Lights, Camera, Action…
Welcome to our May newsletter. We've been collecting some amazing new stories - on film and in words - from students who've taken part in workshops this year. The are a real inspiration to us all. We hope you enjoy the couple we have here.
Head over to our YouTube Channel and LinkedIn page for more!
Ellie
Grit In Birmingham
We thrilled to be working with Barnardo's and Our Place Support on the Birmingham Youth Mentoring and Befriending Service, funded by Birmingham Children's Trust (England). We’ll be training volunteer mentors to work with young people across the city who are struggling with family, social, emotional, mental and wider educational problems and issues.
It all kicks off in June!
Lights, Camera, Action…
“There wasn’t a moment in it when it didn’t get me thinking, have me on my toes”
University of Westminster student, Ebenezer, recently did a Grit programme. This is what we had to say.
Kaamla's Story: Finding a Place
Kaamla had just started her first year at the University of Leeds in October 2021 when she did a one-day Grit workshop
I was lost. I was all over the place. I didn’t know what to do. Everything was online so meeting new people, making new friends, was the hardest thing. I only saw people once or twice a week for seminars and when these were over everyone turned their screens off straight away. There was no hanging around getting to know each other.
The Grit workshop was first time I’d had proper conversations with other students.
There was a real connection in the group. Before I thought it was just me but in the workshop I saw that everyone else was feeling the same. We were all lonely and finding it difficult to make new friends. And none of us were speaking to anyone else about how we felt. It was such a relief!
There was so much going around my head: what’s going to happen in the future? Where will me and my family be living? What is the point of doing a degree if I don’t even know whether I’m going to stay in the UK? If we do stay in the UK, how will things work out for me? I was trying to deal with everything at the same time. It was unmanageable and very, very stressful.
Now I can see things differently, more clearly and simply. Grit helped me focus and concentrate on the NOW. The future will come when it comes. I can deal with it later. Grit made things way more manageable. So, at the moment for example, I’m just focusing on my exams.
Since Grit life has really opened up. I have helped raise £11,000 for children in need and orphans with the Islamic Society. We did a hike, auction, quiz nights, stalls selling traditional food and drink. That sort of thing.
It helps me keep going. Every time I need to get my head sorted I take a breath, I consider and I process. Then I get back out there again.
Grit is helping me adapt to university. I’m still getting there but Leeds is growing on me. After Grit, I am much more sure that there is a place for me at Leeds.
Diversity Internship Programme - Octopus Energy Generation
Our friends at Octopus Energy currently have an opportunity for Black people to join their internship programme.
They have 4 roles (in the Octopus Generation Team – Investments, Commercial Asset Management, Fund Finance and ESG & Sustainability) that are open to candidates who identify with any Black, African or Caribbean background.
The internship is a key part of their journey to ensure greater diversity and inclusivity across their business and their industry.
More details here