| | | | Quarterly Newsletter |  | |
Dear Mentivity Community,
We hope this newsletter finds you well and inspired by the remarkable progress we've been making, despite the significant challenges we face in our ongoing mission to empower young people within our community.
On our journey, we confront the harsh realities of poverty, unemployment, educational disparities, mental health struggles, and food insecurity that affect the lives of the people we work with. These challenges are not just statistics; they are the daily obstacles our young people must overcome. With the unwavering support of our schools network, funding partners, and community, we are dedicated to addressing these pressing issues head-on.
The Mentivity Team would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the loved ones, friends and teachers of Elianne Andam (15) and Keelen Morris Wong (22), whose lives were tragically taken through two separate, senseless acts of violence over the past few weeks. Sadly the impact of violence on young people, particularly gender based violence and knife crime, are not uncommon, nevertheless the ripple of trauma of these terrible events has left an indelible mark on our community.
As we share our updates in this newsletter, we also aim to shed light on the resilience and determination of our community & organisation. Together, we strive to create a brighter future, breaking down these barriers one step at a time.
Warm regards, Sayce Holmes-Lewis, CEO, and the Mentivity Team
| | Our New Home The Mentivity Community Hub |  | | In the coming months, we'll be moving into our new home right here in South London, on the Aylesbury estate, located just off Walworth Road in Camberwell.
Our mission for the Mentivity Community Hub is to empower and uplift our community, encouraging cultural cohesion, whilst ensuring positive health and wellbeing underpins all aspects of engagement. We're committed to offering a wide range of services, including a podcast/recording studio, youth club, alternative education programmes, spaces for community meetings, well-being initiatives, and training & development sessions.
We’re conducting a community consultation to take action on advocating for our community's needs. Whether you live or work in Southwark, your input is invaluable, so be sure to have your say and help shape the future of our community! Complete the consultation here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
We're raising £25,000 to run a programme of activities at the Mentivity Community Hub. We have seen numerous community centres, youth clubs and spaces for our community close down over the last ten years in Southwark, leaving thousands of young people and adults with nowhere to go and nowhere to truly call their own.
We’re going to change that with the Mentivity Community Hub... But we need your support.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | | | A Showcase of EmpowermentOur 4th Annual Photo Exhibition |  |
We would like to extend a huge thank you to our extended community for joining us at the launch of our 4th annual photo exhibition, "Through Their Eyes: Empowerment Through Mentoring.”
Organised by our outstanding mentor, Lawrie Wilson, with invaluable support from Kiosk N1C & the creative minds of Surrey Square Primary School's pupils, the exhibition served as a testament to the significant influence of mentoring on their personal growth, empowerment, and self-discovery.
Our brilliant young photographers, Olami and Şalifu, poured their creativity into the exhibition. When tasked with encapsulating Mentivity in a few words, they created a powerful visual story.
The exhibition featured photographs housed in 10 lightboxes along Lower Stable Street, each radiating the lively spirit of our young curators.
We were thrilled to host engaging Q&A sessions with Mentivity mentors, and the "Wall of Gratitude" became a tapestry of warm and sincere messages from the community.
Check out Lawrie’s interview with Olami and Şalifu via the YouTube icon below.
If you didn't manage to attend the launch, the exhibition remains open at Lower Stable Street until the 13th of November.
