The Lord Mayor’s Appeal to host an introduction to initiative We Can Be at the Bank of China this July
Every spring The Lord Mayor’s Appeal hosts their annual We Can Be event, opening the doors
for almost 200 young women to 12 businesses and allowing them to experience life in a City
office first hand. In many cases this is a first for the young people – the first time they step foot
into the swanky offices of a City law firm, the first time they get to meet professional women at all
levels in a board room and the first time they share a room with senior leaders candidly telling
their career stories. On July 11, they will host an introductory morning for any perspective City
businesses interested in taking part in We Can Be 2024 at the Bank of China.
Taking place at the end of March, We Can Be 2023 was split into two sessions. The morning
workshops varied from introductions to financial services via fun activities to round-table
discussions on how to communicate effectively in the workplace. After lunch, the young women
from 12 schools came together at 155 Bishopsgate for an interactive afternoon of live talks,
activities and goal setting chaired by Vanessa Chiedza Sanyauke, CEO of The Girls Talk and
a room of senior leaders, advocates and City role models.
Having spent the morning with girls from Hatch End High School in the London Borough of
Harrow, Zariatt Masood from The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award said, “We Can Be is really inspirational because it gives women the opportunity to find role models that look like them, who might have come from the same background and empowers them to forge their own career. They are going to be equipped
with skills that will be transferrable when they apply for jobs, do their CVs and university
applications. It’s a chance for them to see what life beyond school is like.”
Sponsored by City businesses LGT Wealth Management and Evelyn Partners and supported by
The Lord Mayor’s Appeal’s charity partners The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Place2Be who
onboarded many of the participating schools, the 2023 event was a huge success. The aim of
We Can Be is to inspire young people into roles in the City if they want them and to highlight that
they already possess many of the skills needed to succeed – from effective personal branding to
problem solving to critical thinking. By empowering these bright young women to see their value,
we can raise their aspirations and smash their own stigma around succeeding.
Emma Moffat from Evelyn Partners said on hosting the young women, “If you don’t have
access to The City or a role model in The City, it’s really hard to imagine yourself there.
Personally, I didn’t have anyone in The City, but I was fortunate enough to do some work
experience. Many people don’t have that opportunity. It’s really important just to show these
young girls what an average day in the office looks like.”
The organisations that took part got to meet tomorrow’s talent today and to hear first-hand what
these young women need to feel confident in their career choices. They were gifted insights into
the key drivers and desires of 15–18-year-olds, helping them to shape attractive recruitment
strategies for the brightest stars of the next generation. By connecting with young women from a
range of London and UK boroughs, those businesses can best understand the need to create
equitable and supportive workplace cultures for all employees regardless of background, to not
just attract the best but retain and get the most from them.
But what did the young women think? Young attendees on the day were asked to hand in a
pledge to themselves inspired by their We Can Be 2023 journey. Pledges ranged from ‘to
increase my confidence and leadership skills’ to ‘be more open-minded with my future job
decisions and focus in school.’
They were also asked what the day helped them think they could be. Some of the best answers
included ‘a lawyer at Linklaters’, ‘a successful female in cyber security’ and ‘an ambassador to a
European country or a lobbyist for an International company’.
On Tuesday July 11 th from 10.30am to 12pm, The Lord Mayor’s Appeal will be hosting an
introductory morning at the Bank of China. In its 7th year, We Can Be is a fantastic opportunity
for City businesses to showcase the broad range of roles and industries Canada has
to offer and the opportunities available to the young women who visit for the day. They will also
have the chance to create a lasting impact on their career readiness journey through longer term
engagement. There will be speakers from Augmentum who will talking about their experiences
as a new 2023 participant this year and LGT Wealth Management on the benefit of being a We
Can Be sponsor.
The We Can Be 2024 Introductory Morning will take place at the Bank of China on July
11th, 2022, from 10.30am-12pm. To grab one of the last spaces available, please email We
Can Be Programme Manager, Carla Emmanuel at [email protected]