Young Foundation

The Young Foundation is a UK think tank founded in 2005 and currently headed by Geoff Mulgan. It calls itself a centre for social innovation and its work combines practical projects, the creation of new enterprises, research and publishing. [ [http://www.youngfoundation.org/home/introduction Introduction] Young Foundation website. Retrieved August 26 2008.]

It was formed in April 2005 from the merger of the Institute of Community Studies and the Mutual Aid Centre. The Institute of Community Studies based in East London was an urban studies think tank founded in 1954 which had been the main vehicle through which Michael Young created over 60 organisations including the Open University and the Consumers' Association. [ Gavron and Dench,eds, "Young at 80", Carcanet, London, 1995]

Work Programme

The Young Foundation's work programme falls into four strands: [David Walker, 'Big ideas at the heart of the East End', Guardian, June 2008 http://www.guardian.co.uk/public/features/story/0,,2283716,00.html]
*Launchpad: works on early stage social venture funds focused around particular challenges, including the Health Innovation Accelerator and Learning Launchpad.
*Neighbourhood and Local Innovations: working with communities and local government to improve quality of life, though programmes on wellbeing, neighbourhoods and the new London Collaborative.
*Research on issues ranging from unmet needs to political extremism and from the future of the NHS to understanding material consumption.
*International work including hosting the social innovation exchange linking several hundred organisations and individuals working in the field and hosting events in various countries from Spain to China.

ee also

*Michael Young
*List of UK think tanks

References

External links

* [http://www.youngfoundation.org Young Foundation]