About us
We are six local grassroots community organisations who have come together as I AM Brent. We are the consortium in Brent funded by the Mayor of London's Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) since April 2024 as part of its My Ends 2.0 programme to address the root causes and effects of violence affecting young people.
Our work is focused on the Church Road Estate, Stonebridge Estate, St Raphael's Estate, Chalkhill Estate and Harlesden Town Centre areas. See our achievements.
We
- deliver a range of activities and support, involving community members in their design
- support voluntary and community organisations and individuals, helping build their capacity
- gather community views about improving safety and support acting on them
- strengthen collaborative working
- improve access to support services.
The six consortium members and the range of their work in I AM Brent and beyond
- Step Up Hub is the lead organisation for I AM Brent. It delivers capacity building, leadership training, employment readiness, welfare support, parenting programmes, special educational needs and disabilities support, and community events.
- Connect Stars delivers trauma-informed youth clubs and school holiday activities, sports training, activities and mentoring for vulnerable Year 6 children in partnership with schools, mentoring and employment support, leadership programmes, and befriending, referral and support services to young people who spend time smoking, drinking or using drugs on the street.
- PLIAS Resettlement specialises in providing holistic support to ex-offenders, including in custodial settings, and at-risk young people. It moves them into training, employment and meaningful activities. It delivers some services in a neutral space, removing barriers to attendance, while some others are co-located with Brent Youth Offending Service and Brent Probation Service. It also supports victims of crime.
- Sport at the Heart delivers trauma-informed youth club and school holiday activities, sports, arts and physical activities, young volunteer projects, activities and mentoring for vulnerable Year 6 children in partnership with schools, and training and assessment for sport leader qualifications.
- United Borders delivers mentoring that addresses trauma, utilising music therapy, podcasting, self-defence and physical training to engage those who are at risk of violence. It assists young people in their transition towards employability and training.
- Hilltop Circle uses football, youth clubs, school holiday activities and community events to engage young people who are at risk and to raise their self-confidence. Through peer mentoring, it enables young people to design and deliver community events and thereby gain confidence to enter employment.
Brent Safer Neighbourhood Board was set up by the Mayor of London's Office for Policing and Crime to empower local people to engage with the police, hold them to account and inform police priorities. It played a substantial part in securing the My Ends 2.0 funding and continues to offer steering support.
I AM Brent works closely with the police and Brent Council to improve community safety.
Supported by
Provision
We provide:
- Activities open to all
- Programmes requiring application
- Peer-mentor development
- Microgrants
- Support
For each provision, tap on the link to find out how to participate.
Tap on the link to see the dates of upcoming activities
Activities open to all
- Youth clubs JOIN
- Forums to identify steps needed to improve community safety and lead on ways forward ATTEND
- Talks and workshops in schools and youth clubs
ARRANGE
including on gangs, grooming, exploitation, relationships, safety - Talks and workshops at community centres, places of worship and community
events ARRANGEATTEND
- ways community and family can support young people at risk of violence
- seeking suggestions on how the community could work together
Programmes
- Parenting programme for parents, family members and care givers
focusing on recognising risk and diverting from it, and enhancing opportunities ATTEND - Community Leadership Programme (CLP)
focusing on community safety and violence prevention to enable community members to take up decision-making positions, delivered in conjunction with the University of London APPLY - Young Leadership Programme (YLP) for ages 18-21
to improve representation and advocacy to bring about changes young people want, in particular to reduce violence APPLY - Growing Independent Resilient Leaders (GIRL) programme
a holistic development and leadership programme for females aged 11-25 APPLY
Peer mentor development
- Training and opportunity to develop peer mentoring skills ARRANGE
Microgrants
- Small organisations and individuals in partnership with an organisation can apply for a grant of
up to £5000 to deliver work to reduce violence.
All applicants are offered capacity building workshops. INFORMATION on when you can apply.
Support
For support and intensive support, you need to refer yourself or be referred using our referral form.
