UK ARM Firm Fredrickson International Supports Youth Charity The Duke of Edinburgh's Award

Simon Jones, Managing Director of Fredrickson International, has shown his support for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award by becoming a Brighter Futures Partner with a generous pledge of £20,000.

Fredrickson International is keen to get behind the charity, and give more young people the chance to develop the skills and opportunities they need to get on the jobs ladder and lead a successful adult life.

It’s a tough time to be a young person in the UK right now with high youth unemployment and the rising cost of university education. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award equips young people with the essential skills they need for a brighter future at work, in society and for the rest of their lives.

Simon grew up in Cobham, Surrey, and attended Esher Grammar School. After working for a number of years in the financial services industry, he set up Fredrickson International in 1992 and the company has grown over the last two decades to become a market leader in its field.

Fredrickson International supports a number of youth charities and community projects, and Simon hopes this partnership is an opportunity for employees to take part in fundraising for the DofE. Brighter Futures focuses on supporting young people into work. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award unlocks young people’s potential and makes them more employable, developing essential skills like leadership, resilience and team-working. More than 275,000 young people are currently doing their DofE in the UK, with 30,000 participants coming from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Peter Westgarth, Chief Executive of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said, “We are trying to reach out and help as many young people as possible. We want to double the number of young people from all backgrounds doing their DofE, and we will only meet that target with the support of companies and individuals. We’d like to thank Fredrickson International for its generous donation, and look forward to working with them as a Partner of the DofE.”

Simon Jones, Managing Director of Fredrickson International, said, “Young people need all the help they can get at the moment. I believe The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is something all young people should have the opportunity to get involved in, whatever their background. We believe that by achieving a DofE Award, they are increasing their chance of getting and staying in employment, which is good for UK Plc.”

More than 275,000 young people take part in Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programmes every year in groups and are supported by 50,000 adult volunteers throughout the UK. Young people doing their DofE programme complete four different types of activity at Bronze and Silver level and five at Gold level to achieve an Award. By completing their own programme of volunteering, getting fit, learning new skills, and undertaking an expedition, young people gain recognition for their personal achievement.