Ambitious Together Foundation – Ambitious Together Foundation

Partner with us to shape a programme that supports young people to thrive.

AMBITIOUS TOGETHER FOUNDATION.

(ATF)

is part of the

family

THE CRISIS FACING YOUNG PEOPLE.

Across the UK, young adults are entering independence in increasingly unstable
circumstances. Too often, life chances are determined by circumstance rather than potential. Young people facing disadvantage are significantly less likely to access the networks, relationships and opportunities that support upward mobility and long-term success.

1 in 3 care leavers become homeless within 2 years of leaving care

Nearly 1 million young people (16-24) are NEET, the highest in a decade

Up to 27% of the adult prison population have experienced care

Mental-health referrals +50% since 2019; loneliness now a top 3 youth issue.

Early hardship – including care experience, family estrangement, bereavement or serious illness – often leave young people without the guidance, networks or financial
safety nets many of us rely on during key transitions.

Each year:

Around 10,000 young people leave the care system
Thousands more lose family support at a critical stage of life
Many face barriers to education, employment, housing and wellbeing

Too many young people are defined by circumstance, not by their potential. The result is an opportunity gap that limits social mobility, restricts economic participation and prevents talent from flourishing.

WHY NOW?

YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ENTERING ADULTHOOD AT A TIME OF UNPRECEDENTED INSTABILITY.

Support for vulnerable young people too often ends just as adulthood begins.

Formal systems typically taper off at 18 or 21, yet the challenges of adulthood – employment, finances, housing and mental health – intensify well beyond this point. Mentoring provision is fragmented, inconsistent and heavily dependent on location or luck.

At the same time, the pressures facing young people are growing: rising living costs, widening inequality and increasing mental health need.

The case for change is clear. What’s needed is not another short-term programme, but lasting infrastructure that connects generations, builds social capital and creates opportunity at scale.

The challenge facing young people today is not simply financial hardship. It is disconnection. Young people without strong networks are less likely to secure employment, access work experience, navigate education transitions or develop the confidence needed to thrive. Lasting relationships and trusted adult support are increasingly recognised as critical drivers of opportunity and social mobility

BUT ONE TRUSTED RELATIONSHIP CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING

ONE TRUSTED ADULT CAN CHANGE A LIFE

Research consistently shows that young people with access to trusted adults, professional networks and positive role models experience stronger outcomes in education, employment, wellbeing and social mobility.

ATF exists to make those relationships available to every young person who needs them—not just those fortunate enough to have them already.

About ATF.

OUR MISSION IS SIMPLE:

TO ENSURE EVERY YOUNG PERSON HAS SOMEONE STEADY IN THEIR CORNER. Because opportunity should be determined by potential, not postcode, background or circumstance.

Ambitious Together Foundation (ATF) is building something the UK currently lacks: a consistent, trusted, national mentoring infrastructure for young adults who have faced disadvantage.

Over the next five years, ATF aims to support 15,000 young people aged 16–30, ensuring that those who have experienced care, family estrangement, bereavement or significant disruption are not left to navigate adulthood alone.

This is not a short-term intervention or a localised programme. ATF is a long-term, national ambition – designed to sit alongside education, employment and health as part of the UK’s shared social infrastructure.

We believe access to opportunity should not depend on postcode, personal networks or chance encounters. Every young person should have access to trusted relationships, professional networks and guidance when it matters most. Mentoring is one of the most effective ways to build the social capital that enables young people to thrive.

ATF exists to unlock potential that too often goes unrealised – and to shape futures through connection, guidance and opportunity.

Britain has a social capital gap. While some young people grow up surrounded by professional networks, role models and trusted adults, others enter adulthood without access to the relationships that open doors. ATF exists to close that gap by connecting young adults with the guidance, networks and opportunities that shape life chances.

ATF APPROACH.

Our model is defined by:

Intergenerational mentoring - connecting young adults with professionals, leaders, role models and networks that expand opportunity.
Values-driven, bias-aware matching - aligning mentors and mentees based on background, expertise, career interests and individual needs
Long-term relationships - providing guidance, social capital and stability at critical transition points.
Partnership-powered delivery - working with businesses, education providers and civic leaders
Social mobility focused - helping young people access opportunities, experiences and networks that improve life chances.

