Our Impact & Success

Since the charity was established in 2008, Hope for the Young has been promoting education and helping young people to achieve their potential through mentoring, advocacy, and financial support.

Transforming lives since 2008

Prior to the launch of Hope for the Young in 2008, our current Chair of Trustees, Dr Saedi, was part of a team of health professionals who set up and ran a mental health service for unaccompanied asylum-seekers in London. Three years later, when funding from the Department of Health came to an end, Hope for the Young was established to continue reaching out to the young people left without support.

Since then, Hope for the Young has grown significantly from a small grant-making charity led entirely by its trustees, to an organisation that reached over 200 young people across 2023-24, with ten staff members, over 100 volunteers, and a clear mission to remove the obstacles to young refugees’ education and wellbeing.

The world needs many more Hope for the Young’s so this world can be a better place by giving access to bright people to serve humanity and achieve their goals.

Rahand, a Grantee

Read our latest Annual Impact Report:

Our Impact to date

  • 250+

    grants awarded to young people to access further and higher education

  • 100%

    of young people either completed or continued their studies after receiving a grant in 2023.

  • 87%

    of young people said their knowledge of their rights had increased

  • 78%

    of young people said their English and communication skills had improved as a result of mentoring

  • 73%

    of mentees improved their confidence and self-esteem

  • 86%

    of young people furthered their pathways to education/employment as a result of mentoring

  • 96%

    of mentors felt they had made a real difference in their mentee's life

  • 100%

    mentors would recommend mentoring to another

  • 92%

    of grantees felt supported to pursue their long-term career and educational options

It’s been really interesting and rewarding seeing the young people

that I have mentored grow in confidence and learn how to become

independent, accessing services themselves.

Sharon, a mentor

Shems and Alex

Shems arrived in the UK without any family members in 2021 after fleeing Ethiopia. Although he was only 17 years old, he was subjected to an age assessment on arrival, which mistakenly categorised him as an adult, over 10 years older than his actual age. He was instantly removed from temporary foster care and transferred to a hotel, leaving him vulnerable and far from his support network and friends. Shems felt “isolated and unhappy”, as he was much younger than the other residents, and was not being offered the appropriate support that an unaccompanied child should have. Whilst at the hotel, he was referred to Hope for the Young by a support worker and matched with Alex, a Volunteer Mentor living nearby.

Meet our community!

Abel and Nicole

Abel, a young man from Ethiopia, found the confidence to embrace his identity with the help of his mentor, Nicole.

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Rajmonda poses for a photo in a graduation cap and robe.

Rajmonda

Rajmonda, a brilliant young woman from Albania, breaks down all the barriers in her way to graduate with a degree in Education.

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Yahya

Yahya, a young man from Pakistan, overcomes financial challenges and uncertainty to achieve his dream of studying Law.

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Ismail

Ismail, 24, arrived in the UK as a child. As a teenager, he realised he was ‘undocumented’ and his irregular status would cast a long shadow over his early adulthood, eventually leading to mental health problems. After a decade-long battle to regu...

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Image of Iynaz and Vivien sitting in a cafe. They are holding Iynaz's certificate of achievement between them.

Iynaz and Vivien

Iynaz, a young woman from Iran, achieved her dream of studying Music Production with the help of her mentor, Vivien.

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Mansoor

Mansoor, from Afghanistan, completes his education against all odds and achieves his goal of becoming a Dental Hygienist.

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Agnes

Agnes, aged 19, received a grant from Hope for the Young’s Education  Fund to study at university. At just 4 years old, Agnes  found herself in a new country, thousands of miles from her  family  home in The Gambia. Life in Dagenham, East London, ...

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Vici and Manmohan

Born in Afghanistan, Manmohan aged 23, had been in the UK for three years before being referred to Hope for the Young. Unable to use his arms and legs due to having quadriplegia, he requires round-the-clock care from his parents and cannot travel ...

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Julia

When Julia* came to the UK 4 years ago, aged 19, she found herself having to start all over again. Rebuilding her life and finding a new support network were challenging enough, but she then began to face huge difficulties when beginning a degree ...

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Our Supporters

Being a small charity, our supporters see directly where their money is going and how it impacts the lives of young refugees and asylum-seekers when they arrive in the UK. If you would like to discuss how to get involved please contact our CEO, Matt Blacker, at matt@hopefortheyoung.org.uk

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