Young people’s stories

Isla, 14, is a young person we worked with recently whose worries had a significant impact on her school attendance. She was referred to our one-to-one mentoring programme for support.

Even though our Teens and Toddlers programme lasts just 16 weeks, its impact continues to shape young people’s lives for years after. Laiba, 21, now studying psychology at the University of Manchester, joined Teens and Toddlers when she was 13.

Blessing, 20, is in her final year at university studying Politics and International Relations. She took part in Teens and Toddlers when she was 14, and it helped shape the confident and ambitious young woman she is today.

Rahul, 23, joined our Teens and Toddlers programme when he was 14. Supporting his mentee to make friends and grow in confidence taught Rahul a lot about himself. The experience transformed his school life and empowered him to take on new challenges.

Sainthavi joined Teens and Toddlers when she was 13. Today, aged 22, she’s a university graduate with a Chemistry degree, and she credits Teens and Toddlers as an important part of her life.

Jack, 14, is a young person with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who found aspects of the standard classroom environment challenging. Being in large classes often overwhelmed him, making it hard for him to communicate and engage in learning.

Aleesha, 18, joined our Teens and Toddlers programme seven years ago. Through mentoring, she began to believe in herself and gained the confidence to pursue a career working with children.

When Alex, aged 3, first joined Teens and Toddlers, he was shy and withdrawn. He spoke very little and often separated himself from the other children in the nursery. Alex was paired with Payton, 13, a calm and resilient young person with lots of energy.

When Eser and Oliver, both aged 14, were referred to Power2 Thrive, both were quite shy and found it hard to open up to others. Eser was also getting a lot of detentions at school and Oliver was struggling with his attendance.

Before Power2 Thrive, Aliyah, 13, was disengaged from school and displayed distressed behaviour, rooted in low self-confidence.

Teddie, 13, joined our one-to-one programme because she was struggling to attend school due to bullying and feelings of worry. This took a toll on her self-esteem, leaving her feeling isolated and overwhelmed.

Before joining Teens and Toddlers, Sienna, aged 13, was struggling to attend school. Her confidence was low, and she felt isolated.

Elijah, 19, is currently studying Biological Sciences at the University of Leeds and is a participant on our Power2 Aspire programme. We spoke to him about his experience of the programme.

When Zakiyah, 20, joined our Mentoring Academy during her final year of university, she felt uncertain about life after graduation, and she wanted support to help navigate her transition into the professional world.

When Jerriah, 16, was referred to our one-to-one programme, Power2 Rediscover, she was struggling to communicate effectively with the people in her life. Frequent arguments with teachers and peers led to a series of exclusions from school.

Leila, 14, joined our Power2 Thrive programme because she was struggling to manage her anger, making it difficult to focus in lessons. This affected her wellbeing and led to low attendance at school.

In 2017, Beth was referred to our Teens and Toddlers programme to support her wellbeing and mental health. At the time, she was struggling with loneliness, conflict with peers and low engagement in school. Now, several years later, we caught up with Beth to reflect on her time in school, her experience on the programme and the positive impact it had on her life.

Horiya was referred to Power2 Rediscover, our 1:1 support programme, to improve her wellbeing. She felt angry most of the time, which presented as outbursts at school and often led to her being removed from lessons.  

Over the course of 16 weeks, Mazen mentored a toddler in a local nursery to develop his confidence, self-esteem, communication skills and overall happiness. He also participated in reflective group sessions supported by our programme facilitators.

Before joining the programme, Kaci, 15, often felt overwhelmed and struggled with feelings of worry which really impacted her self-esteem.  

Today, Neesha works with us as a Programme Assistant, using her personal experiences to guide young people. We caught up with Neesha to learn more about growing up in care, her experience on Power2 Advance and her role at Power2.

Laney, 17, was referred to our one-to-one programme because she was disengaged from school. She was struggling with friendships, learning and had lost purpose in her life.

Megan participated in our Teens and Toddlers programme six years ago, and today, at 22, she is working as a Baby Room Leader in a nursery. We caught up with Megan to reflect on her time in school, her experience on the programme and how it helped her discover her passion for working with children.

Our dedicated team support young people to reach their full potential, building on their strengths, and rediscovering their passions and interests. One of our Programme Leads, Karl, worked with Reece to help him recognise his abilities and inspire him to create a brighter future for himself and his family.

When Zainab was 17 years old, she participated in our Teens and Toddlers programme. Now, at 25, she is a Programme Assistant on our team. We spoke to Zainab about her experience in school, her time with Power2 and what inspired her to give back.

