“Promoting and inspiring young talent from all backgrounds to engage in the politics and civil society strengthens political participation and our democratic process. The Patchwork Foundation is due enormous credit for their work in encouraging the positive integration of underrepresented communities and I am pleased to have been able to support the Foundation over the years as they have grown from strength to strength.”
The Patchwork Foundation’s flagship Masterclass Programme is for 18-30-year-olds interested in British politics and civil society. We’re looking for young people from traditionally underrepresented communities in political spaces who want to develop their personal and professional skill sets.
You will be part of a cohort of young people learning from the speakers and each other, cultivating mutual understanding and discovering new perspectives. With over 500 programme graduates, many have gone on to work directly with politicians, charities, NGOs, and across the private sector. You can see some alumni spotlights and read about our previous Masterclass sessions here.
Masterclass sessions cover political campaigning, broadcast media and politics, civil service careers, leadership, and policy. Masterclasses have been led by former Prime Ministers, Secretaries of State, Journalists and Political Strategists, with the sessions held at UK institutions like 10 Downing Street and Parliament.
Alongside our Masterclasses, we host skills sessions throughout the year that focus on developing your personal and professional skills, and are led by our Alumni and supporters. Some of these include public speaking, networking, debating, and more.
We also run a mentoring scheme, which is an optional addition to the Masterclass programme, pairing up participants with experienced professionals from a range of different fields and experiences. These sessions give you the opportunity to work on your personal development goals on a 1:1 basis, supplementing the skills you will gain from the Masterclass sessions.
The 2023 Programme was kindly sponsored by Hogan Lovells, Flint Global, Algbra, 777 Partners, Redstrike, South Street Asset Management, The Valesco Group and KPMG.