Future First
Future First is a UK social mobility charity that helps state schools and colleges build alumni and employee volunteer networks through its Future First Hub platform, serving schools, employers, and alumni volunteers to broaden young people's career aspirations and opportunities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Future First does
Future First is a UK-registered charity (legal entity: Future First Alumni Limited, charity number 1135638) founded in 2010 that builds alumni and employee volunteer networks for UK state schools and colleges. The organization addresses a structural social mobility gap by connecting state-school students with relatable role models ("someone like me"), primarily through recurring programmes that link schools, former students, and corporate employee volunteers. Future First celebrated its 15th anniversary in February 2025 and operates from London (86-90 Paul Street) with a small, work-from-home team of 11-50 staff.
Future First's core product is the Future First Hub, a proprietary digital platform functioning as a social-media-style interface where schools build and manage alumni rosters and coordinate in-person, virtual, and online volunteering interactions. This Hub underpins three commercial programmes: a School Membership Programme (with per-school pricing of £2,250 supporting approximately 1,000 young people), an Employer Partnership Programme (serving CSR, talent-pipeline, and employee engagement objectives through insight days and workshops), and the Future First Pledge, a commitment framework funneling organizations into deeper partnerships. Named employer partners span financial services (Legal & General, Pollen Street, Shawbrook, Investcorp, Lumon), legal (Allen & Overy, Ashurst, Eversheds), insurance (Lloyd's, Markerstudy, Liiba), rail (GWR), automotive (Auto Windscreens), and public affairs (DRD Partnership).
The business model is hybrid: a registered charity raising donations (including the "Give 15" campaign) plus recurring school memberships and corporate partnership revenue. Strategic alignment with The Careers & Enterprise Company's Employer Standards and the Gatsby Benchmarks framework gives Future First distribution leverage into UK schools. Reported impact metrics include 127,000+ registered volunteers, 3,000+ students engaged in 2025, 4,500+ volunteering hours, and stated targets of every UK state school and college supported by 2034. The organization is led by Interim CEO Sarah-Jane Freni, with a Board of Trustees chaired by Nick Buckland OBE.
Future First firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Future First
- Legal name
- Future First Alumni Limited
- Website
- https://futurefirst.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Future First is a UK social mobility charity that helps state schools and colleges build alumni and employee volunteer networks through its Future First Hub platform, serving schools, employers, and alumni volunteers to broaden young people's career aspirations and opportunities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Future First industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Mobility Charity Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Internship-to-Apprenticeship & Early Talent Pipeline Programs (EDAMAKAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL)
Keywords
Where Future First is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Future First business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: Future First operates as a registered charity (number 1135638) and raises funds through donations, corporate partnerships, and specific campaigns like the 'Give 15' campaign where £2,250 can support a school develop its alumni and employee network.
- School Memberships: Schools pay for membership to access the Future First Hub platform and support services for building alumni and volunteer networks. For every £2,250 raised, another school can develop its alumni and employee network supporting approximately 1,000 young people.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time | Donation-based model for school support |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Future First product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Future First is a UK social mobility charity that operates the Future First Hub, a digital platform enabling state schools and colleges to build and manage alumni and employee volunteer networks. It delivers complementary programs including School Memberships, Employer Partnership Programmes, and the Future First Pledge, supporting young people to access relatable role models and meet Gatsby Benchmark careers education requirements. The charity is funded by donations, corporate partnerships, and school membership subscriptions.
Product overview
Future First operates as a single unified charitable platform focused on connecting UK state school students with alumni and employee volunteers as relatable role models. The core product is the Future First Hub, a digital platform that enables schools to build and manage alumni and volunteer networks. This platform is supported by school membership programmes, employer partnership programmes, and the Future First Pledge initiative. The offering is delivered through collaboration between schools, employers, and alumni volunteers rather than a modular software architecture.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Future First Hub: A safe, social media style digital platform that allows schools to build and manage every aspect of their volunteer network, supporting in-person, virtual and online volunteering.
