Stopgap's 17th Birthday

March the 17th is a famous day throughout history. In 1845, the rubber band was patented; in 1951, Kurt Russell was born and in 1993, most significantly of all, Stopgap was founded!

OK, so maybe these events won't go down in history, but we're using March 17th – our 17th birthday – to run an event that is momentous for the people it will be helping.

Since it began in 1956, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award has been dedicated to the personal development of young people from all backgrounds. For disadvantaged young people, this award offers the chance to learn new skills and quite literally, change their lives.

Stopgap is raising money to buy equipment for disadvantaged local young people that will help them take part in the DofE and build a great future for themselves. On March 17th – our 17th birthday – all employees of Stopgap, Fitzroy and Courtenay HR will be donning their walking boots and limbering up for a sponsored 17 mile hike along the River Thames!

Now despite the 17 theme, we thought that £17,000 would be quite ambitious so instead, we're aiming for 17 x 17 x 17 (clever, hey!) which is £4,913, or rounded up:

£5000!

None of this is achievable without your help. In order to reach our goal, we're trying to get as many people as possible to sponsor our March march.

We've set up a Just Giving page for 17 for 17, where you can donate online, as well as checking up on our progress. All donations, however large or small, are welcome!

£1.70, £17.00, £170.00 - any amount will be gratefully received!

Looking for an easy way to donate? Click here to be billed double for the day!

On the day, we'll be tweeting our progress using the hashtag #17for17 and sending updates to the Stopgap Facebook page, so you'll be able to see how we're faring...

http://www.facebook.com/stopgap
http://www.twitter.com/stopgap
http://www.twitter.com/17for17

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (The DofE) is a voluntary, non-competitive programme of activities for anyone aged 14-24. Doing their DofE gives young people the opportunity to experience new activities, develop existing skills and for some, creates life changing opportunities. The organisation has the widest reach of any UK youth charity, helping 275,000 young people, 30,000 of these participants are from disadvantaged backgrounds.

ALEX'S STORY

When he was 17, Alex got involved in a fight, was arrested and sent to prison. While in prison Alex was approached to take part in the DofE. Alex now exudes an energy and positivity which he says is largely due to his taking part. Since leaving prison he has been supported by the Charity as well as his family. "The greatest thing I've got from doing my DofE is confidence and recognition. It is one of the best things I could have done. It's so good to hear encouragement from someone and it has an amazing impact on your confidence. I think I'm stronger now than I was. I feel more able to voice my opinions than I used to. "I'd recommend doing your DofE to anybody. It helps you keep focused on keeping out of trouble, but it's not a free ride. You have to work hard for every piece of encouragement and, ultimately, every Award."

A MUM'S STORY

"My daughter Tiffanie achieved her Bronze Award whilst at school and still recalls the excitement of learning new skills, being part of a team and being given real responsibilities. I love the core principles of the DofE, which yell out 'access and achievement for all'. We all grow, develop and mature at different stages, and the DofE recognises this – allowing young people to achieve without competitive pressures." "The skills learned are like a rehearsal for life – developing communicative skills, teamwork, commitment and meeting personal goals. The DofE system encourages and gives young people confidence to try something new. There is simply nothing to lose and everything to gain."