The Rio Ferdinand Foundation Announces New Partnership with Iconic British Brand Lyle & Scott
The Rio Ferdinand Foundation is proud to announce a new collaborative partnership with Lyle & Scott, the renowned British heritage fashion brand.
This partnership unites two organisations with a shared commitment to tackling inequality and creating meaningful pathways for young people from underrepresented communities to achieve their full potential.
Through this collaboration, Lyle & Scott will support the Foundation’s mission to drive social mobility and inspire positive change across the UK and Ireland—providing vital resources to enhance employability and skills development. With over a century of heritage, the globally recognised fashion label will also open doors to careers in the creative and fashion industries.
“Creating opportunities for young people is what my Foundation is all about, and this new collaboration with Lyle and Scott will offer a range of opportunities across the creative and fashion industries.
“By offering resources, training, mentoring, experiences and jobs the Lyle and Scott and Rio Ferdinand Foundation partnership can deliver long term impact across all the communities we work in.”
Over the next 12 months, the partnership will deliver a series of experiential opportunities, connecting young people with influential figures across art, fashion, sport, and music. The initiative will also provide work placements and paid internships in roles ranging from graphic design and social media management to retail and fashion design.
“At Lyle & Scott, we believe community starts from the ground up. In football with ‘Kits for Clubs’, fashion with ‘Levels’ and music and culture with ‘Wear it your way’, we aim to empower the next generation to express themselves, build confidence, and create real change in their own communities.
We are proud that our partnership with the Rio Ferdinand Foundation represents a shared commitment to under-represented grassroots organisations and look forward to our work together.”
As part of the collaboration, Lyle & Scott’s ‘Kits for Clubs’ initiative will distribute sports kits to community clubs engaged in Rio Ferdinand Foundation programmes across the UK, Ireland, and South Africa—further strengthening community engagement and participation in sport.
This multi-faceted partnership represents a powerful step towards creating opportunities and access to industries that have traditionally been out of reach. Lyle & Scott joins an established network of partners including Warner Music, Bauer Media, the UEFA Foundation for Children, and the Statom Group—all dedicated to building a fairer, more inclusive society and unlocking the potential of the next generation.
“This partnership between the Rio Ferdinand Foundation and Lyle and Scott absolutely connects the cultures of football, music and the creative arts to social mobility and employability pathways.
By harnessing the power and credibility those industries provide to inspire, educate and mentor young people in grass roots communities, this partnership will open pathways for our participants that they never knew existed.”
