The INEOS Forgotten 40 Project is a charitable initiative which hopes to improve the lives of children growing up in some of the poorest parts of the UK.
The initiative began in 2020 when INEOS Chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe read reports of growing childhood poverty and looked to do something pivotal to increase opportunities for all children.
The Forgotten 40 project was born out of a need to work with primary schools, to reach children at a young age, in the environment where they were almost every day, with the name “Forgotten 40” referring to the estimated number of children living in poverty (in the UK alone) predicted to be growing towards 40%.
A team of dedicated educational professionals were brought together to consider how funding might be creatively used to approach this longstanding problem. The team consulted several UK primary schools, serving some of the most disadvantaged postcodes in the UK, to explore how philanthropic funding might make a meaningful difference to their pupils. The feedback was varied – and it became clear that there was no useful ‘one size fits all’ approach.
The Forgotten 40 project donates directly to primary schools based in postcodes ranked in the lowest decile of the UK Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). Headteachers are responsible for the distribution of the funding as they know their children, families, and communities well and are best placed to develop interventions to support and improve the lives of children and families.
Focused on alleviating the effects of poverty, not simply raising attainment. Headteachers identify barriers (social, emotional, mental health, family issues) that affect learning and resolve them, all the while inspiring and motivating children by expanding their horizons.
The Forgotten 40 team is made up of five former teachers with extensive school experience at all leadership levels, school inspection, and deprivation intervention. This team works in partnership with the network of F40 headteachers and regularly report to INEOS regarding the progress of the project and impact of the funding.
A map of the full group of 100 schools can be seen on the Forgotten 40 website. These align with the areas of greatest social and economic deprivation in the UK, with many being concentrated around the NE of England.
