GS1 UK has always supported charities through the fundraising efforts of its staff, but it has recently agreed to work exclusively with Weston Spirit, a charity that promotes the personal and social development of socially excluded and disengaged young people.

There are thousands of vulnerable young people who need support – many are being bullied, excluded from school, homeless, unemployed or having problems at home. Coping with these traumatic experiences can be difficult on your own. That is why GS1 UK has teamed up with the national youth organisation, Weston Spirit, to help provide a solution.

GS1 UK is helping Weston Spirit through practical and financial support. As well as a programme of fundraising activities organised by staff, GS1 UK is exploring ways to provide real, pragmatic help to Weston Spirit in order to benefit and enrich the lives of the young people supported by the charity.

About Weston Spirit

Weston Spirit was co-founded in 1988 by three friends, including Falklands War veteran Simon Weston OBE. Based on their personal life experiences, they wanted to offer inner city youth an alternative to exclusion, apathy, unemployment and a potential life of crime. They jotted down the reasons for creating Weston Spirit on the back of a beer mat – personal development, confidence and self-esteem – and these still remain the central themes of the charity today.

Weston Spirit values and respects young people for who they are – young people. This is the starting point for all they do. They work with young people aged 13-25, from all walks of life across the UK, and their youth projects enable young people to direct their energy into something positive – benefiting themselves, their families and their communities.

• Weston Spirit is a dynamic and forward thinking national youth organisation that aims to tackle issues of social exclusion in young people through an innovative range of personal development programmes and creative projects
• Since the first youth centre opened in Liverpool, Weston Spirit has supported over 85,000 vulnerable and ‘at risk’ young people
• Weston Spirit has nine centres across England and Wales, and works in partnership with many other youth agencies and schools across the UK
• Weston Spirit offers a unique menu of activities for young people including Short Courses, which offer high impact personal development courses to inspire and engage young people, and Membership, which provides an intensive, long term programme that offers individually tailored one-to-one mentoring and group confidence building activities

Weston Spirit believes that every young person deserves a chance – and that chance starts with them understanding, valuing and believing in themselves.

For more information on the work of Weston Spirit please visit www.westonspirit.org.uk