The aims

Providing safe childcare and skills training for disadvantaged families.

The story

The Balia Foundation provides support to young people and their families who are at risk of social exclusion. Since 2005, in partnership with Barclays, it has been providing safe childcare facilities for children and helping parents to secure skilled work.

Many of the families involved in the programme are immigrants and single parents, who often have limited skills, and face long working days in order to earn a reasonable income. This means leaving their children at home or playing in the street during working hours.

The Balia Foundation operates an after-school club providing professional childcare and opportunities for the children’s personal development.

For parents, the Balia Foundation offers classrooms where they can develop computer skills, write their CVs and search the internet for career opportunities. Barclays colleagues also run workshops to increase financial awareness among the group, which includes teaching them about budgeting and how to open bank accounts.

Results to date

Since its launch, 45 young people have enrolled in the Balia Programme’s after-school clubs. Financial awareness courses have benefited 35 parents and nine Barclays volunteers have helped run these training sessions.