Valuing Life Project

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Valuing Life is a creative early intervention programme, encouraging reflection, intergenerational and intercultural dialogue. Delivered to schools, parents and the wider community, Valuing Life brings delivery partners together to raise young people’s aspirations, ambition and agency, moving them away from negative choices, towards positive ones that will shape their lives, families and the communities around them.

Programme aims:

  • To prevent children and young people aged 8-13 from involvement in activities related to negative peer groups and/or violent criminal behaviours
  • To engage young people aged 14-17 who are known to be in the early stages of gang related activities, or on the cusp of criminal behaviours, to direct them towards positive pathways.


Bringing people together in group settings, Valuing Life will use creative practice as a safe and enjoyable way to explore important themes, while potentially navigating challenging subjects, thoughts, and feelings. Proposed creative mediums will include: Painting, Photography, Filmmaking, Poetry, Creative writing and Creative Thinking. With the support and encouragement of skilled creative practitioners, children and adults are invited to explore the possibilities for intergenerational healing across present and future generations.

Executive summary of the Valuing Life Year 2 report


Clube dos Brasileirinhos

The Clube dos Brasileirinhos Supplementary School offers classes in Brazilian Portuguese as a heritage language for children in a fun environment.

The Valuing Life Parenting Project consists of support group sessions where parents are invited to have open conversations about many topics that are relevant to their day to day lives such as: improved communication, self-confidence, self-esteem, unemployment, careers advice, street violence, alcohol abuse, mental health issues, family support, fitness, relationships, LGBTQI+, racism, bullying, discrimination, social media safety, finance management, volunteering, apprenticeships and much more.

The main objective is for the parents of young people to have a safe and welcoming place where they can share their personal experiences, fears, doubts and seek for support without any form of judgment or prejudice. All are welcome and the moderators and facilitator will ensure that it is a safe place to all.




Springboard Stories

Springboard Youth Academy provides newly
arrived young people a vital opportunity to make friends, acquire English language and life skills, and begin to rebuild their lives.

In the final year of Valuing Life, the Springboard team and their young people were trained by YBF’s podcast partners to create and record their own podcasts, each one linking to a theme including aspiration, race and ethnicity, language, personal expression and mental health.

Conversations with young people were facilitated and recorded by Peer Leaders, who prompted the group to give their opinions on the theme at hand using a political entry point, providing space for individuals to share their own related experiences.





Sport at the Heart

Sport at the Heart’s vision is of a world in which children, young people and families can access opportunities to connect, grow and thrive. We are a social inclusion and well-being charity using sport and physical activity, creative arts, and play to support to improve the lives of the children, young people and families in our community.

We operate at a grass-roots level in Brent, where we are part of a network of strong third-sector organisations working with strategic and delivery partners to model good practice.

Anti-racism, a commitment to equality for all marginalised groups and social justice is at the heart of what we do, we intentionally deliver our services where there is the greatest need and where there are gaps in community provision.

We see the huge potential that our community has, but also understand the structural and systematic barriers individuals and communities face. We aim to mitigate some of the inequalities and inspire new ways of working and organising society which facilitate the growth, development and wellbeing of all people.




Now You See Me – Harlesden Stories

Now You See Me is a creative storytelling programme that invites young people aged 14 and above, living in and around Harlesden to reimagine their lives and the communities around them from their own unique and personal perspectives.

Starting with the High Street as reference point, young people will be invited to curate their own unique (past, present, and/or future) stories to create a living history of young people and the community of Harlesden.

Learning from skilled practitioners and industry specialists, participants will gain insights into storytelling and change-making across a range of creative media and platforms including film- making, podcasting, creative writing, and photography. With encouragement and insight from industry specialists, young people will develop curatorial and storytelling skills, while shaping and their own understanding of heritage.

The programme is multi-disciplinary and will introduce young people to a range of creative mediums and techniques. As well as providing industry-based skills learning, immersion in a number of different activities will encourage them to identify hidden talent and realise their potential.




Wembley Football - Summer Kickz

The Young Brent Foundation Summer Kickz programme was a multi-faceted offer for children and young people in Brent. Summer Kickz is delivered by Wembley Football, who use the power of football to engage local children and families to address issues affecting youngsters such as living healthier and more active lifestyles, jobs and employment and mental health. The programme is open to all children from Brent regardless of ability.

Summer Kickz open sessions provide children between the ages of 9-13 with a fun, safe and secure environment to play football as well as developing a range of 'soft skills', including teamwork, active decision making and communication and foster positive relationships by engaging and making friends with people they may not normally meet.

The programme culminates in the Young Brent Foundation Wembley Football Championships, featuring Brent football teams aged 14-16 years old.



Brent Talks Podcast Season 2


For more information about Valuing Life, please contact Errol Donald.