Impart was established by our CEO Francesca Reynolds as a result of life-changing impact that debating had on her. Prior to debating, Francesca had never considered a career in politics, nor really engaged much in current affairs beyond occasionally watching the news if it was already on. Being state-educated, her access to any form of political education or debate training was incredibly limited.
However, being offered access to debate training by a local private school fundamentally altered the course of her life; opening up a vast range of opportunities that boosted her aspirations, enhanced her understanding of the world, and enabled a much better future for her. Since then, she has wanted to help others access the same opportunity that she was given. And so begins the story of Impart…
So, what do we do? Impart provides politics and debating resources to state-funded schools across the UK. We support schools establishing, running and expanding debating societies and we facilitate their attendance at external debate competitions. We never charge our schools for our resources or support because we want all students to have these opportunities regardless of their school’s ability to pay.
However, our impact isn’t restricted to the classroom. We also want governments to enhance political education for young people. Therefore, we work closely with NGOs and policy advocacy organisations to champion improved political education for all young people. Some of our most recent work has included travelling to (and giving speeches at) a UN conference in New York City as well as hosting a panel event in the UK Parliament.