Supporting Young People in Islington

On Wednesday 18 January, Brewers’ Company representatives visited Islington to meet young people benefitting from programmes supported by the Dame Alice Owen Foundation.

The visit began with a very moving set of presentations by students participating in the Upward Bound programme. This transformative project aims to raise the attainment and aspirations of young people studying at key stage 3 and 4 in Islington, serving over 200 young people a year from 9 Islington Schools. The impact of the programme was plain to see as students confidently and eloquently presented poems addressing deeply personal issues, such as race, knife crime and body image, to the visitors. Other students spoke of the opportunities that the programme had provided to build their skills in other subjects such as maths.

There followed an inspiring insight into the Science for Life (SfL) programme, which seeks to increase the number of pupils in Islington engaging and progressing with science from primary through to post-compulsory level through a wide range of activities, including after school science clubs for primary school pupils. Students came from schools across the Borough to enthusiastically demonstrate their enjoyment of the educational opportunities provided by SfL. Teachers accompanied the children, stating how much positive continuing professional development benefit this programme had for them.

Moving on from Gillespie Primary School to Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School, the visitors were treated to a live performance of classical music from Islington students participating in the Music In Secondary Schools Trust programme, which helps secondary schools that have disadvantaged and challenging student intake by providing not only funding for classical instruments but also support in the form of regular tuition, opportunities to perform and a programme of excellence that is unrivalled in the UK. This was followed by performances from students in the Music Education Islington programme which is a bespoke music initiative aimed at improving the equity and standard of music making for primary school children across the Borough.

Between the variously uplifting, moving and entertaining interactions with students, the visitors were also able to engage in serious discussions about the overall strategy for Dame Alice Owen Foundation funded projects in Islington – an essential part of the governance of this charity. The Court of the Brewers’ Company will consider applications for funding in 2022-23 in March and this visit provided invaluable insights to inform those discussions.