Jo-Ash, Youth Board 2021 Alumni Member

My youth club has helped me a lot because I started when I was 11 years old and I was nervous and depressed. I got involved in their summer holiday schemes and youth camps and it help me come out of my comfort zone and able to communicate with young people my age. My youth club gave me the skills needed for future opportunities. Years go past and I’ve become a youth leader, taking responsibility for young people. From that, my youth club is connected to London Youth and I’ve continued moving from Leader to Ambassador through London Youth’s youth board, Dare London, and I’ve made changes around London.

When it comes to young people, it’s important to have employment because with young people it’s not easy getting employed especially London. Personally, I want this experience but I’m glad I went through the experience because I never gave up. London Youth connected me with TalentRISE which is a youth employment charity which launched in 2014 and it’s an organisation that does technology and digital recruitment and has 17 offices globally.

They helped me with my CV, cover letter and my linked in account as well. This organisation helped me find jobs in the tech/digital sector and I was able to have a work placements and internships in IT support, software development and web development. So I want to say a massive thank you to London Youth for my personal growth and the connections they have helped me make for my future career and next steps.

This shows that if I can achieve my goals, so can the rest of young Londoners. We all know that the journey is not easy but what is important is that the journey is important not the destination. Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle. It’s because of London Youth and TalentRISE that made me the young man I am today. It’s a beautiful thing when a career and a passion come together.

Young people are the future, if you dream it, you can achieve it.