| – WE Day Community: Nottingham is free to students thanks to partners led by Co-Title Sponsor Boots UK – |
| – WE Day Community: Nottingham event photos are available in the Electronic Press Kit – |
| On 6th November 2019, WE Day, an inspiring youth empowerment event and celebration of social good, held the first-ever WE Day Community: Nottingham, at the Royal Concert Hall. The event brought together over 2,000 young people and teachers from across Nottinghamshire who earned their way by taking action on local and global causes that they are passionate about. WE Day connects these young people to their communities and the rest of the world by helping them share their stories of social action. From raising awareness about homelessness to fighting climate change, the event celebrated their year of creating a lasting difference in their communities. This inspiring celebration for social good featured renowned speakers, innovative thought leaders and dynamic performers including Joe Dempsie, Emilio Estevez, George Gretton, WE Charity co-founders Craig Kielburger and Marc Kielburger, Martin Luther King III, Vicky McClure, Bella Ramsey, Margaret Trudeau, Isabelle Weall and more. |
| “I’m very grateful to be at the first-ever WE Day in Nottingham alongside my peers who are incredibly inspirational. Young people today are using their voices more than ever,” says actress, Bella Ramsey. “We can do anything we put our minds to and at WE Day that means standing up and making a change to better our future.” |
| More than a one-day event, WE Day is connected to the free, year-long social action programme WE Schools, which is accessed by over 18,000 schools globally. Designed to enhance a school or community’s existing social initiatives or spark new ones, WE Schools provides teachers with educational resources and action campaigns to encourage students to further their curricular learning and develop social and emotional skills to succeed beyond the classroom. In the 2018/2019 school year, over 100 school groups from the Nottingham area participated in WE Schools, creating socially innovative solutions to today’s pressing issues. Nottingham’s school children have been taking action in support of local and global causes including homelessness, hunger, poverty, bullying, well-being, access to education and access to clean water in communities across the globe. |
| “Changing the world is no small feat, and every student and teacher at WE Day Community: Nottingham has stepped up to the challenge of making an impact in their local communities and beyond,” said Craig Kielburger, co-founder of WE Charity. “The energy of thousands of committed young people excited to make a difference is like nothing else in the world, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to honour and celebrate for the first time ever in Nottingham.” |
| Speakers and performers at WE Day Community: Nottingham energised the crowd through a day filled with powerful educational speeches, inspirational moments and performances. A few must-see highlights include: |
| WE Day Community: Nottingham Co-Chairs, Ornella Barra and Charles Butterworth, kicked-off the celebration by sharing how the day was all about becoming a certified WE Superhero and what it means to for young people to be heroic in their communities and around the world. |
| “We are so excited to bring WE Day to Nottingham, an important community for Boots and where we’ve been for all of our 170 years. We’re proud to be part of the work that’s being done to support young people and enable them to improve the lives of many right here in Nottingham, and across the globe. Partnership is at the core of our business culture and a treasured value, and working with WE is a fantastic example of the success that a Corporate Social Responsibility partnership can bring. WE Day Community Nottingham is a chance to celebrate this success and attract support for our partnership and benefit younger generations.” Said Ornella Barra, Co-Chief Operating Officer, Walgreens Boots Alliance. |
| “One of the best parts of creating positive change is inspiring others as well. Every action you take has a reaction. And for all the positivity you’ve brought into the world, there are countless others who are motivated to follow in your footsteps. Before you know it, you’ll become a role model and a hero to others.” Said Charles Butterworth, Managing Director, Experian UK & Ireland and EMEA. |
| Actress, activist and Nottingham native, Vicky McClure, inspired young people in attendance to continue making an impact in their communities and to take action on what they believe in. She shared her passion for advocating for Dementia after witnessing her grandmother suffer from the disease. |
| “Something I wish my younger self had been told was to worry less and enjoy each moment. One of your greatest superpowers is your potential – you have a lifetime of experiences, lessons, successes and failures in front of you. Embrace and live every moment with your whole heart.” |
| Actor, Joe Dempsie, encouraged those in attendance to dream big and spoke about Nottingham Forest’s programme called Dream Big which aims to help young people realise their potential and encourage literacy learning across all of Nottinghamshire. |
| “Sometimes in order to believe you can do something, it really helps to see someone from similar circumstances doing something amazing. So if you ever feel like there’s something you can’t do, or your dreams are too big, do what I do – remember Brian Clough and the miracle of Nottingham Forest. A team who worked hard, believed in themselves, believed in each other… and made the impossible possible.” |
| Singer-songwriter, George Gretton, closed off the day with a performance of his hit songs Tread Water and A Long Way Back. |
| WE Day is free of charge to students and teachers in Nottingham, thanks to the generous support of partners led by Co-Title Supporter Boots UK. Boots UK is aiming to empower a generation of young people in Nottingham to fulfil their potential by developing their personal well-being and workplace readiness through social action. To support more young people to attend WE Day and celebrate their collective achievements in social action, Boots UK helped bring WE Day to Nottingham, making this the first time the event was held in the UK outside of London. Held during Boots UK’s 170th year, bringing WE Day to Nottingham symbolises Boots UK’s on-going commitment to the community of Nottingham. |
| WE Day is supported in Nottingham by Co-Chairs Ornella Barra, Co-Chief Operating Officer, Walgreens Boots Alliance; Charles Butterworth, Managing Director, Experian UK & Ireland and EMEA. WE Day is supported nationally in the UK by Co-Chairs Holly Branson, Leadership Team Virgin Group, Virgin Unite and Founder of Big Change; Lord Rumi Verjee, Founder of The Rumi Foundation; and Kees Kruythoff, Chairman, Mr. Green Trading Africa Kenya, Ltd. WE Day is supported globally by Co-Chairs David Aisenstat, CEO, The Keg Steakhouse + Bar, Chairman, The Keg Spirit Foundation; Hartley Richardson, President & Chief Executive Officer; James Richardson & Sons Ltd.; Dave I. McKay, President & Chief Executive Officer, RBC Royal Bank; and, Craig Burkinshaw, Co-Founder, Audley Travel. |
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