Our supporters are not only corporate donors, but individuals and families too. At WEST, we’re proud to be backed by a community of passionate people who believe in the power of youth work. One such individual is Dominic Moross, a dedicated supporter and WEST Youth Zone Founder Patron. We had a chat with Dominic to hear more about what inspired him to get involved, why he believes in investing in the next generation, and why he would encourage others to do the same.
- Who are you?
I’m Dominic, I grew up in London, spent most of my career in the US as an investment manager and now live between Monaco and New York City managing Whitehall Financial Group, a multi-asset class Single Family Office.
- How did you first become aware of WEST Youth Zone and what we do?
I was introduced to WEST Youth Zone by my long-standing friend and WEST Chair, Mark Davies, who gave me a tour of the construction site many years ago. I have a great deal of respect for Mark whose passion for the project was infectious and impressive.
- What inspired you to support WEST Youth Zone at the beginning of our journey?
Through Mark, I had seen a few other sites and the positive impact that they had made to their communities. When I was growing up in London, I was not aware of any well-run programs focused on empowering young minds and providing them with an easily accessible forum to find their passion and therefore improve their chances of having a happy and fulfilling life. In addition, White City was not an area I would frequent when I was younger as it was quite run down. I felt that a Youth Zone opening in White City, which has also gone through a huge development over the years, was symbolically meaningful. Both White City and Youth Zones represent a positive move forward for London and the UK, the former as a beacon of progressive and necessary infrastructure expansion and the latter as an example of the UK mindset changing, becoming more open minded to the importance of providing the tools and opportunities for today’s youth from all backgrounds to shape our future.
- How does the charity’s mission align with your values?
Constructive shaping of young minds is essential to any successful society and is so often overlooked by governments and community leaders. Successful and fulfilled people are those who take advantage of the opportunities they are given to make the most of their lives without feeling like a victim. WEST Youth Zone’s bottom up approach provides a platform for individuals to find their interests naturally, develop their passions and even inspire them to lead and contribute to society and humanity in ways which might have otherwise been out of their comfort zone.
- What is your favourite room or activity in WEST?
It is hard to say as it is the combination of all WEST areas which make the difference. But if I had to choose, it would be the music room.
- Why would encourage other organisations and individuals to support us?
Supporting WEST Youth Zone is for anyone who has an interest in supporting a local community, empowering youth to become future leaders, providing opportunities for individuals from different socio-economic backgrounds to move forward and make a difference and promoting healthy recreational activities as a means for young people to find their passion.
Individual supporters like Dominic represent the heart of WEST, people who recognise the long-term value of investing in local young people. Last year, individual and family giving accounted for 46% of WEST’s income, making it more important than ever to engage supporters like Dominic so we can continue delivering high-quality youth work. Please get in touch with our Fundraising Team fundraising@westyouthzone.org to find out how you can help build brighter futures for our members.
It was our current Chair, Mark Davies, whose leadership and belief in WEST helped bring Dominic on board as a Founder Patron. As Mark prepares to step down, we are now looking for a new Chair of the Board to help guide WEST Youth Zone into the next chapter. If you want to support in onboarding patrons and are passionate about creating opportunities for the next generation, find out more and apply here: cadencepartners.co.uk/job/chair-west-youth-zone