Councillor's Praise for 15 "Inspiring" Street Elite Graduates

Newham Council's Cabinet Member for Children's Social Care has congratulated fifteen talented young men from Newham as they celebrate graduating from an innovative youth intervention project.

Cllr Sarah Ruiz visited Little Ilford Learning Zone yesterday (Tuesday) to meet the group and hear first-hand how the three-month Street Elite programme has helped them learn new skills and develop a positive mind-set.

The graduates, all local residents aged 14-15, have been taking part in intensive coaching sessions run by qualified sports coaches and mentors from The Change Foundation, with support from Newham Council and the Berkeley Foundation.

This unique youth project uses a combination of team sports, group workshops and one-to-one mentoring to build aspiration, skills and self-belief.

Newham Council's youth service team helped to identify promising local young people who could benefit most from this intensive programme, focusing on those at risk of falling out of education or in need of fresh inspiration to get back on track.

Funding has been provided by Mayor of London's Young Londoner's Fund.

Cllr Ruiz said: "It was a real pleasure to meet this inspiring young men and hear them speak about their future plans with such passion. They clearly loved being part of Street Elite.

Newham is home to some incredibly talented young people and programmes like this can help them to stay on track and reach their potential."

Sally Dickinson, Head of the Berkeley Foundation, said: "It's fantastic to see Street Elite expand into Newham this year with the support of the council and Mayor's Young Londoners Fund. Congratulations to all of the graduates!"

All 15 participants successfully completed the course, with coaching taking place at Newham Council's Little Ilford Learning Zone.

Each training session is based around team sports, helping to build confidence and teach valuable leadership and team working skills. 

Many of the graduates have been encouraged to reflect upon personal challenges along the way, gaining a more positive outlook and setting themselves new education and career aspirations for the future.

The Street Elite model was first developed by The Change Foundation and the Berkeley Foundation in 2012.

Since then programmes have run in boroughs across London, empowering hundreds of young people to make positive changes and take steps towards rewarding careers.

Find out more about Street Elite online.