INSPIRING TOMORROW’S LEADERS
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Our mission This Impact Report captures the journey of how a dream to change the lives of young girls with African and Caribbean heritage became a reality. It is not uncommon to hear the expression ‘make a lasting impression’ and wonder whether in reality that is genuinely the case. Often times what is presented as ‘a lasting impression’ proves to be a mere momentary rush of emotional fervour, which fades very quickly once the excitement of the occasion passes. Adenike Adenitire, Education lead
The story of Inspiring Tomorrow’s Leaders is the opposite. It takes a true visionary to discern the needs of a community and not be afraid to channel thoughts, emotions and strategic thinking into developing a truly amazing programme that addresses those needs. Through the Inspiring Tomorrow’s Leaders programme Michelle Levy has demonstrated such a visionary spirit. Her will to tackle what was perceived as a hidden problem within the African and Caribbean community, demonstrates her deep-
seated desire to deliver results to the community that are tangible and long lasting. I’ve admired her creativity, strength of mind and tenacity to form an organisation with the appropriate charity status to grow the programme. Tackling the numerous queries and request for further information from the Charity Commission was soul destroying at times and yet through it all, Michelle was never side tracked from her mission to have a charity that served the special needs she observed in the community. Her ultimate goal to change the dialogue and trajectory of the girls and young ladies meant she was undeterred in a bid for charity status. It was a most joyous moment for me when this charity status was secured in August 2019. Watching Michelle dive into her rolodex and garner the support of Areté Network, an organisation of black professional women which she co-founded, and later leverage other business and creative associates, along with corporate sponsors, is
a story in itself. These are the early days of a truly impressive charity. As you read this report you will see how Inspiring Tomorrow’s Leaders is making a difference in the community, by leaving a lasting impression on the minds of young girls aged 13 to 15 years old. The expressions of accomplishment and gratitude by the young students interspersed in quotes throughout the report and ending on page 17, helps you understand the thoughts and feelings of the girls as they experienced a truly unforgettable journey during 2019. Dreams that were never dreamt were created; tales that were never told were shared; friendships that never existed were created; passions that were never experienced were awakened; opportunities and doors that were never envisaged were opened; and smiles that were never smiled started beaming. It was therefore great to see that we were able to increase the number of students participating in the programme from 80 to 100 in 2019.
