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The Jack Petchey Foundation Celebrates: A Life, A Vision, A Legacy!
On Sunday 1st December 2024 the Jack Petchey Foundation will celebrate the life, vision and legacy of Sir Jack Petchey CBE. The night will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Foundation, which was formed in 1999.
Despite leaving school aged 13 with no qualification, Sir Jack went on to achieve his ambitions. However, he wanted to ensure young people didn’t face the same struggles he did and so he set up the Jack Petchey Foundation. Following his passing this year, Sir Jack’s legacy will be the continuing work of the Foundation to support young people.
During the evening there will be tributes to Sir Jack, representation of each programme and partnership of the Foundation, alongside uplifting performances by talented young people who have directly benefited from Sir Jack’s vision and generosity.
Matthew Rantell, Chair of Trustees, Grandson of Sir Jack, said: “It was with great sadness that we said goodbye to my grandfather this year, yet we are comforted by what he leaves behind. His legacy will continue to live on, and our family and I look forward to seeing so many other success stories over the next 25 years of the Foundation.”
The Jack Petchey Foundation also celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2024. The Foundation was set up by Sir Jack Petchey CBE to inspire and celebrate young people. Since 1999, over £180 million has been invested in programmes to benefit young people aged 11-25 across London and Essex.
The night will also celebrate an incredible 25 years in which over 1.3 million young people have directly benefitted from the charity’s programmes, including our flagship Achievement Award Scheme. From learning public speaking skills with The Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge, to becoming socially active with First Give, to getting physically active with the Panathlon Challenge, young people have been motivated and inspired to achieve and to believe in Sir Jack’s motto: ‘If you think you can, you can!’
Speaking about the Foundation’s milestone, Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: “The Jack Petchey Foundation has been a remarkable force for good, investing in young people and inspiring them to seize opportunities to achieve their full potential. For over two decades, the Foundation’s work has funded thousands of youth clubs across London and Essex and supported hundreds of thousands of young people through the lifechanging impact delivered by inspirational youth workers. On behalf of all Londoners, I want to congratulate the Jack Petchey Foundation on its Silver Jubilee. We are proud to celebrate your continued commitment to empowering our young people, and we look forward to many more years of collaboration and success!”
Throughout 2024 special live events have taken place. The Foundation’s first celebration event took place at the London Living Room, City Hall, London in February.