OURBACKSTORY
‘RUBYGIRL’ was founded on 11th November 2010 by our CEO Dawnie Reynolds - originally focusing on supporting young girls with low self-worth & aspirations along with poor mental health.
Dawnie grew up below the poverty line & was bullied at school. During her childhood & adolescence, she experienced relational abuse, mental health issues & an eating disorder. When she was 14, a youth worker spotted her potential & gave her the opportunity to volunteer at her local youth club, which changed the trajectory of her life.
These life experiences helped Dawnie to find her faith & motivated her to change her generation & unpack her purpose...FINDING HER WHY.
She left Stoke-on-Trent at the age of 19 to join a charity in London & subsequently worked & travelled across the UK & overseas, pioneering & developing inspirational youth projects such as SOULSISTA & LIFT skatepark along with working alongside UK youth organisations such as The Message Trust, returning to her home city more than a decade later.
Back in Stoke, Dawnie launched & developed some motivational one-off events for girls across SOT called GIRL international before working with 2 of the local high schools mentoring young people, delivering inclusion interventions and creative youth engagement programs.
She then began working with STOKE-ON-TRENT COLLEGE & was Inspired by meeting JAN WILLIAMS (Robbie's Mum - Now a Patron) after working on a 'POP IDOL' event together (with Jan as a judge!) at the heart of the estate on Bentilee. It was at this time that Jan encouraged Dawnie to start a charity for young people in Stoke on Trent, and Dawn along with an army of volunteers, began the charity journey, starting out as "RubyGirl ft. Ruff Diamondz", which then became "RUFF&RUBY"
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The rest, as they say, is history...
#YOUMATTER
RUFF & RUBY Youth Charity promotes positive self-esteem & aspirations in young people to be
‘the best version of themselves’.
#LIVEONPURPOSE