We have a big mission
Empower people to succeed regardless of their ethnic background, through delivering educational life-skills programmes, improving learning environments and addressing racial inequality.
THE PROBLEM
Only
4.7%
of the UK's top leadership
positions are held by BAME individuals
vs 13% BAME population
Less than
£400
Black UK households are
most likely of all ethnic groups to earn
less than £400 a week
We are also committed to improving learning environments by providing educational resources to under-funded schools in the UK and in some developing countries. Check out our first school-support initiative here.
We were founded in July 2020 and believe that every person deserves a fair opportunity to thrive, regardless of their background.
Open Palm is unique for the following reasons:
AMBITIOUS
Our mission is to improve as many lives as possible by removing barriers for Black and Minority Ethnic individuals. We aim to reach 18.5K young people in 3 years
FOCUSED
We are focused on executing our initiatives well and therefore have a select few initiatives each year so we achieve what we set out to do
TAILORED
Our life-skills programmes are created by us and are tailored to the needs of underrepresented communities
OUR VALUES
Where there is no wise direction, people fall. In the multitude of counsellors, there is safety.
Transparent
Communicating openly and honestly with our donors, beneficiaries, stakeholders and regulators
Acting with integrity
Accountable
Taking responsibility for actions and decisions
Welcoming challenge and learning from mistakes
Conscious
Conscious in all that we do, being mindful to act in a way that does not bring disrepute on Open Palm or anyone associated with it
Stewards
Carrying out our work with diligence, for the public benefit
Using resources wisely
OUR TRUSTEES
Ralph McBaiden
Trustee & Co-Founder
Chartered Accountant
Former secondary school governor
Personal Ethos: "Less talk, more action. I want to make a change"
Sophie McBaiden
Trustee & Co-Founder
Qualified Lawyer
Primary school governor and safeguarding link
Personal Ethos: "I want to do the best that I can with this life, to be of use."
Lynette Emessibe
Trustee
Retired Accountant
Worked for BT for 30 plus years.
Personal Ethos: "Keen to raise self-awareness in people, helping them to realise their full potential."
Our Specialist Advisory Groups
These are specialist groups of volunteers with experience and skills relevant to the particular initiative, ranging from qualified teachers to Project Managers.
All proposed initiatives are brought to an Advisory Group for scrutiny, to ensure that each initiative delivers the best impact for beneficiaries and wider society.
Giving Back
We are committed to ensuring that our initiatives remain free of charge for beneficiaries.
Our Trustees and Advisory Groups help to reduce our operating costs by donating their time for free.
Interested in volunteering your skills to support us? Complete our form and we'll get in touch!