Mentors are fully supported, safeguarding is central, and every relationship is designed to be purposeful and relevant.

a consistent, national approach built on evidence, partnership and long-term thinking.

FRANCHISE-STYLE CONSISTENCY

Every hub e.g. FE/HE, delivers the same ‘gold standard’ experience with shared standards, contact schedule, and safeguarding.

INTERGENERATIONAL MENTORING

Diverse pool of mentees, graduates, professionals and retirees. This creates representation, networks and role models.

AI-POWERED MATCHING AND MONITORING

Secure platform combining deep profiling, matching, wellness checks, dashboards and safeguarding workflows.

PARTNERSHIP-POWERED REACH

Corporates, colleges, universities, civic leaders and communities

The young people represented here are aged 16–30. Some have experienced care, estrangement, mental health challenges or periods of being NEET. Many have had to navigate adulthood and the welfare system without consistent support. Yet time and again, we see the difference that having someone steady in their corner can make. They are more than what they have been through.

ATF is translating ambition into action by building a national opportunity and mentoring infrastructure designed to grow, adapt and endure. Our ambition is to strengthen social mobility by ensuring every young person has access to trusted relationships, professional networks and long-term support.

Our journey begins with an 18-month pilot in Birmingham, bringing together 100 mentors and 100 young adults to test, refine and evidence the ATF model.

This pilot will:

From this starting point, ATF will grow into a £50 million, five-year national movement supporting 15,000 young people across England and Wales, helping to close the social capital gap and expand opportunity for the next generation.

LONG-TERM AMBITION.

By 2035, ATF aims to support 15,000 intensive mentoring relationships while building a wider community of 100,000+ young people, mentors, employers and supporters connected through opportunity, learning, social capital and peer support.

Our ambition is not simply to deliver mentoring programmes, but to create a national movement that strengthens belonging, expands opportunity and ensures no young person has to navigate adulthood alone.

TIMELINE.

ATF CLEAR ASKS.

Building a national opportunity and mentoring infrastructure requires leadership, commitment and collaboration. Employers, philanthropists and civic leaders all have a role to play in closing Britain’s opportunity gap.

ATF is calling on businesses, philanthropists and partners to support this ambition in three clear ways.

Financial investment
In-kind and resource support
Networks and advocacy

Your involvement can help turn ambition into action – creating a legacy of opportunity that lasts for generations.

NEXT STEPS...

Becoming an ATF mentor means being part of a diverse, values-led community committed to creating real change.

Our mentors come from a wide range of professional and lived-experience backgrounds and are carefully trained, supported and matched using safeguarding-first, bias-aware technology.

Use your time, skills and experience to stand alongside a young person when it matters most.

Lasting change happens when organisations work together.

Employers and institutions are uniquely positioned to expand opportunity. Through mentoring, work exposure, networks, advocacy and role modelling, organisations can help close the social capital gap that limits life chances for too many young people.

By partnering with ATF, you can help unlock talent, strengthen social mobility and create pathways to opportunity for the next generation.

If you’re aged 16–30 and facing life without consistent support, ATF can help.

We match young adults with mentors who listen, guide and stand alongside you as you work towards your goals.

Find out how mentoring could support you.

Mentor.

ATF aims to build a high-quality, diverse and representative mentor community.

WHO QUALIFIES AS AN ATF MENTOR:

Graduates and postgraduates
Professionals e.g. across law, finance, tech, health, creative industries
Community leaders and trained volunteers
Retirees and senior professionals bringing experience and networks.
Lived experience mentors

MENTORS MUST COMPLETE:

MENTEES.

WHO CAN BECOME AN ATF MENTEE?

Care-experienced and care-adjacent young adults
Young carers and young adults with caring responsibilities for parents, siblings or other family members
Young people affected by bereavement, parental loss, trauma or family breakdown
Young adults who are NEET or at risk of becoming NEET
Young people with limited confidence or trusted adult relationships
Young people experiencing socio-economic hardship or systemic disadvantage

WHAT ATF PROVIDES:

MENTOR RECRUITMENT FLOW.

MENTEE RECRUITMENT FLOW.

Contact Us .

For any enquiries, feel free to reach us at:
hello@ambitioustogether.org.uk

Every young person deserves someone in their corner

Account Name : Ambitious Together Foundation
Sort Code : 23-05-80
Account No : 53500676

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