In early 2024, I was asked to volunteer with The Talent Foundry, an organisation that supports young people in under-served communities to discover their talents through partnerships with schools and local businesses.
I was brought in to support a specific student who wanted to become a fashion designer but felt that, because of her background, this wasn’t a realistic option for her. I met her first at a Talent Foundry event, and later at her school alongside her careers teacher. During that meeting, I learned that her academy no longer offered textiles, and that if she wanted to apply for college she had no portfolio work to show.
I offered her guidance on how to build a portfolio and develop her textiles knowledge independently. That one conversation sparked a much bigger question for me:
How many other academies in our borough no longer offer textiles? And how many young people are missing out because of it?
From there, I began reaching out — to local academies, our local authority, artist communities, and community groups. I didn’t know where it would lead. If I’m honest, I usually work alone in my studio and I’m quite introverted. I’ve intentionally built a business that allows me to work independently. But this felt important, so I stepped outside my comfort zone.
Fast forward two years, and because I met one young person through The Talent Foundry:
- I now teach after-school enrichment at two academies
- I support a private GCSE textiles student
- I have an upcoming eight-week project for the Rochdale Youth Arts Festival
- An upcoming workshop with Touchstones Gallery
- I may soon be continuing another term one-to-one with a student as part of her EOTAS learning
- This month, I’m also volunteering at a Creativity in Careers Fair and a Year 9 careers speed networking event
I’m genuinely loving working with young people in our borough — and it all started with The Talent Foundry.
Unfortunately, this year I’m unable to volunteer with Rochdale Talent Foundry, but I wanted to give a shout-out and a call to action.
If you’re a business based in the borough — whether you’re self-employed or part of a larger company — please consider offering your support. Giving your time to share what you do, how you got there, and what you’ve learned can make a huge difference to a young person’s confidence and sense of possibility.
I always had a fantastic time volunteering, and seeing young people grow over just four sessions is genuinely amazing.
Big love, Lindsey 💜
