Foot Anstey McKees is proud to announce a new partnership Young Enterprise Northern Ireland (NI) which will see it support students at Boys’ Model School and St Louise’s College in Belfast, through Young Enterprise Northern Ireland’s RISE programme. RISE is designed to address the barriers many young people face when exploring entrepreneurship and future career pathways.

This partnership forms part of the Foot Anstey Group’s three‑year strategic partnership with Young Enterprise UK, supporting young people across the UK to build confidence, skills and opportunities to tackle social mobility.

Supporting young people where it matters most

RISE focuses on developing young people’s Readiness, Independence, Skills and Enterprise, working closely with students identified as being at risk of disengaging from education. Through the partnership, students will gain access to:

• Tailored enterprise education activities designed for learners at risk of exclusion.

• Workplace visits, including to the Foot Anstey McKees office, helping students build workplace readiness.

• Mentoring and support from Foot Anstey McKees colleagues, addressing the lack of networks highlighted in recent research.

• Opportunities to grow confidence, financial capability and practical problem‑solving skills.

Our commitment to social mobility

This initiative forms part of the Foot Anstey Group’s commitment to invest at least 1% of net profits into responsible business activity. As part of this, Foot Anstey recently funded Young Enterprise UK’s research into the value of enterprise education.

The findings revealed that 82% of young people believe enterprise skills improve their chances of progression, and emphasised the importance of hands‑on experience, positive role models and supportive networks. This new partnership seeks to help close some of the skills gaps highlighted by the research.

A partnership built on shared purpose

Carol Fitzsimons MBE, Chief Executive at Young Enterprise NI, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Foot Anstey McKees as a partner. Their commitment to supporting young people, particularly in communities where barriers to opportunity are most acute, will make a meaningful difference.”

Donald Thompson, Partner at Foot Anstey McKees and lead for the Young Enterprise NI partnership, commented:

“We are very excited to embark on this programme with the two schools. Our people are passionate about helping young people discover their talents and achieve their potential, and the RISE programme is doing just that.”

Helping to build the next generation of innovators

By supporting enterprise education in Belfast, Foot Anstey McKees is helping to equip students with the entrepreneurial thinking — creativity, initiative and problem‑solving — that will prepare them for the workplace of the future.

This collaboration is an important step in the Foot Anstey Group's wider ambition to strengthen communities, drive social mobility and empower young people to thrive. Find out more here.