Case Studies & Testimonials

One of the great privileges of our work is having a part in the development and achievements of young people and we are enormously proud of the many young people that have flourished through the SkillBase Programme.

We are also privileged to be working with some great partners and sponsors including Microsoft and TD Synnex, Peter Jones Foundation, Milton Keynes University, Bucks New University.

Local authorities and councils like Aylesbury Town Council, Aylesbury Community Board, Haywards Heath and Stamford Councils, Bucks Disability Service are also working with us to upskill young people for a digital world.

Aaran is in some ways our poster boy. He was our first student at 15 years of age on what we now call our SkillBase Programme and came back year after year and graduated from student to mentor, from mentor to tutor and from tutor to working part time with us as our Technical Development Officer.

This was Aaran at just 16 years of age, just listen to his appetite and enthusiasm!

Today Aaran is still working with us part time having secured a prestigious Technical apprenticeship with Barclays Bank. Watch this space.

Aaran is not only an inspiration but a perfect example of what can happen for young people when they are given the opportunity for relevant real-world tech opportunities.

Aaron's Testimonial

“It’s been amazing. This is like my first proper work experience and to be able to do it for a real client is really good because I can see how it works in real time, learning about meeting with people, connecting with people. It’s just been overall exciting to do and interesting learning about Microsoft.” (2020)

A Partner Testimonial

“SkillBase is an amazing initiative for young people here in Buckinghamshire, helping them to develop a huge range of skills from working in teams, digital skills, problem solving, leadership… all good stuff that employers are looking for and will help them be successful and happy in their future lives"

What Previous Students Thought

87% of participating students were positive that the Challenge had helped them make decisions about their next steps in terms of education, training or work.

87%

79% of participating students said they would recommend that other schools do the Challenge

79%

67% of participating students said they would like to be contacted about career opportunities with the local business partners facilitating the Challenge

67%

Some of the Schools we have Been Working With

This enriching learning experience has been a great end to the school year. The school is very proud of our Year 10s who have responded well to an inspiring event. We expect our students to continue to work with our local business partners and for our school to also benefit from the new revision app that has been researched, embraced and built by our very own accomplished Year 10 entrepreneurs.

This has been a fantastic experience for our students. As the first Year 10 Enterprise event, this pilot has proven how worthwhile it will be to do again. We’ve seen students engaging with their work in new ways as they’ve absorbed themselves in the project over the last three days. They’ve clearly enjoyed themselves whilst also pushing themselves academically and practically to take on the challenge and compete with their peers. It was great to see how empowering the technology and insights from the business partners have been for our students.

I was really impressed... The level of creativity and flair was really clear; not least the amount of technical ability that they demonstrated in a different context to that they would normally get in school. The whole thing about raising cultural capital for them to see a bigger picture to see the link between what they are doing and business application has been invaluable.

A Volunteers Testimonial

"My life has been truly revolutionised by Cloudy Foundation. I joined as a volunteer in Autumn 2024 and the last few months have been truly life changing for me, as a disabled person with Cerebral Palsy and Dyspraxia. I am finally ready for the workplace! However, my passion for digital skills and my drive to create a more diverse, and inclusive workplace, inspires me to stay with Cloudy Foundation and share my knowledge, and experiences of disability and the remote workplace, with as many young people as possible, especially those with SEND. Indeed, part of my role is providing extra support to young people with additional needs, making Cloudy Foundation truly inclusive.

Charity No: 1193029

OUR IMPACT