One in a Million | Join the Movement
One in a Million
Join the Movement
‘Thanks a Million!’
Thank you to everyone who attended the launch of One in a Million. The response has been incredible and heartening.
Guests heard from Josh MacAlister OBE MP, the new Minister for Children and Families, and a keynote speech from Matthew Gordon OBE, the Chief Executive of Spectra which delivers the Care Leaver Covenant programme for the Department for Education.
Discussion panels included Mark Rogers, Sir Peter Bazalgette, Margaret Heffernan and Tom Simons.
But it was our Ambassadors (Lived Experience Experts) like Angelina Allen, Eve Johnson, Melika La’Rosa and Sebastian-Nico Scott, who, along with Brad Kella, winner of Channel 4’s The Piano, stole the show and brought the audience to their feet.
Andrew Forzani, the Government’s Chief Commercial Officer, told them:
“The Government now wants to go further to streamline social value across the public sector, to create stronger relationships with anchor partners, and promote more meaningful social value that supports local economic growth.”
“I encourage you all to sign the Care Leaver Covenant if you haven’t already. As strategic suppliers to the UK Government, you are in an important position to help make change happen.”
One in a Million seeks to embed social value, intergenerational support and accountability into government procurement to create meaningful pathways into work.
For every £1 million earned through public contracts, at least one opportunity will be created for care leavers and other priority groups.
You can see films from the event here as well as learning more about One in a Million and how to Join the Movement.
Commercial Break
The Cabinet Office has been central to developing the One in a Million proposition.
The Government’s Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Forzani explains how care leavers are at the heart of the Government’s approach to delivering social value from public contracts.
Ministerial Message
Josh MacAlister OBE MP told guests that through the vast amount of money spent with UK Government strategic suppliers, with even a few small changes we could create thousands and thousands of opportunities for young people.
The newly appointed minister for Children and Families chaired the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care (2022) before being elected to Parliament. The Review said that the disadvantages faced by the care experienced community should be the civil rights issue of our time.
Thank You Sir Peter
Immediately before his last appearance as Chair of the Business Council, we showed this video with reflections from the care experienced community on his time with the Care Leaver Covenant.
“We’ve got to fight harder, we’ve got to be stronger.”
“Give people that opportunity…”
“And the moment you give them a chance, like me, you’ll see that they fly up past your expectations.”
“Some of the broken people are actually the greatest leaders.”
Project Hope
A critical partner in launching One in a Million is Lloyds Banking Group. It is doing incredible work to support care experienced young people.
It has developed a bespoke programme which responds to the needs of care experienced young people to create pathways to sustainable, meaningful employment opportunities.
Or, to put it another way, to create some luck for young people. 25 apprentices are successfully completing their programmes and joining the bank as employees in September.
Paul Speight, Planning & Productivity Director, Consumer Relationships at the Lloyds Banking Group, was the first person representing the major companies present to sign the Care Leaver Covenant board. Watch his story here.
Powering the Marketplace
As our Marketplace partner, Central Fusion enabled us to create a special space where guests could meet, chat and see some of the incredible work done through private-voluntary sector collaborations to support care leavers.
Central Fusion connects care leavers with exclusive opportunities, as you will see in this fantastic video from Leeds Festival.
As Richard Irwin said in his programme notes:
“Because it’s difficult to dance on quicksand—sometimes, you need to make the ground a little firmer.”
Mentoring Matters
Intergenerational mentoring is an important strand of the programmes Spectra delivers. Carl and Seb give us a taste of why it’s so powerful.
Programme
Our programme for the event provides more information on One in a Million, including the first contribution from new Care Leaver Covenant Business Council Chair Dr Margaret Heffernan.
Join the Movement
The next step is signing a Statement of Intent, simply indicating that your organisation wants to work towards becoming a member of the Care Leaver Covenant network. We will then work with you to develop a specific ‘offer’ through which you will connect care leavers with exclusive opportunities in education, work, wellbeing, money and their home.
We are planning a special event to celebrate every company which signs a Statement of Intent or joins the network before the end of National Care Leavers Month in November. So, we would be delighted to receive your Statement of Intent by the end of this special month.
One in a Million Launch Event Gallery
Ambassadors | Lived Experience Experts
Our ambassadors are individuals with lived experience who bring unique insight, authenticity, and credibility to our work. As Lived Experience Experts, they share their personal journeys to shape better services, influence decisions, and inspire others.