Marcus Rashford MBE and Burberry are joining forces to help fund youth creativity in the UK and New York City. The iconic fashion house has teamed up with the Man United striker to champion "the power of giving back", with a joint aim to support youth centres in Rashford's hometown of Manchester, London, and in America.
Burberry have already committed to help Rashford's fight to end child food poverty in the UK by donating to FareShare, which funds 200,000 meals distributed through 11,000 charities and community groups across Britain. Now the British label will be furthering their support of youth organisations, including grants for Norbrook Youth Club and Woodhouse Park Lifestyle Centre—two youth centres Rashford attended as a child—with funding providing a special focus on education and supporting young creative and artists.
In London, Burberry will work with London Youth, a network of 600 community youth organisations which helps create opportunities for young people in the capital. On a global level, they will provide support for arts-after-school non-profit Wide Rainbow in New York and the International Youth Foundation, which works with community leaders and young people around the world.
Burberry shared my vision of supporting our most vulnerable communities, and they have led with actions with commitment to our youth centres. An area of stability for many, this financial investment will reap benefits for generations to come. Proud and thankful #burberryvoices pic.twitter.com/vwQWw24hDu
Rashford, 22, announced the partnership with a briliantly-worded letter to his 10-year-old self. "I encourage you to dream," he said, "because sometimes dreams are all you will have. For a young boy who says so little, one day you will have a voice that speaks for many."
Despite sales being down 48% this quarter, Burberry have continued to provide donations for vaccine research, donated 160,000 pieces of PPE and turned a Yorkshire factory that makes trench coats into one that makes non-surgical gowns for the UK's medics and care workers. The Burberry Foundation, the brand's charity arm, was set up in 2008, with Burberry Inspire—an initiative that brings art and culture into schools—set up in 2018, which has seen more than 5,000 students from all over the world take part.
Speaking about the partnership, Burberry said: "Marcus Rashford MBE embodies the ethos of supporting community. He is a pioneer, an innovator, a free-thinking trailblazer who harnesses his own achievements as a way to give back and nurture a new generation."
