Our first Power2 graduation ceremony this year was in the North West and was superbly compered by Power2 Ambassador Kemoy Walker. Then on 26 June young people and their families joined us for our London ceremony.

Our last ceremony in London took place before the pandemic started, so alongside celebrating the achievements of our graduates, we were also celebrating all coming together for the first in 4 years.

We were delighted to be joined by Robert Powell, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at our partners Weil, Gotshal and Manges who brilliantly co-hosted the event alongside our CEO.

Spotlight on our award winners

Kristen Caroll, Young Mentor of the Year – award sponsored by Weil, Gotshal and Manges LLP

Reena Gogna, Power2 trustee and partner at Weil presented this award to Kristen Caroll who attends The Lammas School in Walthamstow.

Hannah, Power2 Programme Lead, supported Kristen on the Teens and Toddlers programme: “Kristen finds loud and busy environments difficult and overwhelming. Despite this, she always remained calm and happy in the nursery playground and in the hall at lunchtime.”

“She showed great commitment to the programme and to her mentee. Alongside supporting her mentee, Kristen supported other children who also wanted some attention, including her mentee's best friend who would often display more challenging behaviour.”

“Kirsten became more confident as the programme progressed and began helping deal with tensions between the children and using fun games to distract the toddlers when they were struggling to focus.”

“She is a credit to herself, her group and her school.”

 

Becky Sutcliffe, Outstanding of Progress of the Year

Matt Croston from Social Finance presented this award to Becky Sutcliffe from City of London Academy Southwark.

Madison, Power2 Programme Lead, worked with Becky on the Power2 Rediscover programme:

“Becky worked really well with us from the very beginning of the Power2 Rediscover programme and developed excellent communication skills.”

“Becky developed her coping strategies and increased her self-confidence. After completing the programme, she entered and won a competition at her school for ideas for a social enterprise; part of the challenge was to present in front of a big group of people, which she excelled at.”

 

Rokeby School, Outstanding Group of the Year

Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London Lynn Cooper presented this award to Gabriel Petre, Kishor Hoque, Jorge Miguel, Yousef Islam, Behzard Hassan, Kartar Singh, Hussien Yusuf, Rayhan Ali, Dorian Kalinowski, who attend Rokeby School in Newham.

Lynne, Power2 Programme Lead, worked with Rokeby School on the Teens and Toddlers programme: “The young people at Rokeby School were dedicated not only to supporting their toddlers but also to stepping out of their comfort zones. One of their mentees didn’t want to play outside but with patience and kindness from the group, they eventually built up the courage to.”

“The group was also committed to supporting their mentees’ learning with lots of imaginative role play. They supported each other in the nursery and carried this into the classroom where they encouraged each other to share their opinions and respect each other.”

“Before this year, Power2 hadn’t worked with this nursery before. We’re so proud of the great first impression the group made. We’re sure they’ll continue to grow and use their new skills to support their future goals.”

 

School Partnership of the Year

Sam Marcus, Director of Services at Power2 presented this award to Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls in Ealing:

 “Ellen Wilkinson has worked in partnership with Power2 for many years. Communication with school staff has always been great and the school is very supportive, arranging meetings and supporting their young people to take part - both of which really help to make the programme run smoothly.”

“During the pandemic, this school worked with us to adapt our programmes and processes so that we were still able to support their young people.”

“We really enjoy working with Ellen Wilkinson, its staff and young people, and look forward to carrying on the partnership for many years to come.”

Open mic

One act of courage can open the door for another to be courageous.

This is Favour. Towards the end of the ceremony, we invited graduates to talk about their experience of the programme. Favour was the first person to come up.

After Favour's act of courage, a line of more than 15 young people formed by the lectern, all waiting to share their stories.

This video encapsulates the spirit of the evening. We're so proud of all our programme graduates as they go out into the world to thrive.