logo
Vantage Foundation Joins The Habbit Factory to Empower Young Voices Through Creative Confidence

Vantage Foundation Joins The Habbit Factory to Empower Young Voices Through Creative Confidence

Cision Canadaa day ago

LONDON, June 11, 2025 /CNW/ -- Vantage Foundation is proud to support The Habbit Factory, a London-based charity that uses the power of theatre and creativity to help children build self-confidence, resilience, and a sense of self-expression. This partnership reflects Vantage Foundation's commitment to community engagement and inclusive empowerment for young people – especially those from underserved or disadvantaged backgrounds.
The Habbit Factory has been a champion of creative youth development for over 20 years. With a focus on inclusiveness and emotional support, the organisation designs theatre-based programmes for children and teens to improve public speaking, storytelling, and personal confidence. Today, the charity supports 156 young people through its membership programme and reaches hundreds more through school outreach and education partnerships.
As part of its continued mission to uplift communities, Vantage Foundation volunteers joined The Habbit Factory's creative workshop, lending their time and energy to inspire the next generation. Among them was Ben Joseph, who brought his background in dance and performing arts to the session.
"Many of these children come from disadvantaged backgrounds and may lack self-esteem or confidence," said Ben Joseph. "By earning their trust and creating a supportive space, we help them grow, express themselves, and discover who they are. The Habbit Factory is a safe and empowering place for every child, and I'm proud to have contributed to something so meaningful."
The charity's impact is driven largely by volunteers – many of whom are former participants who return to give back. This cycle of mentorship and transformation lies at the heart of The Habbit Factory's enduring success.
"We thoroughly enjoyed hosting the Vantage Foundation at The Habbit Factory. It was a meaningful opportunity for both teams to connect, share ideas, and learn from each other's approaches to community impact," said Lee Giles, Artistic Director & CEO of The Habbit Factory.
"Supporting The Habbit Factory aligns deeply with our mission at Vantage Foundation," said Steven Xie, Executive Director of the Vantage Foundation. "We believe in building confidence through creativity and connection. Seeing our volunteers actively participate in such a powerful, community-led initiative reaffirms our commitment to creating meaningful impact in the lives of young people."
Together, Vantage Foundation and The Habbit Factory demonstrate the incredible potential of partnerships rooted in compassion, creativity, and shared purpose. Through this collaboration, they aim to build a future where every child has not only the voice – but also the confidence – to use it.
Vantage Foundation
Vantage Foundation is an independent charitable organization launched at the McLaren Technology Centre in the UK in 2023. The foundation has partnered with organisations worldwide, including Grab Indonesia, the iREDE Foundation in Nigeria, Teach for Malaysia, and Instituto Claret in Brazil, to drive impactful social initiatives.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Meta invests in AI firm Scale and recruits its CEO for ‘superintelligence' team
Meta invests in AI firm Scale and recruits its CEO for ‘superintelligence' team

