Peter Cruddas believes passionately in the International Award Association and has become Global Benefactor for a further 3 years. He is also a founder member of the International Special Projects Group and has sponsored the Peter Cruddas Social Innovation Initiative.

Peter Cruddas Social Innovation Initiative
Peter has been an enthusiastic supporter of the International Award since 2005, when he
became our first Global Benefactor, and is underlining his continuing commitment through this
exciting project.

The initiative
The Peter Cruddas Social Innovation Initiative aims to recognise Gold Award participants who demonstrate enterprising attitudes, and who have used their Award Programme to benefit a specific section of society. The initiative has been set up to recognise these individuals for their commitment to changing the lives of others.

What qualifies as social innovation?
Social innovation projects often form part of the Award Programme's Service Section or Residential Project. However, we know how creative participants can be when developing their Programme, and so the social innovation project might fulfil any of the five Sections of the Award. In order for projects to be considered good examples of social innovation they need to demonstrate the following:
Explicit social aims
Sustainability
Engagement with the local community
Environmental impact
Ethical values
Award involvement

The Connection's Workspace service has provided The Foundation with matched mutual aims of each organisation to help young people achieve more and is proud to have pump primed the initial funding of this service.

The Connection is the largest and busiest day centre for homeless people in London, open every day and night, all year round.

5000 homeless people use its services each year. 30% of their clients are young people aged 16-30. The vast majority have come through the Care system. Since the fall of Lehman Brothers, the number of people using the centre has increased by 20%.

As well as providing basic services including food, showers and shelter, the charity's aim is to get to the root cause of homeless people's problems and help them move into accommodation, training, employment and education.

The Foundation is a major funder of The Royal Opera House Foundation Covent Garden.

The Chance to Dance education project for young people and the sponsorship of 3 ballet students to join The Cuba Tour 2009 are examples of the work the Royal Opera House and the Peter Cruddas Foundation are jointly involved in.

The Willow Foundation is a national charity that provides quality of life and quality of time for seriously ill 16 - 40 year olds by funding and organising special days.

The Trustees of The Peter Cruddas Foundation have joined in the Willow Foundation's 10th year celebration by committing to a two year funding initiative helping to provide more special days in this special year.

The Willow Foundation defines seriously ill as any condition that is life threatening. To date more than 4,750 special days have been organised for young adults living with, amongst others: cancer, motor neurone disease, cystic fibrosis, organ failure and the later stages of multiple sclerosis. All applications must meet the Foundation's medical criteria and be endorsed by a medical professional involved in the individual's care.

The Foundation was delighted to be approached to underwrite this pilot scheme where young people were taken out of their "comfort zones" and challenged to devise viable and workable community projects for their community.

The Challenge aims to put teams of diverse 16 year olds through a one year training and community service scheme starting with a three-week summer camp and then 50 hours of social action to tackle local civic and youth-related issues.

The Peter Cruddas Foundation has supported Great Ormond Street Hospital for over three years, first by being a member of The Tick Tock Club and at Christmas 2008 funding 3 Christmas Parties for the children and young people making Great Ormond Street Hospital their home for Christmas because of their illness.

Great Ormond Street Hospital is a specialist children's hospital and a world leader in paediatric medicine, treating children from across the UK and beyond, suffering from complex, life threatening and life shortening conditions.

Each year, the Trust has over 200,000 patient visits from children ranging in age from premature babies to late teens; of these, over 42 per cent of the children are under three years old and 63 per cent require 24-hour intensive care.

The Trinity Sailing Trust is an innovative organisation who seeks to make a difference and change young people's lives and their outlook on not only their capabilities and how they view others, but how others see them. We encourage the personal development of young people, particularly those at risk of failing to make an effective transition to adult life. Our aim is to be a catalyst; to help change attitudes and expectations. We use the medium of offshore sail training on traditional vessels as a means of engaging with 600 disadvantaged young people, enabling them to discover the extent of their own capabilities, teaching them a range of life skills thereby motivating them to take positive steps to improve their future prospects.

The Peter Cruddas Foundation was delighted to commit to a three year sponsorship in support of the charity's work.

Coram was one of the first donations made by The Foundation and this was part of a three
year commitment.

The Thomas Coram Foundation was the first children's charity in the UK, established by Royal Charter in 1739. For nearly three centuries, it has pioneered the creation of a "home from home" for abandoned children, and the integrated provision of education and employment support to enable thousands of young people to find their way in the world.

Today, Coram remains a pioneering, developmental organisation committed to meeting the needs of the most vulnerable, and develops new ways of working that can be reproduced nationally to ensure future generations feel the benefit . Coram works with over 10,000 children and young people and their families per year, helping children born into the worst circumstances who risk suffering terrible loss, giving them the chance of love in a family, a childhood and a future. Our driving aim is to create better chances for children.

We don't just help young people financially. The trustees are all committed to helping in other ways, like consultancy, business planning and networking.

