Oxfordshire Youth praises Oxford's Lucy Group in awards nomination

The reason for the nomination is long-term support from the company for Oxfordshire Youth’s Young Leaders Programme - a bespoke leadership programme for young people (14-21 years old) which aims to build confidence and leadership skills among the younger generation and involve them in support for their local communities.

During the programme young people spend one weekend on activities such as raft building and rock climbing while undertaking leadership workshops. They are asked then to go back to their local communities to organise and take responsibility for something new.

The Young Leaders Programme is accredited by the Institute of Leadership & Management and nationally recognised as a Level 2 Award in Leadership and Team Skills.

Jodie Lloyd-Jones from Oxfordshire Youth explained in the application that it was the Lucy Group’s support that made launching the programme possible. She said: “It is the long-term relationship, the belief in what we do and the financial support that has been totally invaluable to us”.

Lucy Group is now a group active in four business sectors (iron and aluminium castings, smart city lightning and safety, electric power distribution, real estate) in over 60 countries worldwide, starting as an ironmongery opened in Oxford in 1812 by William Carter. Despite growth on a global scale, the company’s headquarters is still in Jericho.

Lucy Ltd provided financing for core costs then the programme was developed and launched.

Since then, the company supports the programme further by sponsoring places on it and inviting its business contacts to learn about Young Leaders Programme and support it.

The fact that the company extends its support by employing its business contacts to build a network of supporters for Oxfordshire Youth is underlined in the Oxfordshire Youth’s application to the award as something more than substantial financial support.

In 2018 Lucy was the main sponsor of Oxfordshire Youth’s fundraiser at Blenheim Palace and provided financing for places in the programme for young people who need it the most but would not otherwise have this opportunity due to financial limitations.

Mrs Jodie Lloyd-Jones wrote: “We plan to run a Young Leaders Programme launch event in September 2019 and Lucy Group have put together a list of their business contacts in order to personally invite them to our event, to help spread the word.

“This is really generous and will make a massive difference to the attendance of this event and will hopefully give us a foot in the door to other businesses.”

Oxfordshire Youth’s praise for Lucy Group was one of those which were recognised by the jury for the second Local Business Charity Awards with a nomination to the 2019 Jelf Award.

Six businesses and three individuals have been nominated to the Local Business Charity Awards in Oxfordshire. Prizes worth over £2,000 are sponsored by insurance brokers A-Plan and Jelf with Oxford Mail’s media partnership.

To enter, charities had to nominate an Oxfordshire business or individual, which had done an outstanding job supporting them. If their nominated business wins, the charity will receive a donation of £1,000.

The winner of the Individual award will receive a weekend break to the value of £300.

The finalists in the Jelf Award in Oxfordshire are Lucy Group Ltd (nominated by Oxfordshire Youth), Oxford Castle & Prison (nominated by Helen & Douglas House) and STL Communications (nominated by SpecialEffect).

In the A-Plan Award Oxfordshire finalists are: Knox & Eames (nominated by Clear Sky Charity), Midcounties Co-operative (nominated by Banburyshire Citizen Project) and Pillow Wad (nominated by Springfield Sanctuary).

The finalists in the Oxfordshire edition of Individual Award are Brendon Cross of STL Communications, nominated by Special Effect, The orcherstra of St John’s John Lubbock OBE, nominated by Clear Sky charity, and Keeley Dennyschene of the Hilton Garden Inn in Abingdon, who has been nominated by Helen & Douglas House. The finals will be held on Thursday, August 29.