Sir Lewis Hamilton is putting his money where his mouth is by pledging £20m toward Mission 44, his new charitable foundation to help narrow the gaps in opportunities for underrepresented groups.
Seven-Time Formula One™ World Champion, Sir Lewis Hamilton, launched Mission 44 with £20m of his own money last month. Known for his philanthropy toward causes aimed at strengthening equality and inclusivity, Lewis’s involvement with Mission 44 marks his ambition to be even more proactive role in achieving this goal.
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The events of 2020, which saw the world call for a fairer and more just world for the Black community, have only highlighted the need for projects like Mission 44. Also confirming this necessity is a report by The Hamilton Commission, Lewis Hamilton’s own efforts to improve Black representation in UK motorsport and engineering.
The Hamilton Commission found that young, Black people face a wide range of societal barriers which prevent them from realising their full potential.
Lewis himself has walked the path as an underrepresented youth. He began his journey within motorsport as a minority. He was the first and only Black driver to race in Formula 1 and this has made him a passionate advocate to make the industry more inclusive for those who follow after him.
Also supporting his drive toward inclusivity is Hamilton’s team, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1. Mercedes has committed to formalising their efforts to create a more diverse and inclusive team by joining forces with Lewis to create Ignite, a multi-million-dollar fund that will have a specific focus on improving the underrepresentation of diverse students studying STEM and engineering, as well as wider parts of the industry.
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Complementing this work, Mission 44 will have a broader scope to help young people focusing its work on wider societal impact areas including, narrowing education and employment gaps, increasing diversity of leadership and growing civic leadership. The foundation will do this by collaborating with, funding or setting up programmes to help narrow the gap in employment and education systems, through partnerships, collaborations, grant giving and advocacy.
🚨Some personal news!🚨
Delighted to have started as chief exec of @Mission44 – a new foundation set up by @LewisHamilton to support, champion and empower young people in the UK from underrepresented and underserved communities. https://t.co/hPqGyEn65W pic.twitter.com/uNTLTe9opF
— Jason Arthur (@Jason_Arthur) July 27, 2021
Jason Arthur has been appointed as CEO of Mission 44. Arthur, who has previously held roles in the education and youth sectors, said: “I am thrilled to have been appointed CEO of Lewis’ newly launched Foundation, Mission 44. Ensuring that underrepresented young people receive the tools and support they need to succeed is something I have been passionate about my whole career. I look forward to working with Lewis, young people, and a range of partners to narrow opportunity gaps and drive long-lasting change.”
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Hamilton’s efforts to ensure that all young people, no matter their background, should be empowered to dream the impossible is commendable.
Explaining why he is so passionate about this cause, Hamilton said: “Supporting the ambitions of underrepresented young people has always been important to me and Mission 44 represents my commitment to create real change within this community. In my early life, I experienced first-hand how coming from an underrepresented background can affect your future but, luckily for me, I was able to overcome those odds through opportunity and support. I want to ensure that other young people from similar backgrounds are able to do the same.”
Visit the Mission 44 website.
