Major entertainment company pledges support for care leavers
Emily Harle
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Merlin Entertainments, which runs Legoland and Alton Towers, has become the latest signatory of the UK Care Leaver Covenant, a national inclusion initiative which supports young care leavers to live independently.
The covenant is made up of private, public and voluntary sector organisations that have pledged to support those leaving care in the UK.
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To mark it signing up to the covenant, Merlin has created a dedicated careers programme for care leavers named Merlin Illuminate. It will see care leavers offered extra support with job interviews as well as access to a range of virtual events to offer tips on CVs and career development. A podcast series on interviews and CV creation will also be launched.
Care leavers will be offered discounted tickets to Merlin UK attractions through the Care Leavers Covenant app, and work experience at key events, such as the Blackpool illuminations switch-on.
The company will also organise a mentor day marked by an annual lighting up of some of Merlin's attractions including the London Eye, the company has said.
Chief operating officer for resort theme parks and midways for Merlin Entertainments, Fiona Eastwood, said: "We want to ensure that as a company we are shining a light on these young care leavers, aged 16-25, who may not have a support network.
“Our ‘Merlin Illuminate’ programme is designed to offer advice, knowledge, and help provide practical routes to employment.”
Johnny Mercer MP, cross-government care leaver lead who helped to launch the campaign, added: “It’s fantastic to have Merlin on board with the Care Leaver Covenant, joining the hundreds of other signatories that have committed to support this vulnerable cohort of young people.
"The launch of Merlin Illuminate is another example of brilliant work that is being undertaken across the country to ensure that care leavers have the right support in place to access employment opportunities."
Matthew Gordon, chief executive of Spectra and delivery partner for the Care Leaver Covenant, said he was “delighted” to have the company sign the covenant.
“Since the covenant launched, it has been important to recognise our young people as whole people, who want to do meaningful work, who want safe and warm homes, and who want to access popular culture and entertainment like their peers. The Merlin Entertainments offer really speaks to this approach," Gordon added.
