train and match professional mentors.

Strengthen

Strengthen national advocacy so care-experienced young people’s voices influence policy.

Employer partnerships

Build sustainable pathways into work by funding employer engagement and job placement programmes.

Funding partners

We provide all funding partners with:

Detailed outcome and impact reports.
Stories from young people like Kelsey, Sammy, and Derin, demonstrating lived experience and change.
Regular learning updates and opportunities to visit programmes in action.

Get in touch with our Fundraising Team