HeadStart London

Giving all young people the chance to get ahead

HeadStart London is an exciting opportunity for 16 and 17 year olds to get active in their community doing something they enjoy, whilst giving them the skills and experience to succeed in the work place.  

The programme involves:

• Supporting young people to volunteer at least 16 hours with a local charity. We help young people to find the volunteering opportunity that fits with their interests and free time.
• Skills development workshops, communications coaching and interview preparation. Workshops have developed with leading employers (including Starbucks and New Look) and are co-delivered with experts (including AGL Education) to give young people the right skills and aptitude to get ahead.
• Guaranteed interviews with New Look or Starbucks for all young people completing at least 16 hours of volunteering.

As a result…

HeadStart young people are more employable

Alongside the experience gained through volunteering, HeadStart prepares young people for the workplace through a programme of skills development workshops, communications coaching and interview preparation. Lisa Robbins, Starbucks’ HR Director confirmed ‘HeadStart – and the quality volunteering opportunities offered through it – offer a great way of developing employability skills and experience that serve as good preparation for any workplace.’ 90% of young people completing HeadStart told us they feel more ready for employment.

Volunteering is becoming a natural part of young people’s lives

HeadStart works with young people to understand their interests, then wherever possible matches them with relevant, local volunteering opportunities. These experiences help them recognise the value and benefits of volunteering, with 88% of young people completing HeadStart told us they want to continue volunteering.

Communities are stronger

All HeadStart volunteering opportunities offer practical ways for young people to mix with people who are different to themselves, creating chances for people of different ages, cultures and backgrounds to connect, find common ground and recognise each other’s strengths. We believe the trust and understanding generated through these connections is at the heart of healthy, strong and integrated community.

We are proud to deliver HeadStart London in partnership with the Mayor of London, New Look, Starbucks and AGL Education.

How you can get involved

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