Aspire

Anthem Aspire: Because Every Child Deserves to Believe in Themselves

Imagine being 12 years old, starting secondary school and never having been anywhere beyond your local area.

Imagine believing, before your life has even really begun, that some opportunities just aren’t for people like you.

For thousands of young people across Anthem Schools Trust, this is their lived reality.

Anthem Aspire is our commitment to change that.

It exists to ensure that every child, regardless of their background, has access to the experiences that build confidence, courage, and self-belief. Because confidence changes everything: how they learn, how they behave, how they dream, and what they go on to become.

Why this matters

Across our trust, many students face significant barriers to opportunity. Our communities include high numbers of children with special educational needs and disabilities, young people with Education, Health and Care Plans, students learning English as an additional language, and students eligible for free school meals.

These challenges often mean limited or non-existent access to the creative arts, sport and outdoor experiences that other families are able to enjoy.

We don’t believe that is acceptable.

Confidence changes everything

• It is about the quiet child who finds their voice.

• The anxious child who discovers resilience.

• The overlooked child who realises they matter.

And when this happens across a school community, the impact is powerful. Classrooms become more ambitious, relationships more positive, and the learning environment stronger for every single child.

Pay it forward

Many families enjoy special moments with their children from attending concerts, to theatre trips, to sporting events and music lessons, from coaching, to travel and days out.

If you are in a position to, we invite you to “pay it forward”.

The next time you do something special with your own child/children, you might consider donating the equivalent cost towards giving another child the chance to experience something just as powerful through Anthem Aspire.

• A theatre ticket

• A music lesson

• A sports club session

• Or even a place on the coach to get to an event (travel is our biggest cost)

It’s a simple idea, with a profound impact: one family’s generosity opening doors for another child.

How your support makes a difference

Every contribution helps remove barriers and open doors.

To give a sense of the impact your support can have:

• £10 can help fund resources for a child to take part in a creative or sporting workshop

• £25 can help contribute towards a child’s place on a confidence-building activity

• £50 can help cover the cost of a music or writing experience for a student

• £100 can help fund a place on an outdoor development experience

• £200+ can help sponsor a full programme place for a young person who would otherwise miss out

These experiences are turning points.

What young people experience through Anthem Aspire

Young people across our schools are given opportunities to:

• Discover the power of music, performance and self-expression

• Take part in inclusive sport that builds teamwork and confidence

• Find their voice through creative writing and storytelling

• Challenge themselves in outdoor environments that build resilience and leadership

These experiences are often the moments children remember for the rest of their lives.

In order to deliver on this ambitious project, we have partnered with sector leading artists and charitable organisations: Gareth Malone, Ramz, LSO, Lincoln Cathedral, Saint Paul's Cathedral, Garsington Opera, Oxford Music, Outward Bound Trust, Lord Taverner's and First Story. 

 

 A student’s story

What students say about Music

 

 

Our Spring fundraising event

In Spring 2026, we will host a flagship fundraising event to publicly launch Anthem Aspire and raise vital funds to expand this work.

The event will bring together trustees, school leaders, business partners, families and special celebrity guests to celebrate the potential of young people and generate wider awareness.

The evening will include:

• Live performances from young people and guest artists

• Interactive musical experiences

• Student and staff stories

• Reflections from our partner sponsors who make all this possible

Full details will be shared soon.

Because belief changes lives

When a child believes in themselves, they engage more strongly in learning.

• They take risks

• They persevere

• They imagine futures they never thought were possible

Anthem Aspire exists so that every child, in every Anthem school, has that chance.