Youmanity is a UK-based organisation founded in 2008, registered as a

charity Charity may refer to: Common meanings * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...

in May 2018, and based in London.

Charity work

Youmanity sponsors an annual photography award, mental health and education projects.

Youmanity Award for photography

Since 2010, the organisation has held an annual photography competition, focused on cultural diversity, with a £1,000 prize. Each competition has a theme. In 2012, for example, the theme was "Migration, Stories of a Journey". In 2019 the theme was "Friend-Ship"; Debdatta Chakraborty was the winner for his shot of the Sheroes Hangout café in India. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the theme was "Friend-Ship During Challenging Times". The winner was ‘A kiss from across the miles’ by Nicola Parker, a mobile screenshot taken during lockdown portraying an 80-year-old

grandmother Grandparents, individually known as grandmother and grandfather, or Grandma and Grandpa, are the parents of a person's father or mother – paternal or maternal. Every sexually reproducing living organism who is not a genetic chimera has a maxi ...

blowing a kiss from a

nursing home A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of older people, senior citizens, or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as care homes, skilled nursing facilities (SNF), or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms ...

Youmanity education project

In 2019, Youmanity led a two-year student-centred learning project to support vulnerable children at risk of abandoning education. The 2SMILE project was funded by the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...

's Erasmus Programme.

'Chill-out' train carriages

In October 2021, during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

and ahead of World Mental Health Day, it devised a ' mindfulness' campaign featuring the world's first 'chill-out' train carriages, plus 'meditation corners' in stations, to reduce commuter anxiety. Project collaborators included wellbeing movement Thrive LDN and the Braincharge meditation app, with users able to listen to rustling trees and birdsong, plus soothing music, while waiting for trains. As well as gaining attention in London media, the initiative was reported in US publication ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

''.

References

{{reflist

External links

official website
Non-profit organisations based in London British visual arts awards