Products and services
- Future First Hub A digital platform that serves as a safe, social media style interface enabling UK state schools and colleges to build and manage every aspect of their alumni and volunteer networks in one place, supporting in-person, virtual, and online volunteering interactions between alumni, employee volunteers, and students.
- School Membership Programme Membership service for UK state schools and colleges that provides access to the Future First Hub, alumni network building tools, training, and support for meeting Gatsby Benchmarks for careers education.
- Employer Partnership Programmes Programmes enabling UK employers to meet corporate social responsibility goals while providing meaningful work experiences for students through volunteering opportunities, insight days, workshops, and mentoring.
- Future First Pledge A commitment framework that brings together education, employers and alumni around supporting social mobility and equity of opportunity, helping young people see relatable role models and serving as a gateway to deeper partnership engagement.
- Sponsor a School An employer programme option where employers sponsor a school, providing the school with Future First membership while enabling sustained engagement over a longer period of time.
Quantifiable outcome
- 3,000+ students attended Future First-led events in 2025
- +8 more outcomes
Companies that use Future First
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Future First technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Future First partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
27 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ShawbrookcoreShawbrook Bank is an employer partner that has conducted insight days for students, including sessions at St Bonaventure's School focused on personal finance and future planning. The partnership exemplifies employer-sponsored careers education activities.
- GetBusyminorListed as a partner organization supporting Future First's work with schools and employers.
- ParagonminorListed as a partner organization supporting Future First's work with schools and employers.
- Allen & OverycoreMajor law firm employer partner providing employee volunteers for school engagement activities and careers workshops.
- GWRminorRail operator listed as employer partner providing volunteer support for schools.
- Pollen StreetcoreFinancial services firm founded by Lindsey McMurray (also Future First trustee), providing employer partnerships and strategic guidance.
- ARCminorListed as a partner organization supporting Future First's work with schools and employers.
- HendersonminorListed as a partner organization supporting Future First's work with schools and employers.
- TandemminorListed as a partner organization supporting Future First's work with schools and employers.
- AshurstcoreGlobal law firm employer partner providing employee volunteers for school engagement activities.
- InvestcorpminorInvestment firm listed as employer partner supporting Future First's school engagement programs.
- AutoraiseminorListed as a partner organization supporting Future First's work with schools and employers.
- Legal and GeneralcoreMajor financial services company employer partner providing employee volunteers for school careers programs.
- BWHminorListed as a partner organization supporting Future First's work with schools and employers.
- LiibacoreInsurance industry body actively championing social mobility, with Executive Director Jacqueline Girow advocating for change in the sector through Future First partnerships.
- DRD PartnershipcoreStrategic communications firm that opened its Summer School programme to young people for the second year, providing insight into public affairs and strategic communications careers.
- LumoncoreFinance sector employer that hosted an insight day for Year 12 and 13 students from St Clement Danes School, providing first-hand insight into careers in finance.
- EvershedscoreInternational law firm employer partner providing employee volunteer support for schools.
- Markerstudy GroupcoreInsurance company with award-winning apprenticeship programme that partners with Future First for insight days, including during National Apprenticeship Week.
- The Institute for Turnaround (The IFT)minorLed by Future First Trustee Milly Camley as CEO. The IFT is the UK's leading membership organisation for turnaround experts and represents strategic alignment in organizational governance.
- Dallaglio RugbyworksminorCharity focused on disadvantaged young people where Future First Trustee Rhian Thomas leads new business and individual giving.
- Sutton TrustminorSocial mobility charity where Future First Advisory Group member Marie-Rose Delauzun heads alumni relations, representing sector collaboration.
- Lloyd'scoreInsurance market that hosted an Insight Day in October 2025 for students to discover careers in insurance through interactive workshops and conversations with Lloyd's employees.
