We are a community of mentors, staff, young people, and volunteers who are passionate about welcoming young refugees to the UK and ensuring they are given every opportunity they need to settle into their communities, access education, and reach their full potential.
Our mission is to remove the obstacles to young refugees and asylum-seekers’ education and well-being through mentoring, advocacy, and financial support.
Young people seeking sanctuary in the UK are determined to access education and make the most of their opportunities. At Hope for the Young, we are determined to support them in doing so.
We understand that everyone has different backgrounds, needs, and aspirations for the future. We therefore pride ourselves in providing holistic and tailored one-to-one support that ensures young people can move towards their goals, regardless of their starting point.
In 2023, 5010 unaccompanied children arrived in the UK seeking safety. Coping with the aftermath of war, persecution, and bereavement, many have experienced traumatic events that make it hard to cope with day-to-day life. With 7 out of 10 people waiting over a year for a decision on their asylum claim and over 2,000 people waiting three years or more, this long period of uncertainty is devastating to young people’s physical, psychological, and social well-being. As a result, many suffer social exclusion and find it difficult to access the support they need to move forwards with their lives.
Despite the complex challenges they have faced, it is education that remains their primary focus. Learning new skills and knowledge provides the hope of a better life and future prospects for them and their families. As one young person we work with said, “Education means hope to me. It shows that there can be a future.” However, many young people wishing to return to education encounter a series of obstacles when trying to enrol.
Asylum-seekers in the UK are not entitled to student loans to pay for university. Instead they are categorised as international students and must pay fees that can range between £10,000 – £30,000 per year. Those over 18 are not entitled to work and are provided a basic allowance of £49.18 to live off per week, or just £8.86 for those placed in full-board accommodation.
Even if a young person is able to access education through a university scholarship, many still cannot afford the living costs, transport, or resources required to attend. Education, therefore, remains inaccessible to many young people who have to wait in limbo until a final decision is made on their asylum claim.
When trying to settle in the UK there remain many further obstacles to young people’s well-being and progression. These include language barriers, mental health needs, discrimination, and a lack of access to support available. In addition, the complex immigration system means there is limited awareness of the rights and entitlements of those with insecure immigration status which means that many young people fail to receive the appropriate guidance they need. This restricts their potential, reduces self-esteem, and prevents them from progressing in line with their peers – reducing participation and exacerbating inequality across the UK.
When a young person wishing to rebuild their life is denied access to education and the personal support they need, it can quickly result in their dreams for the future fading away. Education is essential for enhancing job prospects, reducing poverty, improving health, and contributing to the UK’s economic growth. With limited ways for young people to utilise their skills, pursue their passions, or engage with their communities, it is not surprising that many young people’s mental health deteriorates as they find themselves isolated and disengaged from the society in which they belong. Hope for the Young’s work shows that it does not have to be this way.
Our programmes are designed to work closely together to remove the range of barriers preventing young refugees and asylum-seekers from accessing the education and support they need to reach their full potential.
We offer tailored one-to-one mentoring to enable young refugees to settle into their communities and pursue their goals.
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We pay for tuition fees, transport, and general study costs so that young refugees can access and complete their education.
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We provide advice, guidance, and support throughout young people’s education to maximise their chances of success.
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We work closely together with all our partners and do our best at building strong, long-lasting and meaningful relationships with others so that we can establish the most effective support networks and future pathways for those we support.
We celebrate the unique qualities of all individuals. We understand that giving and receiving respect is fundamental to building positive and trusting relationships and we will always value the diversity of everybody we work with at Hope for the Young.
We are flexible in our approach so that we can meet the specific needs and aspirations of the young people we support. We allow ourselves to respond creatively so that we can adapt to any challenges or unforeseen demands within our work.
We empower people with the desire and ability to achieve their full potential through the exchange of knowledge and access to services. We aim to create a positive feeling in those around us and inspire continuous learning and confidence amongst staff, volunteers, young people, partners, and supporters.
We encourage participation and inclusion in all aspects of our work so that we can listen and respond to young people and provide a platform for their voices to be heard. We sincerely value the hard work and dedication of all our volunteers and partners and strive to facilitate welcoming and supportive relationships, rooted in local communities.
Dr Saedi is a retired child and adolescent psychiatrist who has worked with refugee communities for over 30 years. As a volunteer he works both in the UK and abroad, helping young people affected by their social & cultural barriers.
Mr Omid is a qualified Chartered Accountant who has had a long career in the financial advisory and investment business. He is an ardent supporter for the promotion of education.
Dr Street has worked in the field of children and young people’s mental health for over 25 years as a health researcher and consultant. She has held senior management and research director roles at a number of the UK’s national mental health charities and is currently an Honorary Associate Professor at Warwick Medical School, where she has been involved in international research about mental health services for young people and how to improve the transition from children’s to adult’s services.
Mick is a skilled senior manager and consultant whose work career has spanned both the public and third sector. He has many years’ experience managing and commissioning children and family services in social care and leading on research and campaigning for charities. His work has given him a unique insight into statutory services, public policy and the world of the voluntary and community sector.
Mick currently delivers a range of training and coaching related to mental health and the impact of childhood adversity. Beyond his daily work he is a Governor of the Bethlem and Maudsley Hospital School, a Director of the Children’s Outcomes Research Consortium (CORC) and acts as an advisor to a number of bodies relating to children, schools and mental health.