Winnipeg Free Press

timean hour ago

  • Winnipeg Free Press

Meta invests in AI firm Scale and recruits its CEO for ‘superintelligence' team

Meta said Thursday it is making a large investment in artificial intelligence company Scale and recruiting its CEO Alexandr Wang to join a team developing 'superintelligence' at the tech giant. The move reflects a push by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to revive AI efforts at the parent company of Facebook and Instagram as it faces tough competition from competitors such as Google and OpenAI. Meta announced what it called a 'strategic partnership and investment' with Scale late Thursday but didn't disclose the financial terms of the deal. Scale said the added investment puts its market value at over $29 billion. It won't be the first time a big tech company has gobbled up talent and products at innovative AI startups without formally acquiring them. Microsoft hired key staff from startup Inflection AI, including co-founder and CEO Mustafa Suleyman, who now runs Microsoft's AI division. Google pulled in the leaders of AI chatbot company while Amazon made a deal with San Francisco-based Adept that sent its CEO and key employees to the e-commerce giant. Amazon also got a license to Adept's AI systems and datasets. Wang was a 19-year-old student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology when he and co-founder Lucy Guo started Scale in 2016. They won influential backing that summer from the startup incubator Y Combinator, which was led at the time by Sam Altman, now the CEO of OpenAI. Wang dropped out of MIT, following a trajectory similar to that of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who quit Harvard University to start Facebook more than a decade earlier. Scale's pitch was to supply the human labor needed to improve AI systems, hiring workers to draw boxes around a pedestrian or a dog in a street photo so that self-driving cars could better predict what's in front of them. General Motors and Toyota have been among Scale's customers. What Scale offered to AI developers was a more tailored version of Amazon's Mechanical Turk, which had long been a go-to service for matching freelance workers with temporary online jobs. More recently, the growing commercialization of AI large language models — the technology behind OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini and Meta's Llama — brought a new market for Scale's annotation teams. The company claims to service 'every leading large language model,' including from Anthropic, OpenAI, Meta and Microsoft, by helping to fine tune their training data and test their performance. It's not clear what the Meta deal will mean for Scale's other customers. Wang has also sought to build close relationships with the U.S. government, winning military contracts to supply AI tools to the Pentagon and attending President Donald Trump's inauguration. The head of Trump's science and technology office, Michael Kratsios, was an executive at Scale for the four years between Trump's first and second terms. Meta has also begun providing AI services to the federal government. Meta has taken a different approach to AI than many of its rivals, releasing its flagship Llama system for free as an open-source product that enables people to use and modify some of its key components. Meta says more than a billion people use its AI products each month, but it's also widely seen as lagging behind competitors such as OpenAI and Google in encouraging consumer use of large language models, also known as LLMs. It hasn't yet released its purportedly most advanced model, Llama 4 Behemoth, despite previewing it in April as 'one of the smartest LLMs in the world and our most powerful yet.' Meta's chief AI scientist Yann LeCun, who in 2019 was a winner of computer science's top prize for his pioneering AI work, has expressed skepticism about the tech industry's current focus on large language models. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. 'How do we build AI systems that understand the physical world, that have persistent memory, that can reason and can plan?' LeCun asked at a French tech conference last year. These are all characteristics of intelligent behavior that large language models 'basically cannot do, or they can only do them in a very superficial, approximate way,' LeCun said. Instead, he emphasized Meta's interest in 'tracing a path towards human-level AI systems, or perhaps even superhuman.' LeCun co-founded Meta's AI research division more than a decade ago with Rob Fergus, a fellow professor at New York University. Fergus later left for Google but returned to Meta last month after a 5-year absence to run the research lab, replacing longtime director Joelle Pineau. Fergus wrote on LinkedIn last month that Meta's commitment to long-term AI research 'remains unwavering' and described the work as 'building human-level experiences that transform the way we interact with technology.'

DOLLARAMA ANNOUNCES PRIVATE OFFERING OF $600 MILLION SENIOR UNSECURED NOTES
DOLLARAMA ANNOUNCES PRIVATE OFFERING OF $600 MILLION SENIOR UNSECURED NOTES

