An initiative aimed at developing young people’s entrepreneurship and influence social change has announced its second cohort of change makers in the North West.
The Young Change Makers Fellowship Programme was launched in 2021 by Virgin Money Foundation in partnership with The National Lottery Community Fund and Northern Soul. It supports young people aged between 18-26 from across the North east and the North west of England, and Yorkshire and the Humber who are passionate about changing society for the better.
The programme invited young people to share their ideas for how they want to improve their local community and the selected Change Makers will receive expert support, funding and learning opportunities to bring their idea to life. This includes a grant of up to £10,000, as well as a travel grant to cover the cost of researching similar community projects, a learning programme and a mentor to help them to develop as a leader. Each Change Maker also benefits from working with skilled Virgin Money team members to help develop their business model.
They’ll also learn from other social entrepreneurs who’ve created successful initiatives, work alongside a peer group of young people committed to creating real change and will be linked to other organisations to help them to put their plan into action.
Two of the new cohorts are 18 year old Farhad Gohar and Chelsea Pimblott, 25, both from Manchester.
Farhard is working on Potential, a yet to be established organisation which will work with young people aged 13–25 providing education and development programmes. Its mission is to help young people use their entrepreneurial skills for self-improvement. The journey that each young person will take through the programme will be distinct to the individual and depending on their interest they will be linked to a mentor who has experience in the area they want to work.
Farhad said: “I applied for the programme because I wanted to further develop my idea and having the opportunity of grant funding as well as the support of the team at Virgin Money Foundation and Northern Soul could help me to make it a reality. I am working to stop young people in my area turning to crime. I want to reach out, share my own experiences and teach young people that there is another way, using their entrepreneurial skills! During the Fellowship I want to launch and grow my organisation, hopefully get more funding and be able to introduce it to schools.”
Chelsea wants to create more opportunities for young people to access dance, despite their socio-economic situation. Chelsea is already active in her community, having set up a small dance school that is accessible and affordable for local children and families. At the dance school she also provides informal advice on nutrition, health and activities that focus on mindfulness and wellbeing. She is also providing work experience for other young people.
Chelsea said: ““When I saw the advertisement for the Young Change Makers Fellowship, I saw it as an opportunity to meet new, likeminded people who can offer me support and guidance. As someone who never went to university, I’m always looking for ways to develop and educate myself so that I can bring my passions to life whilst making them sustainable. I know what I want to change, I just need a strong support network around me on my journey so that I can make my ideas flourish to the best of my potential.
Chelsea added: “Dance is an area I believe I can make a difference. I have the passion, drive and knowledge it would take to make this a reality and improve the life chances of young people with similar life experiences as myself. Not only do my dance classes teach dance, but they also provide informal education on nutrition and health and activities that focus mindfulness and wellbeing. At the end of the programme I aim to run a stronger sustainable dance school that can offer free provision for young people from lower-income households, so that everybody in my local community has the chance to positively outlet in a nurturing, authentic environment.”
Nancy Doyle-Hall, executive director of Virgin Money Foundation, said: “The Young Change Makers programme was born out of a recognition that very often the people who know best the issues that need to be tackled in a neighbourhood are the young people living in these communities. We believed that there were young people out there with the talent, passion and insight to create lasting change in our society but who would need resource, investment in their leadership and time to develop their initiative. The first cohort of the programme proved this theory to be true and we are delighted to have had a small role to play in supporting them to begin to develop their social initiatives.
“We were excited to see who would apply to the second round of the fund. The eleven Change Makers we are announcing are from across the North of England and are working to tackle a broad range of social issues. We look forward to seeing their social ventures develop and positive change being created in the communities that need it most.”
Farhad Goher, 18, Manchester – Potential
Potential is a yet to be established organisation which will work with young people aged 13–25 providing education and development programmes. Its mission is to help young people use their entrepreneurial skills for self-improvement. The journey that each young person will take through the programme will be distinct to the individual and depending on their interest they will be linked to a mentor who has experience in the area they want to work.
Farhad moved to England from Afghanistan 16 years ago and lives in Cheetham Hill. He wants to work across this area and Harpurhey and Moston. Farhad has faced many challenges in his life, something shared with his friendship group. The group have been the victims of but also the perpetrators of crime. He has spent much of his education in Pupil Referral Units (the PRU). He is also a carer for both his parents.
Lisa Eigbadon, 22, Manchester – Young people of Colour
Working People of colour is an initiative (not yet established) that aims to improve the racial literacy of employers, ensuring that employees of colour are working in environments that are inclusive, safe, and socially aware. It will provide training sessions to clients and team building sessions for the staff as well as supporting employees that may be experiencing difficulties within the workplace.
Lisa describes herself as a ‘proud black working-class woman from Manchester’. Lisa is an activist with almost 12 years of experience as an active change maker and campaigner starting as a young person involved with the charity RECALIM. RECLAIM powers young working-class people to change the country today, committed to creating a future where your class background is no barrier to what you can achieve.
Finnian Oldfield, 24, Liverpool – Community Wealth Building
Finnian is a very passionate advocate of Community Wealth Building (CWB) as a solution to challenges in his community that have seemed ‘impossible to fix’. Community wealth building is a people-centred approach to local economic development, which redirects wealth back into the local economy, and places control and benefits into the hands of local people. It was initiated by the Democracy Collaborative in the America but it has been adopted as an approach in the UK by local councils including Preston and Wigan.
Finnian describes himself as a working-class, queer, Northerner. He was a young carer and grew up and still lives in a council estate with his parents. He is currently working as a Media & Communications Co-ordinator for the Community Interest Company ‘The People’s Powerhouse’ which may be known to some of the Panel. Finnian spends his days “amplifying the voices of ordinary Northerners” who want to have a say on the future of their communities.
Chelsea Pimblott, 25, Manchester – Urban Dancers of Trafford
Chelsea wants to create more opportunities for young people to access dance, despite their socio-economic situation. Chelsea is already active in her community, having set up a small dance school that is accessible and affordable for local children and families. At the dance school she also provides informal advice on nutrition, health and activities that focus on mindfulness and wellbeing. She is also providing work experience for other young people.
Chelsea has lived in North Trafford all of her life and currently runs her small dance school from Gorse Hill Studios; the youth centre where she started dancing. She also works at the centre as a Community Link Youth Worker.
