Our mission is to empower young people by connecting them with opportunities to build skills, networks, and create sustained success.
Our vision is a world where all young people have access to opportunities to create success in their futures.
Our story began on a farm. We wanted to start a movement, giving young people opportunities, to create success.
FLAARE was founded by Izzie and Annie (thats us up there!). We're passionate about enabling access to opportunities and helping young people develop their skills and passions, particularly if they don't often get those opportunities.
FLAARE began because we saw this acutely with young people who have been excluded from school. Suspension and permanent exclusion affects hundreds of thousands of young people (183,822 in Autumn 2022). This can often feel like the end of the road for young people, and is a massive detriment to their mental health, as well as their aspirations and life trajectories (being excluded from school means you're 5x more likely to be in prison by the age of 24).
FLAARE's story began with Izzie volunteering on a community farm in South London (shout out to Jamie's Farm and Oasis!) Izze was working with young people who'd been excluded from mainstream school and were at a pupil referral unit (PRU). Whilst volunteering Izzie also worked in Early Talent and Recruitment for a tech consultancy (props to Avanade). Seeing the gap between how the young people going through the corporate cycle felt, and the young people who had been excluded felt, Izzie decided to take action... And so FLAARE was born.
Since our first programme we've been working with young people in PRUs, at Youth Hubs, and other schools, and are always looking to connect with young people and other community hubs in whatever way works best for them.
If you're under 25 and think this sounds like you, or you know young people who might be interested, contact us here.
If you work with young people through community groups, centres, schools, PRUs, or any other format and want to know how to best help your young people find their FLAARE, contact us here.
We can't wait to hear from you!!
Meet the team
Izzie Fernandes
Co-founder.
Our fearless founder, Izzie has worked in Early Talent and Recruitment for 5 years, and is passionate about enabling access for young people. In her free time, Izzie enjoys long runs, early mornings, and Madonna.
izzie@flaare.org.uk
Annie McCosker
Co-founder.
Our fabulous co-founder, Annie works in the charity sector, and is passionate about boosting young people's wellbeing. In her free time, Annie enjoys late nights, playing hockey, and Frank Ocean.
annie@flaare.org.uk
Lottie McCosker
Safeguarding Lead
Our Safeguarding Lead, Lottie is a Pediatric Nurse at a central London hospital. In her free time Lottie enjoys long lie-ins, sunbathing, and Loyle Carner.
The boring but important details: FLAARE is a CIC Limited by Guarantee, which means all our profits go back into enabling opportunities for young people. Our company number is 14549784.
We have a safeguarding policy here <link> , but feel free to contact any member of team with any questions or concerns.