Niki is currently the Client Data and Impact Manager at Refugee Council. She has previously worked as a Monitoring and Evaluation Manager at the Modern Slavery Policy and Evidence Centre, Impact Manager at another refugee charity, and in various policy and analytical roles across government, including at HM Treasury and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. She has a lot of experience volunteering with refugee communities in Greece and Cyprus, and has been a mentor with Hope for the Young since 2016.
Matt Blacker
Matt is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Hope for the Young. He’s responsible for developing Hope for the Young’s strategy, overseeing fundraising and marketing activities, and building the charity’s core infrastructure and sustainability.
Matt is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Hope for the Young. He’s responsible for developing Hope for the Young’s strategy, overseeing fundraising and marketing activities, and building the charity’s core infrastructure and sustainability.
Chief Executive Officer
Ellie Alvarez
Ellie oversees the development of the Mentoring Programme. Her responsibilities include scoping out new partnerships to provide more opportunities to young people on the programme, developing our training, and working closely with referral partners to expand our reach. Ellie loves to eat her way around London’s restaurants, and finding new running routes with bakeries at the finish line!
Ellie oversees the development of the Mentoring Programme. Her responsibilities include scoping out new partnerships to provide more opportunities to young people on the programme, developing our training, and working closely with referral partners to expand our reach. Ellie loves to eat her way around London’s restaurants, and finding new running routes with bakeries at the finish line!
Programme Manager (Croydon & South London)
Katie Dunne
Katie manages operations and infrastructure at Hope for the Young. She manages our database and systems and supports the team with the technical side of their roles. She has a rescue dog called Mouse who she loves going on long walks with and teaching new tricks.
Katie manages operations and infrastructure at Hope for the Young. She manages our database and systems and supports the team with the technical side of their roles. She has a rescue dog called Mouse who she loves going on long walks with and teaching new tricks.
Programme Manager (North London)
Hannah manages our website, social media and communications channels. She also oversees Hope for the Young’s community, events and corporate fundraising, and supports individual giving and trusts and foundations revenue streams. She enjoys drinking (too much) coffee and exploring the various green spaces that London has to offer.
Hannah manages our website, social media and communications channels. She also oversees Hope for the Young’s community, events and corporate fundraising, and supports individual giving and trusts and foundations revenue streams. She enjoys drinking (too much) coffee and exploring the various green spaces that London has to offer.
Senior Fundraising and Communications Officer
Pamela Verma
Pamela oversees our Grants and Advocacy Programme and is the first point of contact when somebody applies to the programme for support. She oversees the application process and provides tailored advocacy to all our grant recipients, ensuring they get the right help and advice throughout their studies.
Pamela oversees our Grants and Advocacy Programme and is the first point of contact when somebody applies to the programme for support. She oversees the application process and provides tailored advocacy to all our grant recipients, ensuring they get the right help and advice throughout their studies.
Grants and Advocacy Manager
Lois Barton
Lois is also North London Mentoring Coordinator. Her role is to match young people to volunteer mentors and then oversees these mentoring relationships and provides additional support to the mentor and mentee throughout their mentoring relationship. Lois likes pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain.
Lois is also North London Mentoring Coordinator. Her role is to match young people to volunteer mentors and then oversees these mentoring relationships and provides additional support to the mentor and mentee throughout their mentoring relationship. Lois likes pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain.
Mentoring Programme Coordinator (North London)
Katie Ogilvie
Katie is a North London Mentoring Coordinator. Her role is to match young people to volunteer mentors in North London. She then oversees these mentoring relationships and provides additional support to the mentor and mentee throughout their mentoring relationship. Katie enjoys hiking and has even self-converted her own van.
Katie is a North London Mentoring Coordinator. Her role is to match young people to volunteer mentors in North London. She then oversees these mentoring relationships and provides additional support to the mentor and mentee throughout their mentoring relationship. Katie enjoys hiking and has even self-converted her own van.
Mentoring Programme Coordinator (North London)
Alex Pang
Alex is a South London Mentoring Coordinator. His role is to also match young people to volunteer mentors. He then oversees these mentoring relationships and provides additional support to the mentor and mentee throughout their mentoring relationship. Alex is an avid Arsenal fan and loves going to games when he can.
Alex is a South London Mentoring Coordinator. His role is to also match young people to volunteer mentors. He then oversees these mentoring relationships and provides additional support to the mentor and mentee throughout their mentoring relationship. Alex is an avid Arsenal fan and loves going to games when he can.
Mentoring Programme Coordinator (South London)
Emily Hill
Emily is a South London Mentoring Coordinator. Her role is to match young people referred to the Mentoring Programme to volunteer mentors and oversees the mentoring relationships and provides additional support to the mentor and mentee throughout their mentoring relationship. Emily likes swing-dancing (terribly), geeks out on perfume and is a big fan of trampoline parks.
Emily is a South London Mentoring Coordinator. Her role is to match young people referred to the Mentoring Programme to volunteer mentors and oversees the mentoring relationships and provides additional support to the mentor and mentee throughout their mentoring relationship. Emily likes swing-dancing (terribly), geeks out on perfume and is a big fan of trampoline parks.
Mentoring Programme Coordinator (South London)
Sayed Sajjad
Sayed is our Operations Officer. His role is to provide critical support in areas such as Finance, IT, HR, Fundraising and Operations, to build Hope for the Young’s organisational capacity and ensure the efficient running and embedding of essential operational and administrative processes.
Sayed is our Operations Officer. His role is to provide critical support in areas such as Finance, IT, HR, Fundraising and Operations, to build Hope for the Young’s organisational capacity and ensure the efficient running and embedding of essential operational and administrative processes.
Operations Officer