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About us
Who we are
Launched in 2009, The Challenge is the UK’s leading charity for building a more integrated society, a society in which there is understanding and appreciation of each other’s differences. We design and deliver programmes that bring different people together to develop their confidence and skills in understanding and connecting with others. In 2009, approximately 160 young people participated in our programmes; in 2015 we reached circa 34,000 participants. Our three programmes are NCS, HeadStartand Step Forward.
The UK is becoming much more diverse. Over the coming decades, the country is projected to become the most ethnically diverse western nation; at the same time the proportion of the population aged under 18 or over 60 is expected to grow rapidly, increasing the average distance in age between citizens. We are also increasingly segregated by income; for example half of all the children in primary and nursery schools in England who are eligible for free school meals are concentrated in a fifth of the schools. As our country becomes more diverse, we believe it is critical that people come together and build stronger connections between one another and between communities.
