Hi there!

As the spring sunshine breaks through and daffodils burst into flower, we bring you lots of good news! Enjoy this edition of "Inspire" and the Easter break to come...

Best wishes from all at the Jack Petchey Foundation!

We are tremendously proud to bring you the news that our founder and patron, Jack Petchey, was awarded a CBE on Friday 16 March 2012. The special ceremony, known as an 'investiture', took place at Kensington Great Hall in front of over 100 young Achievement Award winners and other well-wishers.

Watch the moment Jack received his award > >

After last year's success, the Jack Petchey Glee Club Challenge is back for 2012 - bigger and better than ever! Full details will be announced in April, but if you've got questions in the meanwhile, email Lee at lthompson@petchey.co.uk

At last year's Grand Final, Barnet-based Fusion FBS were crowned champions by a judging panel including Graham Norton and Tamsin Outhwaite. The event took place at the Savoy Theatre in London's West End after regional heats across London and Essex.

Find out more & watch the 2011 promo video here > >

During February half term, we brought together over 40 young people at the Salmon Youth Centre in Bermondsey for our first ever "think tank". The aim? For the 11-25 year olds to share their personal experiences and generate ideas to help the Foundation address the growing problem of youth unemployment.

The results of the day's discussions are now being considered directly by the Jack Petchey Foundation's trustees, and will form the building blocks for a new programme aimed at supporting young people into work. Watch this space!

Read more > >

Last year, the Jack Petchey Foundation joined forces with blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan to encourage young people to become blood stem cell donors - and ultimately save lives!

Anthony Nolan runs a fantastic education programme called Register & Be a Lifesaver (R&Be), visiting colleges, schools and youth groups to talk to young people about becoming a blood stem cell donor. The presentations enable each individual to make an informed decision about whether to join the register. To date, R&Be presenters have spoken to over 50,000 students across England, including 12,000 in London.

Would you like an R&Be presentation at your sixth form college, school or youth group? Want to find out more about how you could save a life?

Click here > >