Education is central to the mission of the Foundation, and we work with children from the age of 7 to university students and adult learners. The team delivers workshops and presentations, takes part in discussion groups and Question & Answer sessions, and attends events at a huge range of settings, across the UK and internationally. The human story at the heart of our Foundation is central to all that we do, and audiences engage with this on a very personal level.
Sylvia’s experience as a youth worker had shown her that one of the biggest stumbling blocks for many young people is their inability to understand or relate to people from different walks of life. Following Sophie’s attack, she was convinced that educational initiatives were needed that would make young people stop and think before judging others on appearance; preventing them from growing up thinking it’s OK to insult, abuse or attack someone just because they don’t look the same. This work seems more necessary now than ever.
As well as training young people, the Foundation trains teachers and student teachers about the work of the charity and how to use our resources in their own organisations. This ensures our key messages about respect and tolerance for other people can be cost-effectively and sustainably embedded in school priorities and programmes.
The Sophie Lancaster Foundation tailors training for schools, colleges, youth clubs, young offenders’ institutions and for professionals who work with young people. Our commitment is to provide a flexible and accommodating service to share Sophie’s story widely and ensure our training has impact. Our work can be carried out in person or remotely using a variety of digital platforms.
