Stephen Lawrence Day 2020 Event, Anniversary, London Architecture News, Charitable Trust UK

Stephen Lawrence Day 2020

21 Apr 2020

Stephen Lawrence Day

Stephen Lawrence Day is a reminder to tackle inequalities caused by the coronavirus

Stephen Lawrence:

As Public Health England and the Office for National Statistics begin to examine the emerging evidence of the disproportionate impact of coronavirus on people from BAME backgrounds, Stephen Lawrence Day on 22nd April has new resonance. Today, the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust calls for a renewed effort to promote inspiration and opportunity for young people from every background.

Sonia Watson, CEO of The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust with young architects involved in their built environment programmes:

Chief Executive, Sonia Watson, said: ‘Young people’s life chances are hugely affected by their background and the pandemic is now intensifying those inequalities, and threatens to undermine them longer-term. It is clear that those on the lowest incomes and minority communities are the worst affected, and this will undoubtedly have a knock-on effect on the life-chances of children and young people as we emerge from the crisis.’

Sonia Watson CEO of The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust:

As the government focuses on saving lives and the immediate need to protect the country as a whole from the worst impacts of recession, little bandwidth is yet being given to the long-term impact on young people from already disadvantaged backgrounds. Likely impacts include a widening gap in educational attainment, as children from the poorest backgrounds are also the least likely to have a suitable home learning environment whilst schools are closed.

Sonia Watson, The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust CEO, UK:

In the immediate future and moving forward, it is also likely to affect the ability of many to attend university, whether due to lower academic grades or financial pressures brought on by the economic fall-out of a recession. And as job opportunities narrow, those with the contacts, networks and know-how are more likely to succeed.

Students taking part in SLCT activities:

Sonia Watson said: ‘Stephen Lawrence Day is about getting young people involved in creating the kind of society they want to live in, but we also need government, businesses and others to play their part. The Day is a timely reminder that we are one community, and we cannot afford to let barriers, real or perceived, allow some of our most talented young people to fall through the gaps.’

Yasmin Idris and Leyla Hepsaydir,both part of The SLCT’s Connecting People and Places project:

Stephen’s mother, Baroness Lawrence, launched the day by urging others to take the baton passed by her son to make a positive difference, saying ‘I would like people to remember Stephen as the positive person he was, because he wanted to make a difference to others.’

Shawn Adams, Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust Alumni:

All resources are free to download from https://www.stephenlawrence.org.uk/stephen-lawrence-day/home-activities/

About Stephen Lawrence Day

• 22nd April is national Stephen Lawrence Day, celebrating the life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence, a young man with a bright future ahead of him, who was tragically killed in a racist attack at just 18 years old. Although his life was short, Stephen provides a positive role model of a life well lived.

• The day is intended to be an opportunity for children and young people to make their voices heard, be the change they want to see, and help create a society that treats everyone with fairness and respect.

• The objectives of the day are to:

o Inspire and support children and young people to make choices in their life and act in ways that enable themselves and others to live their best life.
o Encourage and enable children and young people to play an active role in their communities, building stronger communities in which everyone can flourish.
o Give children and young people a strong voice in driving social change and creating a society that treats everyone with fairness and respect.

• The Day is co-ordinated by the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, which was founded by Stephen’s mother, Baroness Lawrence, and which works to inspire and support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and to create a fairer society.

About The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust

• The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust works to inspire and support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and to create a fairer society in which everyone, regardless of their background, can flourish.

• The Trust runs high impact programmes giving young people from disadvantaged backgrounds the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to pursue the career of their choice.

• It runs programmes that support community groups and leaders to maximise their impact and helps to build relationships between communities and local organisations, strengthening the bonds that create positive places to live and work.

• The Trust also works with government, business and others to create a society in which everyone, regardless of their background, has the opportunity and support to flourish.

The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust images / information received 210420

Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust

Stephen Lawrence Links

Stephen Lawrence anniversary events

Left: Sonia Watson, Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust Chief Executive; Right: Ben Derbyshire, RIBA President
Stephen Lawrence Anniversary Events