Fairbridge was a UK charity that supported young people aged 13–25 from 1987. Each year it supported around 3,700 disengaged young people who were either not in education, employment or training – or at risk of becoming so – at one of its fifteen centres on the country. In January 2011 it was announced that Fairbridge would become part of The Prince's Trust.

History

Fairbridge is the result of the merging of two organisations, the Drake Fellowship and the Fairbridge Society. The Fairbridge Society was established in 1909 by

Kingsley Fairbridge Kingsley Ogilvie Fairbridge (5 May 1885 – 19 July 1924) was the founder of a child migration, child emigration scheme from Britain to British Empire, its colonies and the Fairbridge Schools. His life work was the founding of the "Society for t ...

. Moved by the levels of deprivation he saw in inner city areas of England, he established a charity to offer opportunities and education abroad to young people from broken homes. Currently (2017) Th
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA )
in full public hearings, is investigating the sexual abuse of children who were removed from British institutions and families between 1947 and the 70s, and taken to Australia and Canada by various charities and churches, including the Fairbridge Society.

Operation Drake Operation Drake (1978–1980) was a round-the-world voyage with the participation of young people from many countries, sailing in the brigantine Eye of the Wind. She left Plymouth in October 1978 and returned to London two years later, in December ...

was launched in 1978 at the suggestion of The Prince of Wales. It was a two-year, round-the-world venture in which 400 young people from 27 nations worked with scientists and servicemen on projects in 16 countries. John Mogg (British Army officer)(also known as Sir Herbert John Mogg) was a chairman of the Operation Drake Fellowship. In 1980, George Thurstan, one of the organisers of Operation Drake, formed the Drake Fellowship to help under-privileged young people from centres based in the heart of the inner cities. In 1987, the Drake Fellowship merged with the Fairbridge Society to become Fairbridge Drake, and in 1992 the name was changed to Fairbridge. In 2007, Venture Trust separated from Fairbridge to become an independent charity. Fairbridge's patron was

Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (Alexandra Helen Elizabeth Olga Christabel; born 25 December 1936) is a member of the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth II and Alexandra were first cousins through their fathers, King George ...

, its president was

Damon Buffini Sir Damon Marcus Buffini (born 1962) is a British businessman and governor of the Wellcome Trust. He was formerly head of the private equity company Permira. Education and early life Born in Leicester in 1962, the son of an African-American s ...

and vice-presidents were Lady Dodds-Parker and

Sir William McAlpine Sir William Hepburn McAlpine, 6th Baronet, (12 January 1936 – 4 March 2018) was a British businessman who was director of the construction company Sir Robert McAlpine. Early life and career Born in London in 1936 at the family-owned Dorches ...

. In April 2011, Fairbridge was taken over by The Prince's Trust. The Prince's Trust then delivered "The Fairbridge Programme" using a similar model. By December 2022, The Fairbridge Programme was no longer appearing on the official web-site.

Purpose

Fairbridge was a national charity which helped young people develop the confidence, motivation and skills they need to turn their lives around. It was a member of The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS).Full list of NCVYS members

Bases

Based in the UK's inner city areas, Fairbridge helped circa 3,700 young people a year from its 16 centres. The charity operated from team centres in Bristol, Southampton, Hackney in East London and

Kennington Kennington is a district in south London, England. It is mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, running along the boundary with the London Borough of Southwark, a boundary which can be discerned from the early medieval period between the ...

in South London,

Chatham, Kent Chatham ( ) is a town located within the Medway unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Gillingham, Rochester, Strood and Rainham. The town developed around Chatham ...

(based out of Offices within the Historic Chatham Dockyard), Birmingham, Liverpool, Salford in Greater Manchester and Bury in North Manchester, Middlesbrough,

Newcastle-upon-Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is als ...

, Cardiff,

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Activities

Fairbridge worked with young people who had experienced school exclusion,

homelessness Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

, anti-social behavior, crime,

substance misuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

and mental health issues. By a combination of one-to-one support and challenging activities, young people made positive changes in their lives to enter education, training or employment. Activities included outdoor pursuits, cooking, IT, drama, art, music, sexual health, work-based and independent living courses. The charity owned a 92’ sailing ship Spirit of Fairbridge which fosters self belief through personal challenges.

References

* *

External links

* * The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fairbridge (Charity) Youth charities based in the United Kingdom