In 2022, alongside Social Finance, Cheshire West and Chester Council, we launched an innovative pilot programme called RootED. The programme supported children and young people at risk of exclusion across three secondary schools in Ellesmere Port, through one-to-one sessions.

Before Teens and Toddlers, Tia had low confidence, feelings of worry and low attendance at school. The relationship she built with her toddler Eden increased her confidence and self-worth. She now believes in herself and her abilities.

Before Power2 Rediscover, Charlie, 13, was struggling to express his emotions and was often involved in physical altercations that led to exclusions from school. Charlie now responds to situations in a more positive way and has re-engaged with learning.

Amira participated in the Teens and Toddlers programme in 2011 and has stayed in touch with Power2 ever since. We caught up with Amira to talk about her entire journey with Power2 and the reflections she’s had since completing the programme in 2011.

Erin, 14, was referred to Teens and Toddlers to bring him out of his shell and to improve his communication skills. The relationship Erin built with his mentee helped him to open up and he can now positively interact with adults and his peers.

Before she became a Year 8 mentor, Aisha was quite shy which affected her self-confidence and her ability to interact with teachers and her peers. She said, “I found it difficult to talk to people and to make friends.”

Before Power2 Rediscover, Daniel felt alone in a new country and struggled with low confidence. He's now found community and is building friendships.

Before Maisie, 13, took part in Power2 Thrive, she was displaying shy and withdrawn behaviour and would often become overwhelmed.

Before taking part in Power2 Progress, Kaye was struggling with his confidence and had low self-esteem. Kaye is now more confident than ever and has helped his mentee settle in at secondary school!

Power2 Rediscover can support young people who have been excluded from school or have Emotionally Based School Avoidance challenges. Faith, 13, was referred after multiple exclusions. Her Programme Lead advocated for her, working with teachers to create the safe, nurturing environment she needed.

The Teens and Toddlers programme can act as a safe space for boys to show a softer side in a way that they often can’t in other settings. Leon, 14, found expressing himself difficult before the programme, which would sometimes present itself as acting out in class. He is now a role model to those around him.

Lisa has been supported through the Power2 Aspire programme to build her self-belief and find tangible ways to achieve her dreams of attending university.

Ruby, 15, was referred to the Teens and Toddlers programme as she had recently become very shy and withdrawn which was impacting her engagement in school and with friends.

Becoming a role model can have a transformative impact on young people’s lives. As Ole, 15, reflects on his Teens and Toddlers experience, he shares how our unique mentoring opportunity helped him develop empathy and learn the invaluable lesson of stepping into someone else's shoes.

Our work unleashes the power within children and young people so they can build happy and fulfilling lives. But it’s not just about what’s delivered during the programme, it’s also about what happens before and after those sessions. For some children, our work with them begins at the school gates. This was true for Mia.

Lucy participated in our Teens and Toddlers programme and over a decade later she rejoined Power2 on a 5-month university student placement, in autumn last year. Here’s what she thought about the placement.

Hamza graduated from our Teens and Toddlers programme a few years ago. He caught up with his old Power2 Programme Lead about the impact the experience had on his mental wellbeing and how it helped him secure his future career.

Lucy, 13, is from Manchester. When her school went back to in-person teaching after the COVID-19 lockdowns, Lucy was too anxious to come in to school. She was missing a lot of lessons which meant she was falling behind academically, and she was very unhappy. Her mother, Meryl, didn’t know what to do.

Luca, 12, finds confidence and is building better relationships after receiving Power2 Rediscover support. Luca is just one of the young people we have been working with on the Power2 Rediscover programme at a school in Lambeth.

Hafsah was referred to our Teens and Toddlers programme at age 14, and after graduating with her NCFE Accreditation, she joined Young Leaders. She was the only one from her school joining at the time and bravely came into Manchester with her mum to meet Christina and Leah from our programme team. Hafsah said she “wanted to try new things, meet new people, and learn new skills - but if I don’t like it, I don’t need to go back."

Before Teens and Toddlers, Lewis was struggling with low self-confidence. The programme helped him to develop a more positive view of himself and he became happier.

We’ve delivered our Teens and Toddlers programme at Isabella’s school for many years and lots of participants have gone on to thrive, so Isabella’s teachers thought she could also benefit from the support.

Before Teens and Toddlers, Courtney struggled to manage her emotions which impacted her engagement at school. Now, she communicates effectively, listens to others and is thriving in her education.

Kacper, 14, is a student at Stoke Newington School who was struggling with his behaviour. Outbursts of anger saw his education suffer as he missed lessons and his teachers struggled to understand his needs.