An example of this is The Times 100, a student and teacher resource centre that provides an insight into real business issues and career advice for young entrepreneurs.

Peter was asked to share some of his expertise in a case study to guide young people on how they could also become successful entrepreneurs of the future. In the article called 'Enterprise in the fast lane', Peter advised on the critical factors of running a business and explained where young people can go to get advice and support for their business start-up ideas.

Arts for All is a dynamic team based in Shoreditch dedicated to converting talk into action. The mission of Arts for All is to bring art to whomsoever wants to experience it, and to watch the blossoming of confidence and pride - not to mention the vibrancy of the projects themselves that evolve. Arts for All run a highly successful series of workshops throughout the week.

Art for All members include disadvantaged children from the local area many of whom have been victims of bullying, live in run down local estates and have been victims of crime, as well as people who feel socially isolated. It might also include someone who simply hasn't "done" art before, and doesn't know where to start. Our mandate is to make art accessible to people of any age, and of any background, who might not otherwise get to experience the confidence that accompanies artistic creation. The Foundation have supported Arts for All through a grant for a session worker to help young people join in the community projects.

The aim of The Adventure Farm Trust is to re-build the self-confidence and improve the life prospects of disabled, terminally ill and disadvantaged children. By involving these children in activities they may have never before attempted, we show them just how capable, talented and worthwhile they are, and how they have as much right to success and happiness as any of their peers. We also aim to give these children memories of childhood that most of us will have taken for granted. Memories of fun, laughter and friendship which they can treasure in their darkest times.

Fusion Youth Theatre engages a diverse group of young people from inner city Bristol in a creative process that helps personal development and increases their aspirations. Run by Travelling Light Theatre Company, FUSION offers an opportunity for 15-21year olds to create their own original sound/music and live performance.

On Saturday 26th September 2009 The Peter Cruddas Foundation sponsored 25 young people
from Fusion to perform the play Paper Wings at the National Youth Theatre - The Unicorn Theatre
in London.

Magic Breakfast is currently the only children's charity physically delivering free food to primary schools, as well as parent education and Headteacher food coaching

During May 2009 The Peter Cruddas Foundation supported Magic Breakfast in providing nearly 7000 bananas to 40 schools in London for the year 6 pupils taking their SATs exams

Half way through their 14th year and all is buzzing at Tower Hamlets Summer University. The summer holiday programme was the most popular ever with over 5000 young people clamouring for something to do and to get on course places - far more than could be accommodated, countering media hype that young people are lazy layabouts who want nothing more than to hang about on the streets terrorising their community. The most popular courses were in the Work Zone and anything to do with careers - from banking to shipping, medicine to journalism, all the courses were full to bursting. 40 young peer motivators volunteered over 200 hours of their time to make sure the programme ran smoothly, supporting the THSU team and all the participants and tutors.

Nang is a magazine designed and edited by the Young People at Summer Uni and Peter Cruddas was interviewed for the Issue Two 2009 edition.

Reed's School is an Independent boarding and day school for 11-18 year old boys, with a
co-educational Sixth Form, and an international dimension.

It was founded in 1813 and maintains the vision of its Founder, Andrew Reed, by currently supporting around 75 disadvantaged pupils a year.

Reed's School, with the support of the Peter Cruddas Foundation, provided a remarkable opportunity for the children from Surrey Square Primary School in Southwark to experience first class facilities for their sports day recently. They live and go to school in very cramped inner city circumstances, and normally hold their sports day at a small local recreation ground.

A request came from SKILL to The Foundation for help in providing a professional quality DVD Camera to help young people at SKILL.

SKILL is a national bureau for students with disabilities is a national charity which promotes opportunities for disabled people in post-16 education, training, employment and volunteering.

SKILL is working hard to break down the barriers to volunteering that young disabled people experience. SKILL volunteers, whatever their background, have the chance to get involved in SKILL's work or their local community and help to empower many more young disabled people all over the country - in schools, youth groups, and at conferences and events.

SKILL currently has opportunities for young people with disabilities aged between 16 and 25 to volunteer both in their local communities and with SKILL.

St Mungo's is London's largest charity for homeless people. Last year we supported over 10,000 people through three related strands.

Emergency services - Emergency includes street outreach teams, emergency shelters for rough sleepers and hostels.

Prevention - Prevention is meeting clients support needs in home, providing support teams to work with people at risk of homelessness.

Recovery - Recovery, is the provision of safe housing, drug and alcohol support and physical and mental health care. Providing help for homeless people in gaining life skills including job training and independent living skills.

The Peter Cruddas Foundation has provided a grant at Christmas 2008 and has recently funded the purchase of equipment at the Harrow Road Woodwork Facility.

The Peter Cruddas Foundation was highly delighted to join in the Summer '09 activities for young people organised by both Tate's Teams in Liverpool and London's Modern. In total almost 20,000 young people took part in the activities.