The Marandi Foundation commits to donate £1M to youth homelessness charity

The international investor and philanthropist, Javad Marandi, shows ongoing support for tackling youth homelessness in the UK with a commitment to a significant charitable donation.

As reported by LUX Magazine, The Marandi Foundation has committed to donate £1m to the UK youth homelessness charity, Centrepoint. On a mission to end youth homelessness by 2037, the charity has dedicated centres across the UK.

Speaking to LUX Magazine about the importance of this donation and support, Marandi said:

“Youth homelessness is an increasingly urgent issue across the world. If young people are homeless, through no fault of their own, as well as the obvious misery and physical and mental risk, they lack access to education, training, and opportunity and risk being “lost lives”.”

Established in 2017, The Marandi Foundation is a registered charity, co-chaired by Javad Marandi and his wife, Narmina. The Foundation’s aim is set out in a letter from the co-chairs – to help the “most vulnerable and disadvantaged children, families and communities as well as art and cultural initiatives” in the UK.

As per a statement on The Marandi Foundation’s website, the organisation is “dedicated to providing disadvantaged young people and communities in the UK with access to training and educational opportunities, as well as mental health and wellbeing support services.”

“The Foundation also provides significant support to public art institutions and major cultural history initiatives, as well as supporting young talented designers by providing them with the tools needed to accelerate their route to success.”

As part of The Marandi Foundation’s work with Centrepoint and the organisation’s mission to support the wellbeing of young people, Javad Marandi was appointed as co-chair of the charity’s Growth Board in January 2020.

Responsible for driving Centrepoint’s Independent Living Programme (a scheme that helps young people at risk of homelessness to live independently by giving them access to more affordable housing), the Growth Board plays a key role in combatting youth homelessness.

Within the next decade, the programme aims to deliver 300 safe and affordable homes across London and Greater Manchester.

During the interview with LUX Magazine, Marandi also explained his four-strand approach to supporting Centrepoint – education and training, a bursary programme for refugees, the apprenticeship academy, and the development of an online platform.

“It is important to provide young people with the opportunity to gain accredited qualifications and provided with support to find and secure employment opportunities.

“Young people who are refugees often need language and legal support, help locating their families, as well as education and training so they have a real chance to live happy lives and make contributions to society,” said Marandi.

Javad Marandi also leads on Centrepoint Works – a newly restructured but long-standing arm of the charity. This team focuses on helping young people into employment, education, or training, providing over 1,200 young people with training and skills every year.

Alongside Centrepoint, The Marandi Foundation also supports the British Fashion Council Foundation, The Watercolour World, St Pauls School, the Royal Foundation, The Conran Shop, and Serpentine.