Geldards supports Switch Up helping marginalised young people into employment

Geldards is proud to support Nottinghamshire charity Switch Up, helping young people from extremely disadvantaged communities find and sustain meaningful employment.

The Big Give campaign which concluded at the start of this year, garnered support from local businesses and was successful in raising £40,000 which was ‘match funded’ to double the donation. The funds raised will contribute to a wider fundraising campaign hoping to secure over half a million pounds to build a new community hub in St Ann’s in Nottingham. The new building will replace the charity’s existing dilapidated premises on Woodborough Road, to create a modern community hub to better support vulnerable young people.

One of the most deprived areas in the UK, St Ann’s suffers from high levels of unemployment, with many young people not in education, suffering from poor mental health and vulnerable to falling into a criminal lifestyle. Switch Up provides a vital community hub and outreach support offering education, mentoring, counselling and sports activities to upskill local young people with the tools to help them into sustainable employment. A potential ‘gang-neutral’ piece of land in St Ann’s has been identified as a suitable location for the new community hub, and fund raising efforts continue to raise the monies needed to fund the construction costs.

Founder Marcellus Baz grew up in the Meadows area of Nottingham, experiencing first-hand poverty, violence and crime. He credits a local boxing club as a transformative influence which helped direct his energies in a positive way through sport, providing him with mentorship and support too. He founded the ‘Switch Up’ charity after suffering a gang-related stabbing, keen to give young people the opportunities which he didn’t have and to help break the cycle of crime. Switch Up focuses on mentoring young people who need positive role models and uses a five pillar model including mentoring, physical activity, counselling, education and employment, as the building blocks to empower young people from disadvantaged communities across Nottinghamshire.

David Williams, Geldards Chairman said:

“Geldards is pleased to support Switch Up in this extraordinary fund raising effort to create a new fit for purpose community hub. Marcellus has worked tirelessly over the last decade through the Switch Up charity to provide hope, mentorship and employability skills to young people in the Nottinghamshire community who might otherwise have fallen through the cracks.

We are proud to have contributed to the Big Give campaign which will allow even more vulnerable young people to benefit from critical intervention, upskilling them for the future and steering them towards a better life.”

Marcellus Baz, CEO Switch Up/ Marcellus Baz Foundation commented:

“Growing up in Nottingham, I have seen first-hand how a lack of opportunity can shape a young person’s future. That’s why the support from Geldards means so much to us, and we are incredibly grateful for their commitment through the Big Give campaign. Their contribution is not just an investment in a building, it’s an investment in young people who deserve the chance to feel safe, valued and hopeful about their future.

This new community hub will give us the space to reach more young people, reduce our waiting list, and provide the consistent mentoring, support and opportunities they need to move into education, training and employment. Together, we are not just changing individual lives, we are helping to break cycles of disadvantage and build stronger communities.”

To find out more about the positive impact Switch Up is having on the community or to get involved please visit their website: Switch Up