- Auto WindscreenscoreAutomotive company that partnered during National Apprenticeship Week 2025, hosting inaugural Insight Day for 16 Level 1 students from Chesterfield College, showcasing careers in the automotive sector.
- The Careers & Enterprise CompanycoreGovernment-backed organization that published Employer Standards for Careers Education. Future First aligns with and helps employers meet these standards through their partnership programs.
- Planet PossibilitycoreLead partner in a consortium-led physics outreach programme over three years, with Future First as key consortium member making physics more accessible and inclusive for young people.
- Powwow EventsminorEvents company that built an ongoing relationship with Pimlico Academy through Future First, evolving from a fundraising challenge to hands-on, high-impact collaboration expanding student confidence and aspirations.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Future First competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Multiverse: UK-based EdTech/employer-partnership company focused on apprenticeship and skills-training pathways for young people. Comparable employer-driven talent-pipeline value proposition for schools and employers, though for-profit and operating at much larger scale.
Broad incumbents
- Teach First: Major UK education charity tackling educational disadvantage by placing teachers and leaders in low-income schools. Comparable charity model, scale, and state-school focus, though operating in a different vertical (teacher placement vs. alumni/employer engagement).
- The Prince's Trust: Large UK youth charity supporting disadvantaged young people into education, employment, and training. A broader incumbent in the same social mobility / youth outcomes space with significantly greater scale and brand recognition.
- Sutton Trust: One of the UK's largest and most established social mobility charities, with overlapping programs and even shared advisory talent (Marie-Rose Delauzun, Sutton Trust, sits on Future First's advisory group). Sutton Trust operates more broadly across research, policy, and programs.
Direct peers
- Speakers for Schools: UK charity providing free, high-profile speakers and work-experience opportunities to state school students. Closest direct competitor in the school-employer engagement charity space with a comparable mission and employer-partnership model.
- UpReach: UK social mobility charity providing university students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds with mentoring, internships, and employer connections. Comparable mission, employer engagement, and student outcome measurement approach.
- Career Ready: UK social mobility charity linking students from less advantaged backgrounds with employer mentors, workplace experiences, and skills masterclasses — a near-direct functional overlap with Future First.
- Inspiring the Future: UK charity connecting state school students with volunteer professionals from the world of work. Overlaps directly with Future First's alumni and employee volunteer matching model.
- Social Mobility Foundation: UK charity running mentoring, internships, and university-access programmes for high-achieving students from lower-income backgrounds. Highly comparable target audience and employer-engagement model.
Regional players
- Dallaglio RugbyWorks: UK charity engaging disadvantaged young people through sport-based programmes to build engagement and pathways into education/employment. Shares the social mobility youth audience but uses a different engagement mechanism (rugby vs. alumni/employer matching).
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Future First social profiles
Digital presenceFuture First financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Future First leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Future First funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Future First M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Future First
What does Future First do?
Future First is a UK social mobility charity that operates the Future First Hub, a digital platform enabling state schools and colleges to build and manage alumni and employee volunteer networks. It delivers complementary programs including School Memberships, Employer Partnership Programmes, and the Future First Pledge, supporting young people to access relatable role models and meet Gatsby Benchmark careers education requirements. The charity is funded by donations, corporate partnerships, and school membership subscriptions.
Is Future First a public or private company?
Future First is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Future First founded?
Future First was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Future First based?
Future First is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Future First make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are school Memberships.
Who are Future First's main competitors?
Multiverse is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Teach First, The Prince's Trust and Sutton Trust. Direct peers are Speakers for Schools, UpReach, Career Ready, Inspiring the Future and Social Mobility Foundation. Dallaglio RugbyWorks is listed as a regional player.
Does Future First have an API?
No public API is recorded for Future First.
What industry is Future First in?
Future First's product category is Social Mobility Charity Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAKAL, Internship-to-Apprenticeship & Early Talent Pipeline Programs, with a secondary code of EDAAAEAL, Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs. Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.