AMBASSADORS OF HOPE

Youth empowerment and supporting young people.

My passion now lies in youth empowerment and supporting young people who feel marginalised as a result of their circumstances which lead me to specialise in youth justice as I aspire to work in a setting where I can support young people and advocate their rights.

Mimina

My name is Mimina and I’m 20. I’m currently a University student studying Youth Work and Community Development, specialising in Youth Justice. I also work for Sporting Communities as a youth worker where I have engage in a range of projects from mental health support and mentoring, community outreach and podcasts.

From a young age I was always passionate about helping others which showed through my love for both people and animals. I always looked up to people who were kind and helped others. I was never a straight forward thinker as a child and always took a holistic approach when empathising with others which developed over the years into my love for creative approaches through both art and music. I tend to take this holistic approach within my work. I have always aspired to work in a social setting where I feel I can make a difference in others life’s, however I think this was really made abundant when I lost my dad as a result of alcohol at 7 years old. The emotions I felt and the support I received made me realise that I can use this loss as an advantage to help and empathise with others.

I studied art, sociology and English language at A-level… a random mix, yes! But my thinking was that if I study what I enjoy, I can combine them to pursue a career that I enjoy too. Unknowingly, I was already working in a field alongside studies that combined all of these elements as a care giver and activities coordinator for people with special needs where I communicated with them holistically and often through arts. These individuals inspired me so much to pursue my career in helping others.

When applying for university and looking for courses, none of them ticked these boxes for me… until I noticed Youth Work and Community Development. Three years on I am now in my final year, working in the field with Sporting Communities and I have learnt so much about working with young people and the potential of every single individual with that extra little bit of support and encouragement that can often make the world of difference.