Cision Canada

timean hour ago

  • Cision Canada

DOLLARAMA ANNOUNCES PRIVATE OFFERING OF $600 MILLION SENIOR UNSECURED NOTES

MONTREAL, June 12, 2025 /CNW/ - Dollarama Inc. (TSX: DOL) ("Dollarama" or the "Corporation") announced today that it has priced an offering (the "Offering") of $600 million aggregate principal amount of 3.850% senior unsecured notes due December 16, 2030 (the "Notes"). The Notes are being offered through an agency syndicate consisting of RBC Dominion Securities Inc., National Bank Financial Markets and TD Securities Inc., as Joint Bookrunners, CIBC World Markets Inc., as Joint Lead Manager, and including Desjardins Securities Inc., Scotia Capital Inc., BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., Merrill Lynch Canada Inc., and Casgrain & Company Limited. The Offering is expected to close on or about June 16, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions. The Notes will be issued at par for aggregate gross proceeds of $600 million and will bear interest at a fixed rate of 3.850% per annum, payable semi-annually, until maturity on the 16 th day of June and December of each year, commencing on December 16, 2025. The Corporation intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to repay the $250 million aggregate principal amount of the Corporation's outstanding 5.084% senior unsecured notes due October 27, 2025 which will be repaid in full at maturity, and for general corporate purposes. The Notes will be direct unsecured obligations of Dollarama and will rank pari passu with all other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness of Dollarama. The Notes have been assigned a provisional rating of BBB (high), with a stable trend, by DBRS Limited, and are being offered in Canada on a private placement basis in reliance upon exemptions from the prospectus requirements under applicable securities legislation. The Notes have not been and will not be qualified for sale to the public under applicable securities laws in Canada and, accordingly, any offer and sale of the Notes in Canada will be made on a basis which is exempt from the prospectus requirements of such securities laws. The Notes have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration under, or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of, the U.S. Securities Act. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes in any jurisdiction where it is unlawful to do so. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release about the timing and completion of the Offering, the expected use of the net proceeds of the Offering, and any other future events or developments constitute forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on information currently available to management and on estimates and assumptions made by management in light of its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that are believed to be appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances. However, there can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. Many factors could cause future events or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the factors discussed in the "Risks and Uncertainties" section of the Corporation's annual management's discussion and analysis (MD&A) for the fiscal year ended February 2, 2025 and for the first quarter ended May 4, 2025 and in the Corporation's other continuous disclosure filings, which are available on SEDAR+ at These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect us; however, they should be considered carefully. The purpose of the forward-looking statements is to provide the reader with a description of management's expectations regarding the Offering and other future events, and may not be appropriate for other purposes. The closing of the Offering is subject to general market and other conditions and there can be no assurance that the Offering will be completed or that the terms of the Offering will not be modified. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements made herein. Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as at June 12, 2025, and the Corporation has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. About Dollarama Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Montréal, Quebec, Canada, Dollarama is a recognized Canadian value retailer offering a broad assortment of consumable products, general merchandise and seasonal items both in-store and online. With stores in all Canadian provinces and two territories, our 1,638 locations across Canada provide customers with compelling value in convenient locations, including metropolitan areas, midsized cities and small towns. Our quality merchandise is sold at select fixed price points up to $5.00. Dollarama also owns a 60.1% interest in Dollarcity, a growing Latin American value retailer. Dollarcity offers a broad assortment of consumable products, general merchandise and seasonal items at select, fixed price points up to US$4.00 (or the equivalent in local currency) in 644 conveniently located stores in Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador and Peru.

Dene and Métis people of Tulita District the focus of a new $16.5M Office and Cultural Centre for Nááts'įhch'oh National Park Reserve Français
Dene and Métis people of Tulita District the focus of a new $16.5M Office and Cultural Centre for Nááts'įhch'oh National Park Reserve Français

Cision Canada

timean hour ago

  • Cision Canada

Dene and Métis people of Tulita District the focus of a new $16.5M Office and Cultural Centre for Nááts'įhch'oh National Park Reserve Français

