Supporter Spotlight – Sally Hepton, Director of Government Relations and Sustainable Luxury at Bentley

Sally Hepton, Director of Government Relations and Sustainable Luxury at Bentley, shares why she’s excited to be supporting The Dome, Crewe’s Youth Zone opening in 2026. She explains why the partnership is such a great fit with Bentley’s community investment focus on advancing life chances, which wants to help our town and future generations to thrive.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of my role is overseeing Bentley’s commitment to community investment. That’s why our support for The Dome as a Founder Patron as part of this work, is so exciting.  One of The Dome’s board members, Joëlle Warren, first made me aware of The Dome – and OnSide’s Youth Zones more broadly. She’s very enthusiastic about the positive difference Youth Zones can make. I’m a member of the Crewe Town Board, so I also became familiar with it through that avenue. There’s strong recognition that The Dome is a very important addition to the town, and something that is going to add genuine value to the area.

My understanding of the impact The Dome will have has led me to discover more about OnSide’s national programme, and how The Dome fits into its broader offer. OnSide’s approach really appeals to me and aligns to Bentley’s overarching values, which was why it was an easy decision to become a Founder Patron. I love OnSide’s message – ‘Here for young people’ – it’s straight to the point. OnSide is a brand that’s established across the country, which is a positive from a corporate engagement point of view. I’d say to any businesses thinking of getting involved – ‘Why not?’. It’s a national brand in your local area, and you’re targeting areas with real need so you could be an integral part of making positive change.

What’s so impressive is that Youth Zones are state-of-the-art and so engaging; you’ve got sport, music opportunities, coaching and support for mental health – it’s a great balance of being both fun and supportive. I was especially struck by the youth voice element in the branding process – which led to its name ‘The Dome’. It’s collaborative, not top-down, and it’s great that both the brand and ethos come from the young people themselves.

Not only is the Youth Zone impressive in its own right, but the work it does very much aligns with Bentley’s priorities from a community investment perspective. We have an ‘Advancing Life Chances’ strategy, and The Dome fits into that – especially the areas around access (in terms of removing barriers) and empowerment in providing life skills, confidence and inspiration. In my opinion, it’s so vital to support young people today. They’re the next decision-makers, marketers, engineers, charity workers, NHS staff, teachers etc – they’re the future of our country and our town. It’s vital we give them the best start.

We’re committed to making sure this connection with local young people is sustainable, and I think our link with the University Technical College (UTC) is evidence of that. I helped set up the UTC years ago, and I think it’s a natural fit – connecting young people at The Dome with the UTC and other schools in the area. We’re looking to activate our brand and connections to help make sure The Dome adds value, joins the dots, and becomes part of the wider regeneration of Crewe for young people and the wider community.  Bentley has already got the ball rolling in terms of working with the area’s young people, by connecting with The Dome’s Young People’s Development Group. We have a STEM workshop planned in the Autumn.

Forging connections, especially with young people, is essential in helping them to feel positive about their future. OnSide’s research project with YouGov, Generation Isolation, is heartbreaking. Young people seem to be worried about their future from such a young age. We need to help them overcome barriers and give them places where they can feel safe, have fun, and just be kids. It’s about giving everyone a fair start in life.

But I don’t think it’s all doom and gloom. I do feel positive that society wants to help young people overcome these barriers and see them succeed. But the narrative surrounding young people – especially in the media – doesn’t always reflect this. Every generation gets criticised and young people today are being portrayed as not being able to cope with life, but is that really how they feel?

As a society we need to listen to young people to bridge the gap between reality and how they are perceived. By understanding what drives and motivates them, we can help show them how those passions can be turned into real-life impact. For example, we hear that young people care about the environment, sustainability, social issues – and if that’s true, that’s wonderful. We can work with them to harness that passion to drive positive change. If we can help them feel they have a part to play, and give them the tools to do it, maybe it will help reduce the anxieties we know many of them feel. Helping them feel empowered, not helpless, in the face of big issues – that’s how we can inspire them.

That’s where The Dome comes in – empowerment and support is what it’s all about, and that’s why I know it will be such a positive addition to the town. I’m looking forward to seeing the first young people walk through the doors, enjoy it, and become advocates for it.  From my perspective, the start of the Youth Zone’s journey is so important – it needs to be a hit, so it becomes a sustained success. It should stay fresh, relevant, connected to the town, and continually shaped by young people’s voices. This is why it’s so exciting for me – and for Bentley – to be supporting it from the start.