City Year UK

What an incredible day of impact in Bethnal Green! 🙌

Last week, we partnered with our long-standing corporate supporter, Akin, for their annual Service Day, bringing together more than 60 volunteers to support the Weavers Adventure Playground.

From creating a much-needed food pantry to renovating the sandpit and toddler picnic area, the team rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in. Volunteers also brightened the space by painting murals, benches, animal statues, a dollhouse, and a brand-new welcome sign, while helping to tidy and refresh the garden.

A huge thank you to Ted from City Year's Care Force for organising such a fantastic day, and to everyone from Akin who gave their time and energy to support this much-loved community space.

Akin has been a valued partner of City Year UK for many years, supporting us through grant funding, pro bono legal expertise, employee volunteering, and by hosting our Leadership Development Programme each Friday. We’re incredibly grateful for your continued commitment to young people and communities. ✨

We're incredibly proud of our Impact Officer, Taylia, who recently attended the Youth Opportunity Summit hosted by King Charles III in her role as a Youth Advisor to the Youth Endowment Fund.

The summit brought together senior leaders, politicians, and young people from across the country, ensuring young people's voices were at the heart of the conversation.

It was a brilliant opportunity to influence change and represent the experiences and perspectives of young people as part of a roundtable discussion focused on creating opportunities that enable them to flourish and be safe.

👏 Well done, Taylia, and thank you for your tireless dedication to making a positive difference in the lives of children and young people.

Our volunteers are at the heart of City Year UK. As mentors, tutors and role models, they show up every day for the pupils they support in schools, building trusting relationships and helping children achieve their full potential.

The care, compassion and creativity they bring to everything they do is truly inspiring. We're delighted to play a part in their own personal and professional development journeys, equipping them with the skills, confidence and experience they need to succeed in any career.

This Volunteers' Week, we'd like to say a huge thank you to all our current, former and future volunteers who make the City Year UK community so special. ✨

👀 City Year community — we’re hiring for an Associate Programme Manager role in the West Midlands!

This exciting new opportunity is currently only open to our own network (no recruiters please).

In this role, you’ll support the delivery of City Year UK’s programme across the West Midlands, including coordinating, managing and evaluating delivery in one school, while also supporting the Programme Manager for Greater Manchester and the West Midlands in leading a team of programme staff.

This is a hybrid role, combining school-based and home-based working. The role includes:
• Two days per week of in-school delivery in the West Midlands
• One in-person training delivery day per week

If you’re passionate about educational equity, impactful work in schools and youth development, this could be a great opportunity for you.

To see the full job description and find out more about applying before 3 June, please drops us a message.

Creativity in every 1:1 session ✨

Our mentors bring more than kindness, care and compassion to their 1:1 sessions with students. They also bring creativity, curiosity and a child-centred approach to learning.

From Vinted-inspired maths activities, to imaginative wellbeing check-ins, mind-mapping exercises and mindful painting activities, these are just some of the resources City Year mentors have developed to engage and support their students this half-term.

We’re incredibly proud of our volunteers and the thoughtful, creative ways they build trusted, nurturing relationships with the young people they support.

A while back, some of our mentors took part in a reflective activity, creating “survival kits” for future City Year mentors based on their own experiences. 💛

Their advice included powerful reminders such as: look after yourself first so you can better support your students, and try to live in the moment and be proud of your achievements, even when you might feel overwhelmed.

This Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re reflecting on the importance of wellbeing, self-care, and the supportive connections that help children and young people thrive.

We are incredibly proud of the meaningful impact our mentors make in schools every day, and of the care, creativity, and passion they bring to everything they do, one child at a time.

🚀 Inspiring the Next Generation of Girls in Tech 👩‍💻✨

Pupils from our partner school, Southern Road Primary School, recently took part in an inspiring workshop, delivered in partnership with Mastercard.

Hosted at Mastercard’s London offices, the workshop gave students a hands-on introduction to STEM and digital innovation through fun, interactive activities including code cracking, data analysis, and algorithm building challenges.

Led by Mastercard staff, the session highlighted how STEM skills are applied in real-world scenarios​, while giving pupils the opportunity to experience cutting-edge technology in action.

The impact was clear, with students leaving feeling inspired and excited about future career opportunities – many already saying they would love to work in tech one day. ✨

A huge thank you to Mastercard for creating such a powerful and memorable experience, and for helping to open doors and spark ambition for the next generation of girls in tech.

Consistent encouragement can change everything. 💫

Xhoana, a City Year mentor currently serving at Lilian Baylis Technology School in London reflects on why she serves and the impact of mentoring on one of her students.

By showing up every day, Xhoana supported her mentee grow in confidence, discover their interests, and begin to see their own potential.

Read how meaningful relationships are making a real impact👇
https://ow.ly/wRA350YRcWg

Less than two hours to go until Reading Hour this World Book Night! 📚

As a National Year of Reading champion, we’re excited to be taking part and encouraging more young people to get involved—whether that’s reading alone to unwind after a long day, listening to an audiobook, hosting a book club with your friends, or reading together as a family before bedtime.

Will you be joining our City Year mentors, staff, and the young people we support in reading this evening?