Citywealth Leaders List, 60 seconds interview – Nicholas Connolly, EveryYouth
This week’s 60 seconds Citywealth Leaders List interview is dedicated to Nicholas Connolly, Chief Executive & Founder at EveryYouth.
Tell Citywealth readers a bit about your role.
I’m the founder and CEO of EveryYouth. We’re the national charity for young people experiencing homelessness and carry out the bulk of our vital employment, health and housing support via a Network of fantastic delivery organisations. This approach means we’re efficient and agile, but everything is about relationship management.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Most of my day is spent communicating. Speaking with potential collaborators and funders, reviewing proposals and press releases, but also speaking with young people. We’re the only charity in the UK that represents thousands of young people experiencing homelessness across Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England and their voice is rarely heard.
Many of the young people we support are deeply inspiring. If the public understood what they had faced and witnessed their spirit; I’m confident we would raise more money to fund services.
Tell us about some recent, interesting client instructions/requests you have received.
During a session with young people in Aberdeen earlier this year, alongside Prince William, it was heartbreaking to hear how they felt worthless after receiving no feedback from countless job applications, not even a ‘thank you very much for attending but you have been unsuccessful this time’.
This is why we work with employers to help them prepare to hire young people with difficult life experiences. This work is at the heart of our recent letter to the Chancellor on how to best roll out the Government’s new paid work scheme for young people.
What challenges do your clients face and how are you helping your clients/stakeholders to overcome them?
The young people we support have nothing. No financial or social capital and no familial safety net. More than 90% of the young people we support have experienced traumatic childhood: 50% have been physically abused, 50% lived with addicts, 50% lived with people with mental illness, and they are 11 times more likely to live with an offender. They’ve been dealt a shocking hand. But we don’t focus on the past; we look forward. We help 16- to 25-year-olds reach their full potential through wraparound employability, health and housing support, including our groundbreaking pro bono recruitment service specifically designed to get young people at risk or experiencing homelessness into good jobs with a future.
It’s called Project Flourish and has been created in collaboration with Hays, the leading recruitment and workforce solutions provider. Project Flourish has been backed by The Royal Foundation’s Homewards initiative and is a great example of how to tackle record high youth unemployment rates right now.
This year we also launched Youth Voices. Starting as a series of creative projects to amplify the experiences of young people who have faced homelessness, and leading to a committee to lobby, educate and influence, the programme will create the first national network of its kind for vulnerable young people to make change, help others in a similar situation and take ownership of their narrative.
It might sound odd, but for many young people, homelessness isn’t a housing issue. Giving someone a house doesn’t begin to address the consequences of their childhoods but if we do address those consequences, they may well be able to build an independent life for themselves.
Please feel free to add me on LinkedIn or email me at nconnolly@everyyouth.org.uk to find out how you can support these and other projects at EveryYouth.
What is your proudest professional achievement?
Creating EveryYouth! I love getting our Network of 21 local youth homelessness charities together and seeing the sparks fly. We’re working in an often overlooked and poorly understood sector but the people who do the work are brilliantly compassionate, resourceful, resilient, and funny. I know we help young people build better lives for themselves 365 days of the year.
What do you consider to be the most important attributes for a leader?
Humility. You usually get the job because of what you know and what you’ve achieved, but you’ll be a success, as a leader, because your team is empowered to take responsibility.
Who do you most admire and why?
Countless young people whose names I can’t share. One young man in his early 20s moved into homelessness accommodation in Norfolk after thoughts of ending his life. With the help of support workers, he learnt how to budget, live independently and demonstrate responsibility. After two years, he went from next to nothing to buying his first flat on the coast with a secure job. 90% of the young people we support have experienced traumatised childhoods but you’d never know. The future is theirs, if we do our job well.
Where was the last place you travelled to for work or pleasure?
South of France. Camping with the kids. I love the simplicity of a camping holiday. It’s a brilliant way to switch off and, thankfully, my kids prefer it to a villa!
If you weren’t in this industry, what else might you be doing?
I used to work in banking, and I have a law degree. I’d probably be more motivated by money!
How do you relax after a long day?
Reading in bed. I love depressing early 20th century literature. It’s the only way to switch my brain off and makes our troubles today seem rather tame.
If you could recommend one person in the private wealth or charity industry who would it be, and what would you say about them?
If I chose one inspiring charity leader I’d insult a plethora of others. Sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Key Takeaways
- Nicholas Connolly is the CEO and Founder of EveryYouth, a charity focused on supporting young people facing homelessness.
- His typical day involves communicating with collaborators, reviewing proposals, and listening to young people’s experiences.
- Connolly aims to help young people overcome trauma and achieve independence through initiatives like Project Flourish and Youth Voices.
- He believes that homelessness isn’t just about housing; addressing childhood trauma is crucial for recovery.
- Connolly’s proudest achievement is creating EveryYouth, fostering a strong Network of local youth charities to make a difference.
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