2018 Shaping Futures Begins to Take Shape
The 2018 Shaping Futures' year kicked off to a flying start, as potential volunteers for 2018 and 2019 came together in Manchester to learn more about Schwarzkopf Professional’s social initiative.
Hosted by UK Ambassador Janet Maitland, at the Radisson Blu hotel in Manchester on 16th April, the volunteers, all with a range of hairdressing expertise, joined together to learn more about how their skills will be used to teach disadvantaged young people how to cut, style and colour hair – enabling them to craft a career for themselves away from poverty.
Commenting on Shaping Futures, Janet Maitland said,
Very often these young people have experienced trauma, before they find the safety of an SOS Children’s Village. The love and care they receive there enables them to rebuild their hopes; while the skills we teach them, through the Shaping Futures programme, ensures they can enter the world of employment with excitement and the skills to stand on their own two feet.
Each volunteer will be asked to fundraise the £1,500 for the charity plus their trip expenses. During the Manchester day, previous volunteer, Jane DeFrancesco, shared her experiences and top fundraising tips. Jane DeFrancesco, who has volunteered three times for Shaping Futures said,
I wanted to bring the experiences these UK hairdressers will encounter to life. It is our job to ensure they are prepared mentally so they can give the very best to the young people who desperately need our support. Understandably these volunteers all had questions about what was expected of them and how to fundraise. But by the end of the day, every person in the room was so excited for the opportunity, that they can’t wait for their turn to come quickly enough!
Shaping Futures has been running since 2009, and this is the first year the UK team with their volunteers will be visiting the Philippines – a country Janet has long been hoping to team up with - following many successful years partnering with SOS Children’s Villages in India.
Speaking further, Janet said,
As the 12th most populous country in the world, the Philippines is considered to be an emerging market that is transitioning away from agriculture to one based on services and manufacturing. This means that while there are opportunities for those with money, skills and education, for many these opportunities are out of grasp. Last year the Philippines suffered catastrophic landslides across the Caraga, Davao and Northern Mindanao regions; while currently, thousands of people have fled their homes due to volcanic eruptions - placing already vulnerable families into desperate situations. And while Shaping Futures cannot undo the past, we can give some of the young people and adults affected by disasters like these a future.
Following the day in Manchester the volunteers for 2018 will all be invited to a Training Day in Durham on the 18th June, where they will officially begin their Shaping Futures adventure. For further information on Shaping Futures, click here.