Burberry announces global youth support initiative with Marcus Rashford

Burberry has partnered with international footballer, activist and food poverty campaigner Marcus Rashford on an initiative to support young people across the world.

The British luxury house will be working with Rashford – who was recently awarded an MBE for his campaigning work to provide free school means for children who need them during the school holidays – along withcharities globally to "empower the voices that will shape our tomorrow".

In support of Rashford's efforts, Burberry has continued to provide donations to charity FareShare, which will fund over 200,000 meals distributed across 11,000 charities and community groups across the UK.

It has also pledged to work with youth organisations in Manchester, London and charities with a global reach. Programmes range from education to supporting young creatives and artists, and helping entrepreneurs to tackle some of the world’s significant challenges.

In London, Burberry is working with London Youth, which supports a network of over 600 community youth organisations. Fifteen youth centres jointly selected by Burberry and London Youth will receive grants to ensure their programmes can continue to make a positive impact in some of London's most deprived communities.

In Manchester, Burberry is supporting Norbrook Youth Club and Woodhouse Park Lifestyle Centre, which are both youth centres that played a pivotal role in Rashford’s childhood. Youth volunteers from the two clubs will be coming together as part of the partnership to help charities in the Wythenshawe area where the clubs are based and Rashford grew up.

Alongside these youth centres, Burberry is contributing to Wide Rainbow, a non-profit based in New York City providing access to the arts and arts education in neighbourhoods across the United States with little to no resources.

Burberry is also partnering with the International Youth Foundation to contribute to the Global Youth Resiliency Fund. This will enable young entrepreneurs and community leaders, especially in Asia, to develop solutions to challenges including closing nutrition gaps and unlocking access to livelihoods.

In an Instagram post, Rashford said of the initiative: "It was so important to me to see that Burberry shared my vision of supporting our most vulnerable communities, and they have led with actions rather than words with their commitment to our youth centres, an area of stability and safety for many, this financial investment will reap benefits for generations to come."

Burberry said in a statement: "Burberry’s history of supporting its communities is rooted in the altruism of its founder Thomas Burberry - himself a former young apprentice when he established his company aged just 21. Throughout his career, Thomas Burberry used his success as a way to contribute to society. This spirit of championing communities and youth remains today, through partnerships with organisations making a positive impact around the world.

"Marcus Rashford MBE embodies the ethos of supporting community – like Thomas Burberry, 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.

"Through this initiative, Burberry continues an ethos of empowering our resilient, caring communities that inspire and represent a more inclusive global future."