How London's young women of colour are empowered to thrive

Charity You Make It gives young underemployed women of colour the chance to reach their potential, but it needs urgent support to continue its vital work

When I established You Make It in 2011 it was as a funding-free pilot. Since then, because of continued strong, positive impact on the lives of young women, we’ve been supported through a range of grants. But like all charities, we operate in an uncertain funding climate.

It’s tough for our small team of three women to be in this position every few years, dividing our time between emotionally intensive work for those with multiple needs, while also finding moments to sit down and write over and over to explain why young women on the margins matter and why the funding must not stop coming.

I set You Make It ​ up for multiple reasons – the strongest was self- reflection of my own life in this city and that of my late single immigrant mother and my sisters – we’d made it, but it wasn’t easy. I worried about women from similar backgrounds, those without privilege and luck, those who struggled to make ends meet, those who remained trapped in lives that squashed their self- esteem, worth and potential.

These thoughts intensified when I walked around the East End, where I’d been living for most of my career, and where the gaps between rich and poor, black and white were ever more visible.

Our programmes are six months long, and for them, we conduct our outreach in local Hackney job centres. 96% who apply for places with us are women of colour. They share stories of either never being interviewed for jobs, getting to interview stage but never getting that final offer, or working low paid, zero hour contracts.

Many report suffering from depression and anxiety, roots of which lie in childhood neglect and abuse, being in violent relationships, being burdened with caring responsibilities for family members, or the aloneness of being single parents with little support.

Our work focuses on wellbeing and deep self-reflection, as much as practical skills around employment and business start ups, and enables women to transform how they see themselves, their city and the role they can play in it.

They access therapy, pastoral care, workshops, 1-1 mentoring, business start up support, tailored work placements with us, but most importantly, they access new friends, a professional network, a right to the city, and the deep and honest care of our small team.

At a recent graduation event for our latest cohort, one of them, Seline, said “I’ve been to school, college, university and dropped out, on and apprenticeship, and I’ve learnt the most here….this should be mandatory…women need to be shown how powerful they are.” She went on to say that the programme made her realise that she could go it alone – she is now working successfully as a freelance photographer and videographer.

Seline’s one of 82% of our graduates who’ve gone on to gain paid employment they actually want, or have accessed formal education linked to well thought through career aspirations. She’s also one of almost all thosewho complete with us to report feeling happier and confident about her life going forward. It feels so wrong that we should again be fighting for survival.

To support You Make It's crowdfunder visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/you-make-it

For more information visit www.you-make-it.org