In Ireland, a person’s socio-economic background remains a strong determining factor to their level of educational attainment. Data from the Children’s Rights Alliance reveal almost 250,000 children continue to live in enforced deprivation. The longer a child stays in a cycle of consistent poverty, the greater the negative impact on their sense of self, aspirations, ability to avail of opportunities and ability to realise their full potential. Yet poor outcomes are not inevitable and basis.point is committed through early intervention and timely supports, to helping young people from under-resourced communities to reach their potential.

At the heart of basis.point’s mission is the belief that education is key to transforming the lives of marginalized youth. Now in its tenth year, the charity has committed €7 million towards funding a broad range of programmes that support a child’s ability to reach their educational potential.

Bridging the educational divide: targeted support and expanding programmes
In these complex and often troubling times the attainment gap between the advantaged and less fortunate has never been wider. €7 million invested into targeted supports goes some way to bridging this, but the scale of the task is immense. From grassroots initiatives like the DCU Changemakers programme to corporate partnerships facilitating educational opportunity, basis.point are conscious to support a child’s needs from cradle to career. Core programmes with their existing educational partners have expanded in both reach and impact, and they now run programmes in over 25 counties through-out Ireland, many focused-on numeracy and literacy, and each grounded in a commitment to creating positive and lasting change in young people’s lives.

However, the needs of young people today are changing. Encouraged by the success of the KiVa antibullying programme, run in association with Archways, and cognisant of the growing challenges in youth mental wellbeing, this year additional efforts have been made to strengthen programming that develop life skills, resilience and creativity, giving young people the tools to navigate and flourish in an ever-changing and sometimes overwhelming landscape. One such programme is Fighting Words. Founded in 2009 by Roddy Doyle and Sean Love, Fighting Words is dedicated to promoting creativity and writing among young people, encouraging them to find their voice, and build resilience. The charity approved a grant of €30,000 to expand services to the South Inner City, aiming to empower 600 young people through creative writing workshops, clubs, and summer camps.

Even the smallest of interventions can make a difference in the lives of young people. Working with an organisation called SOAR, basis.point have provided seed funding to roll out the Spark Programme to 2nd-year students in Ireland, to build essential skills for resilience, self-awareness, and peer connection. These workshops focus on mental wellbeing connecting with teens to explore their inner character - follow their true path - and not what’s pushed on them from society, adults, peers and the media.

Amplifying youth voices through community and collaboration
Much of the recent success is founded on the strength of the basis.point community. The charity places great store in building an emotional connection between their donors and the young people that they empower. Throughout the year, patrons and supporters of basis.point regularly hear from outstanding youth ambassadors, each of whom are benefiting from participation in basis.point funded programmes and underscore the impact and importance of collective action in creating meaningful change.

Early in the year, a fireside chat with three young changemakers from the Liberties, full of youthful optimism and vision, ignited a belief that we can all create change.

Young speakers Elisabeth Busari, and Rayaa Onog, Teen-Turn Alumni and Ambassadors have also shared their journeys of resilience and empowerment. Both girls exemplify the transformative power of mentorship and opportunity. From rural Ireland to pursuing third level education, their stories underscore the profound impact of access to resources and encouragement.

Similarly, Preston Smith’s narrative highlights the pivotal role of mentorship in overcoming personal obstacles such as extreme shyness and low self-esteem and nurturing entrepreneurial spirit. Through the Foroige Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship Programme, Preston found the support and guidance necessary to unlock his potential and pursue his dreams.

Basis.point week has become a highlight in the charities calendar, with patron organisations hosting their own in-house events, often centred around inspiring young people whose lives have been enhanced through programmes supported by basis.point. Amplifying the youth voice in this way, brings to life the impact of industry collaboration and can be transformative for both the beneficiaries and the industry colleagues alike.

Other opportunities to supercharge CSR programmes abound. The Time to Grow and Summer work placement programme run in conjunction with Business in the Community have proven to be a great success and give real life experience to students who may otherwise not have the opportunity to experience life in the corporate world.

Partner programmes continue to play an important role. Existing partnerships with the Early Learning Initiative (ELI) and BNP Paribas and Kennedy Wilson have enabled them to continue to support families living in temporary accommodation and expand the geographic reach of their programmes. HSBC’s 21st century employability scheme with For?ige goes from strength to strength. IPUT are midway through a three-year partnership with basis.point and Business in the Community securing long term funding for their Time to Grow mentoring programme. And BNY’s partnership with Teen-Turn and basis.point combats stereotypes by changing how girls identify with STEM career environments through work placements and after school activities.

Honouring exceptional contributions
As the charity comes of age, basis.point have taken steps to formalise a clear succession plan. Earlier this year, Clive Bellows welcomed Eoin Fitzgerald, Country Head of BBH, as the incoming Chair along with incoming Board Directors Laura Trimble of HSBC and Paul Kilcullen of BNY, both respected figures in the corporate world.

The appointment of Eoin Fitzgerald as Chairperson and of Paul and Laura injects renewed energy and diverse perspectives into the board, promising to accelerate growth and expand support for vulnerable children.

The newly established Paul McNaughton Award was awarded to Josephine Bleach, Director ELI, for her exceptional services to young people and families experiencing disadvantage.

The Early Learning Initiative were one of the first beneficiaries of basis.point funding and during this time has grown crucial early intervention home visiting programmes from 15 families in the Docklands in 2008, to 565 families in 11 communities across the country.

Best children’s education Equality Support Company
Our collaboration as an industry continues to attract attention and basis.point are delighted to be honoured with an Irish Enterprise Award for Best Education Equality Support Company. The award is in recognition of the unique nature of bringing together an industry and encouraging them to work as a united front to combat educational disadvantage and make a tangible difference to the lives of young people experiencing disadvantage.

As the industry charity continues to grow, they can celebrate several milestones. Over 100 companies from the funds industry and wider ecosystem have chosen basis.point as a part of their strategy to deliver on their ESG and CSR obligations. The charity has seen an uplift in the number of large one-off donations and 25 Prestige Patrons and Partners generously donate recurring gifts of €10,000 or more.

Basis.point is not simply a grant making body. This year their community have volunteered over 4000 hours directly with education partners, and their engaged patrons and supporters continue to surprise and delight with innovative fundraising ideas. One such example was the Waystone triple header where Conor MacGuinness supported by his Waystone and wider industry colleagues ran and cycled their way to raise €40,000. Amundi helped to build awareness by inviting basis.point to co-host a long putt competition at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open. And the Fund Recs team once again donated proceeds of their Adminovate Conference.

The impact achieved is testament to the power of community, a shared commitment to education and to the idea that acts of kindness and collaboration can ignite profound change, opening doors of opportunity for generations to come.