| | | | 2023 Programmes Highlight Providing young people with the skills and support they need to succeed | | | | "Mentivity are a pleasure to work with and they have become an integral part of the team at our school. The impact they have on the young people has been incredible, and lots of young minds have been left inspired by their support. Mentivity go above and beyond and have made a huge impact on not only our school community, but the Croydon community as a whole." | |  | Part of the Future Ready Initiative, The Mentivity Superstar Challenge is a sports mentoring programme that supports young people aged 10-11 who are transitioning from primary school to secondary school. The programme prepares these students through group work, sports & physical activity and 1:1 mentoring, for life in year 7. The programme also provides targeted 1:1 mentoring to those who are identified as needing additional support in the academic year ahead. | |  | Targeted at young people in receipt of free school meals, who would otherwise be inactive, isolated or at risk of violence, we engaged participants through a number of activities that included media, life skills development, skills builder activities, wellness/wellbeing and physical activity. All activities were underpinned by group mentoring sessions, with individual 1:1 mentoring sessions for young participants who are identified as needing additional support. | |  | A fully funded 14-week sports, wellbeing and personal development programme targeted at participants aged 11-14 from underserved communities, who require support to positively engage in their education, tap into their true potential and increase their life prospects. The programme consists of two phases (Mindfulness & Mastering) and is underpinned by a series of (at least) 4 individual mentoring sessions. | |  | We’ve collaborated with The Amani Project, Goldman Sachs & Hogan Lovells to empower teens with mentors, soft skills and support. With Young Black Londoners twice as likely to be unemployed as white counterparts, our six month mentoring and employability programme for Black/mixed race 16-19 year-olds includes access to a series of inspirational workshops, mentoring sessions and networking opportunities, equipping them with the confidence needed for a successful life and career. The project was inspired by The Amani Project CEO, Amani Simpson’s, lived experience of getting a second chance at age 16 from a mentor who helped him build confidence and find a positive pathway. | | | Sayce Holmes-Lewis, appointed to new London Policing Board |  |
We're proud to announce that our CEO & co-founder, Sayce Holmes-Lewis, has been appointed as a member of the newly established London Policing Board. This board was formed in response to the recommendations put forth in Baroness Louise Casey's review of culture and standards within the Metropolitan Police. Its primary goal is to enhance the transparency and accountability of the Met to the diverse communities it serves.
Sayce shares his thoughts on the significance of this role within the community: “As someone who has been campaigning for the past three years for radical police reform, this role is crucial in the fight to ensure the Met police are fully held to account. Historically the Commissioner himself has refused to acknowledge that institutionalised racism, misogyny and homophobia is rife in the Met. Now, bringing together a group of people that are equally passionate about police reform with high levels of expertise, we’re ready to push for this much needed change. The changes I hope to bring through my appointment are systemic and legislative changes in the way that police are held to account within the criminal legal system itself.”
| |
Spotlight on our Sponsors and PartnersThank you for your support
| |
Goldman Sachs In 2020, we kicked off our partnership with Goldman Sachs Firmwide Black Network - Europe, via The Raising Aspirations Project, a 12-week programme aimed at creating viable career paths and raising the aspirations of young people aged 11-16 through mentoring, coaching and informal education. In 2023 we’ve continued to evolve, grow and deliver the programme with incredible success. We look forward to our next journey, and offer a huge thanks to Goldman Sachs for their continued support and commitment. Together, we're shaping brighter futures for our young people. Find out more about Goldman Sachs commitment to diversity & inclusion via their Affinity Networks here. |
Active Communities Network Active Communities Network is a sport for development charity which uses sport as a pathway into education, training and employment. Founded in 2006, the charity has grown in stature, delivering projects across all regions of the UK and supporting local partners across five continents. ACN focuses on Tackling Poverty, Creating Opportunities & Inspiring Change. As our training, development and capacity building partner, they've been fundamental in the process of securing and developing our Community Hub. Find out more about their incredible work here. |
Vallum Associates We’re proud to announce that we’ve partnered with Vallum Associates, a global executive search firm offering talent solutions and transformation programmes to the financial and energy sectors. They have pledged financial support to help us continue to deliver our mentoring programmes across schools and within the community. |
The Independent We were selected as recipients of The Independent’s Black History Month Initiative, supporting Black-led organisations in enacting change with free advertising space across its publication. As a Black-owned organisation, marketing and communications can prove costly and reaching a wider audience can also be difficult. This advertising space donation will allow us to reach a greater audience who can lend support to the important work we do in our community. | | Community Corner | Creating positive change locally and internationally | | Cut It Out! |  | Back in 2020, we joined a consortium of organisations to support the drive to decrease violence in Croydon. The culmination of these efforts has seen the birth of a number of projects. One of which was a celebratory event cultivated by the Palace For Life Foundation that brings together youth organisations and young people to play at Selhurst Park, the home of Crystal Palace FC. This event bridged the gap between the authorities and young people, as each organisation, including the local police, got kitted out, laced up their boots and took to the pitch. | | ADRA |  | We’re working alongside the global Humanitarian Organisation and world’s largest integrated healthcare and education network, ADRA. With a focus on sharing insights, training and expertise in youth engagement, our CEO, Sayce, met with several Ministries, including Youth, Sports & Arts, Science & Technology, and Small & Medium Enterprises. Sayce also made visits to schools & various projects to support the advancement of ADRA's curriculum, and extend its reach. Find out more about ADRA’s incredible work here. | | | | If you’re interested in working with us or have questions, feedback or suggestions, please contact us at info@mentivity.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | | | | |
|
|
|
|
|
