We’re really excited to announce that Oplo has become a Platinum Patron of local charity The Boathouse Youth. As Blackpool’s biggest youth club, the Boathouse Youth provides an incredibly fun and supportive range of services for young people in the area – all free of charge.
Sadly, Blackpool ranks among the worst areas in the UK for child poverty. Since it was founded in 2009, The Boathouse Youth has helped over 2,000 children from some of the most deprived areas of the town.
The charity offers a great mix of fun and practical services including education, activities, support, and even holidays for its young members who would otherwise not have access to them.
As a Platinum Patron, Oplo is pledging £25,000 annually for the next three years to help ensure young people in Blackpool can continue to enjoy the experiences that The Boathouse Youth provides, for years to come.
About The Boathouse Youth
The Boathouse Youth currently works with young people from the Bloomfield ward and Grange Park council estate. These areas were selected for having the highest levels of deprivation in the whole of Blackpool.
More than 50% of the children that come from these areas are living ‘below the breadline’.
They’re missing out on many things people take for granted; food in the fridge, a hot drink, help with homework, a bed-time story, a clean bed.
But, perhaps worse than what they are deprived of is what they are exposed to. Many of the children witness domestic violence, drug or alcohol misuse, live in poor housing conditions, and have limited access to basic services such as the dentist.
The biggest driver of all of this, is the low income of parents. Which is why all The Boathouse Youth services are provided for free.
Want to join, support, or learn more about The Boathouse Youth? Check out their website.
Have You Heard of Oplo Impact?
Being local, with our head offices in Blackpool, it means a lot to us to make a positive difference in the community we call home. We’re delighted to see that happen with this new partnership.
But it’s not only Blackpool we want to support. We have a company-wide goal to make the world around us a better place – starting at home in all the communities where we have offices, but also branching out across the whole UK.
We call this, Oplo Impact.
As well as The Boathouse Youth in Blackpool, Oplo Impact already supports The Christie NHS Foundation in Manchester, mental health charity MIND, and several other great initiatives.
The Christie
The Christie hospital is the largest all under one roof cancer centre in Europe! It treats an incredible 60,000+ patients a year and is the first UK centre to be accredited as a comprehensive cancer centre.
MIND
MIND provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health difficulty. The charity campaigns across the UK to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding of mental health.
Many More to Come
Oplo’s support, as well as the number of groups we work with, will only continue to grow as we do. Check out some of the other positive and sustainable stuff we’ve been getting up to, on the Oplo Impact section of our website.