TULITA, NT, June 6, 2025 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to creating economic opportunities and benefits for Indigenous communities and protecting naturally and culturally treasured places in Canada, including through the advancement of infrastructure projects and impact and benefit plans. Today, the Honourable Rebecca Alty, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, on behalf of the Minister responsible for Parks Canada, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, announced a $16.5 million investment under Parks Canada's National Park Establishment program to advance construction of a new office and cultural centre for the Nááts'įhch'oh National Park Reserve in Northwest Territories. Construction of this landmark building fulfills a commitment in the Nááts'įhch'oh National Park Reserve Impact and Benefit Plan, will include a cultural centre exhibition, and will serve as Parks Canada's primary operations base for the park reserve. The ground-breaking event coincided with Tulita community's annual "Fire Day," which commemorates the devastating 1995 wildfire, also celebrated community collaboration, cultural leadership, and shared stewardship. Indigenous and community members from Tulita and Norman Wells gathered to speak of the cultural and regional significance of this long-anticipated milestone. The office and cultural centre will be a place for connection and cultural discovery, provide a space for community members to gather, facilitate meaningful visitor experiences, welcome Mackenzie River paddlers, and to share the rich history of the Sahtu Dene and Métis. The building will also house Parks Canada's operational facility, where local staff will work to protect, present and celebrate the natural and cultural heritage of Nááts'įhch'oh National Park Reserve. Investments in infrastructure, like the Nááts'įhch'oh National Park Reserve office and culture centre project, benefit the community of Tulita by growing local economic development, boosting the tourism sector, and driving job creation. Infrastructure improvements in the Nááts'įhch'oh National Park Reserve will deliver high-quality and meaningful experiences are for visitors and community members alike to connect with and discover the natural and cultural heritage of the Sahtu region and underscores the federal government's commitment to northern communities and Indigenous partners. Quotes "Nááts'įhch'oh National Park Reserve is a majestic keystone in the Canada-wide network of protected areas. The government is committed to working in collaboration with Indigenous peoples and local communities to safeguard the rich cultural and natural heritage of this special place. Today marks a major milestone, with the construction of the office and cultural centre now underway. This vibrant, modern space will not only unlock economic opportunities in the region and deliver benefits to Indigenous businesses, it also reflects our shared commitment to protecting the environment. This project is an exciting example of how conservation, economic development, and sustainable design can blend together, and I salute all those who have worked to bring this vision to life." The Honourable Steven Guilbeault Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages "The government is committed to supporting northern communities across Canada, including the Sahtu Region. Today's groundbreaking is an important next step for the Nááts'įhch'oh National Park Reserve. The project will serve as a permanent space for community members to gather and provide a landmark destination to welcome visitors exploring this incredible region. This space will also enhance Parks Canada's operational capacity to protect and present the natural and cultural heritage of this special place with the Nááts'įhch'oh National Park Reserve Management Committee." The Honourable Rebecca Alty Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations "This is good for the people. Parks Canada has listened to the Elders and the community about what is important. It took time, but this new building shows how we can work together. This is a good day for our community." Douglas Yallee Mayor of the Hamlet of Tulita Quick Facts Located in the southwestern portion of the Sahtu Settlement, Nááts'įhch'oh National Park Reserve is in the traditional lands of the Shúhtaot'ine (Mountain Dene). Many dedicated people from the Sahtu Dene and Métis of the Tulita District, as well as from the federal and territorial governments, helped create the Park, which was formally established under the Canada National Parks Act in December 2014. Nááts'įhch'oh National Park Reserve is co-operatively managed by the Sahtu Dene and Métis of the Tulita District and Parks Canada through the Nááts'įhch'oh National Park Reserve Management Committee. The management committee consists of representatives from Fort Norman Métis Community, Tulita Land Corporation, Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got'įnę Government Incorporated, Parks Canada, and the Government of Northwest Territories. Nááts'įhch'oh National Park Reserve protects the land around Mount Nááts'įhch'oh. Together with Nahanni National Park Reserve, the Parks protect 86% of the Tehjeh Deé (South Nahanni River) watershed. The Park is an important habitat for grizzly bear, Dall's sheep, mountain goats, woodland caribou, and trumpeter swans. It is a place where wildlife can thrive, and traditional harvesting can continue for future generations. The construction contract has been formally awarded to Northern Industrial Construction, based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, following a competitive solicitation process. The construction and management of the building will provide economic opportunities and benefits to Indigenous communities. The building design meets energy efficiency standards of the Government's Greening Government Strategy for low carbon emissions and is predicted to deliver an 89% reduction of operational greenhouse gas emissions, as compared to minimum code requirements, over its 40-year life cycle. Parks Canada expects the administrative office space to open in fall 2026 with the cultural centre exhibition expected to be completed by spring 2027. SOURCE Parks Canada (HQ)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store