Give to Gain: Inspiring stories of London Youth Award Winners

This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating the power of Give to Gain by spotlighting women from our member youth organisations who give their time, voice and care to uplift others, and in doing so, create lasting change for young Londoners across our city. 

Meet two inspiring women and winners of last year’s London Youth Awards, Majeda (aka ‘Maj’), Youth Professional of the Year and Veronika, Young Leader of the Year. Through their work with young people, they show how giving trust, time, and belief can unlock confidence, leadership and opportunities for the next generation. 

As Frontline Team Manager and Senior Intervention Coach, Majeda (aka ‘Maj’) leads Streets of Growth’s team of intervention coaches to support 350+ vulnerable young people a year in Tower Hamlets. In the last 10 years alone, Streets of Growth has supported over 1,500 young people to move out of harm and into positive lifestyles, and transition into education, training and employment. Maj’s commitment, professionalism and dynamism have been instrumental to this success.  

Her specialisms include strategically targeted street outreach work to engage highly vulnerable young people caught up in harm’s way and who are educationally and economically stuck. This involves managing extremely complex caseloads and equipping young people to engage in Streets of Growth’s programmes; and working strategically and effectively with parents/families, social services, police, housing teams and schools to ensure young people’s full range of needs are addressed. 

Many of the young people are carrying responsibilities no child should have to – caring for parents affected by domestic abuse, poor mental health or other serious challenges. Maj founded Streets of Growth’s Young Carers Programme in response. The resulting strong partnerships with local schools helped identify and support hundreds of vulnerable families who might otherwise have remained unseen and unsupported.  

Unfailingly modest, Maj personifies the phrase ‘team player’ and inspires her colleagues and young people every day. One young person said, “Majeda really helped me during my rough patch and supported my family through it too. She did not give up on us. She has been a huge part of my life.” 

Maj has voluntarily worked evenings and weekends, going ‘beyond the clock’ on countless occasions throughout her career to support young people during their most vulnerable moments. Her relentless efforts have literally saved lives, including leading to the safe return of a young person kidnapped by county lines. Majeda’s passion and belief in the hope and potential of young people drive her to support those who are most vulnerable and at risk. 

It’s that focus on potential, even in the most complex circumstances, that continues to change the futures of young Londoners for the better.

Veronika is a passionate and driven young leader at New Arrivals Support CIC, whose work exemplifies the power of youth voice and co-production. As a Ukrainian refugee, she brings lived experience to her youth work, creating deep, authentic connections with the young people she supports. She doesn’t just run sessions, she empowers young people to design and lead them.   

Through the Ukrainian Youth Project Lewisham, Veronika has worked with over 80 young people aged 11–18 who have resettled in the borough. She has co-designed and delivered more than 200 sessions, including art therapy workshops, mentoring circles, games, trips, educational master classes, and skills-building activities.  

The programme combines leisure activities that restore a sense of normality and connection among young people with reflective and creative group sessions designed to support mental health and emotional wellbeing, and help participants process displacement and trauma. All project participants regularly contribute to co-designing the programme, shaping activities around their interests while rediscovering passions, building friendships, and exploring their educational and future career paths – contributing to planning and leading sessions, a testament to the project’s co-productive model. 

She champions a non-invasive, youth-led mentoring model that places trust, belonging and healing at the centre. By giving her time, empathy and leadership, Veronika has helped young people gain confidence and a renewed sense of belonging. 

One participant shared, “She’s the only adult I’ve met here who really gets what I’m going through. With her, I feel safe to be myself.” One parent said, “Veronika helped my daughter find friends and joy again.” Several young people now volunteer, co-plan sessions, and support newcomers, becoming leaders in their own right.   

Veronika represents the very best of what a young leader can be – grounded, resilient and transformative. She doesn’t just lead, she uplifts others to lead too. 

Explore how our programmes and youth organisations from across our membership support and uplift young women across London here.