The Distillers' Charity
Transforming Young People's Lives
The Distillers' Charity
The first two Distillers One of One auctions, in 2021 and 2023, have together generated an incredible £4.3 million for The Distillers’ Charity, whose charity mission is to 'transform the lives of young people'. Uniquely, 100% of the Auction hammer proceeds are deployed to charitable giving: 90% of the money raised at the Auction is channelled into the Youth Action Fund, in support of disadvantaged young people in Scotland. The balance is granted by The Distillers’ Charity to our other beneficiaries, selected with the aim of helping to transform the lives of disadvantaged young people primarily in London.
The Distillers’ Charity is governed by its Board of Trustees, who are responsible for setting the organisation’s grant-making strategy and securing resources to support our philanthropic mission. It is a fundraising and grant making charity with the primary purpose of providing funding and support to other charities (it does not directly fund beneficiaries) against the broad mission to transform the lives of the most disadvantaged young people in our communities, by helping them develop their confidence, resilience and skills so they are ready for life and work.
The Charity is funded through two principal sources: our flagship event, the biennial The Distillers One of One Auction, which would not be possible without the support of the Scotch Whisky Industry and its partners, and secondly by the generous support of members of The Worshipful Company of Distillers.
The Youth Action Fund
The Youth Action Fund aims to transform the life chances of people, aged between 16 and 25, in Scotland who are facing significant barriers to reach their potential, and empower them to create positive change in their lives and their communities.
To achieve its goal of supporting young people, The Distillers’ Charity commissioned Inspiring Scotland to produce a detailed Scoping Report researching the context and needs of the hardest-to-reach young people. Since the Fund’s inception in January 2022, working with The Distillers’ Charity, Inspiring Scotland has curated a portfolio of six charity delivery partners, each bringing deep expertise and experience in achieving sustainable, employability outcomes with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds across Scotland.
Read more about our partner charities below.
Youth Action Fund Beneficiaries
Aberdeen Foyer
Aberdeen Foyer supports people facing homelessness, unemployment, mental health issues and poverty. The charity believes everyone has a right to a positive future and aims to help people towards education, work and a stable place to live.
Working in the city of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, the charity supports more than 1600 people a year to secure tenancies, acquire the skills and experience they need for work, and develop positive mental health and wellbeing.
Its services include housing, training, and counselling support. Be it one-to-one or in groups, the charity has always believed in starting with people’s strengths, to build their confidence, develop their talents and make changes to their lives.
Visit Aberdeen Foyer Action for Children
Action for Children delivers crucial services across Scotland, providing practical and emotional care supporting young people. Working towards a vision that every child and young person should have a safe and happy childhood, the charity helps around 20,000 of the most disadvantaged young people in Scotland every year.
Young people are identified through the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation and include care-experienced young people, young offenders, those who are homeless or experiencing mental health or physical issues, and those who have low levels of educational attainment and are suffering from a lack of opportunity.
Through the support of the Youth Action Fund, Action for Children are focusing on vital programmes that help get young people become job-ready. Not only do the programmes support people to get the practical skills they need, they also build relationships with potential employers, creating opportunities for young people, enabling a pathway to a more positive future and real job opportunities.
Visit Action for Children ENABLE Works
ENABLE Works delivers services to people with additional support needs, and their families, around the UK. The organisation’s vision is that every person with a learning disability should have the choice and control to live independently in the community.
The Disability Employment Gap is a Government measure used to understand the difference between those who are disabled and working compared to the non-disabled working population. At 32.8%, Scotland has the highest Disability Employment Gap in the UK. If a young disabled person leaves school with no positive destination, they are four times more likely to be unemployed at 25.
ENABLE Works provides employment and skills to help people with disabilities, or other barriers to employment, access the world of work. The organisation also engages with employers to challenge perceptions and help foster more inclusive workplaces.
Visit ENABLE Works FARE Scotland
FARE Scotland is a voluntary organisation working in some of the most disadvantaged communities across Central Scotland with the aim of transforming lives and helping people have a positive impact on their community. Based in Easterhouse in Glasgow, it aims to support people of all ages.
FARE Scotland works closely with young people who are still in school but struggling with their environment to help identify alternative ways of learning, and improve their skills and work readiness with support from the Youth Action Fund.
In collaboration with Glasgow Fort shopping centre, FARE has developed an on-the-job programme focused on improving young people’s employability skills in the East End of the city. Working closely with retailers and hospitality venues in the area, the initiative provides placements and on-the-job training so young people can develop their abilities and unearth their potential.
Visit FARE Scotland Street League
Street League supports young people providing help in some of the most disadvantaged communities in Scotland – using the power of sport. It encourages young people to get active, make positive life decisions and supports them to overcome personal barriers that may be preventing them from finding employment.
Working across much of Central Scotland, the aim is to inspire and equip young people with the confidence, motivation, skills and qualifications they need to succeed in the world of work using Street League’s long-established relationships with schools, local communities, and employers.
Visit Street League The Talk About Trust
The Talk About Trust is a national charity that supports schools, parents, carers, health educators and professionals supporting young adults to ensure that young people of all abilities are equipped with the resilience and life skills to make safer choices around alcohol and other substances.
The Trust’s work in Scotland is an integral part of The Youth Action Fund, by training the staff in partner charities who support young adults at risk of unemployment or who lack training, who are also more vulnerable to alcohol and substance misuse.
Its work in Scotland draws on the “train the trainer” model whereby the charity trains staff at partner organisations over a period of 1-2 years. It builds on the success of its 16+ Alcohol and other substances Workshops and Toolkit for vulnerable young adults which is delivered nationwide.
Visit The Talk About Trust