- 1:1 mentoring at youth clubs
- befriending and support for young people aged 16-25 at risk of harm on the street in Harlesden town centre
- Safer Through Activity Together (STAT) programme of activities and mentoring for Year 6 children at risk of violence, who are referred by the participating schools
Intensive support
For those who are or have been involved in violence
- trauma-informed mentoring
- psychotherapy and counselling
- support to obtain training and employment
- family mediation
- support while in the criminal justice system
- engagement before release from prison
Upcoming activities
Events
Forums
Talks and workshops open to the public
Parenting programme
Community Leadership Programme
Young Leadership Programme
Growing Independent Resilient Leaders (GIRL) programme
Other activities for young people in the I AM Brent areas
To include your activities, email IAMBrent@stepuphub.org
Activities
School holiday activities
Youth Clubs
- Chalkhill Primary School, Barnhill Road HA9 9YP
Ages 9-14
Register your interest for when spaces become available by emailing IAMBrent@stepuphub.org - St Raphael's Voice Community Centre, 158 Pitfield Way NW10 0PW
Ages 11-18 Thursdays 5:00pm – 7:00pm
To join, contact hello@sportattheheart.org or 07506 866 527
- Roundwood School and Community Centre, 49 Longstone Avenue NW10 3UN
Ages 8-12: Mondays and Fridays 3:30pm - 5:30pm
Ages 11-18: Wednesdays and Fridays 6.00pm - 8.00pm
To join contact hello@sportattheheart.org or 07506 866 527 - Church End Unity Centre, 103 Church Road NW10 9EG
Ages 10-14 Tuesdays and Thursdays 5.00pm – 8.00pm
To join, contact info@connectstars.org or 07415 871 384 after 4pm weekdays
I AM Brent 1:1 mentoring is available at all four of these youth clubs.
Make a referral
We support young people to thrive and stay safe, through:
- youth clubs
- mentoring
- leadership programmes
- creative and sports activities
We also provide support for young people who are showing signs of experiencing:
- violence
- criminal exploitation or
- gang involvement
Who can refer a young person for support?
- you can refer yourself
- family member
- friend
- voluntary sector organisation
- community or faith organisation
- teacher, social worker or other professional
How to refer
Complete and submit the referral form.
Get involved
Find out below how you can get involved and contact us by emailing IAMBrent@stepuphub.org.
Volunteer your time
- help with our activities
- extend your skills
- share your expertise
Help develop more peer mentoring
- let us know if you would like to become a peer mentor
- recommend someone for training as a peer mentor
Hold talks and workshops
- contact us to request and discuss talks or workshops we could provide at your venue, event or for your group
Collaborate with us
- to deliver events and activities
- to run a forum at one of your events or at your venue
- hold a stall at an I AM Brent event
- have an I AM Brent stall at your event
- publicise our activities
Work with us and contribute ideas to strengthen collaborative working among and between:
- community groups (residents, community, faith etc)
- voluntary sector organisations (youth and family activity providers, advice and support organisations etc)
- statutory bodies (police, council, schools, justice system, health etc)
Contact us if you would like to share ideas or meet with us, by emailing IAMBrent@stepuphub.org
Work with us and contribute ideas to improve access to support services, such as mental health, through:
- clearer pathways
- improved communication and availability
- increased take-up
Contact us if you would like to share ideas or meet with us, by emailing IAMBrent@stepuphub.org
Work with us and contribute ideas to help prevent serious incidents and improve response to them:
- immediately
- in the longer term
Contact us if you would like to share ideas or meet with us, by emailing IAMBrent@stepuphub.org
Contribute funding
- to help us reach more young people and their families
- to broaden our offer
- to support us to develop long term sustainability so the community can continue the work long into the future
Contact us if you would like to help us increase our funding, by emailing IAMBrent@stepuphub.org
Microgrants
- Small organisations and individuals in partnership with an organisation can apply for a grant of up to £5000 to deliver work to reduce violence.
- All applicants are offered capacity-building workshops.
- Successful applicants also receive 1:1 support.
- Information and guidance and the application form
- In round 1, six applicants were funded MORE DETAILS.
- Round 3 will be launched in autumn 2026. Register your interest for information by emailing IAMBrent@stepuphub.org
Achievements
Year 1
- A new youth club was set up in each of St Raphael’s and Chalkhill Estates.
- Three parenting programmes were delivered in partnership with Early Years Help, one for men only. They supported 57 parents and care givers whose children were demonstrating high-risk behaviours or deemed vulnerable to exploitation.
- 77% of surveyed parents reported improved relationships with their child.
- 63% felt more confident that their children would be less likely to join a gang as a result.
- 32 referrals were made through the I AM Brent central referral system.
- Talks and workshops were delivered in school, college and community settings with high proportions finding the information helpful.
- £30k in grants was awarded to six local projects delivered by grassroots organisations. They were chosen by a panel of community members who were given training to make funding decisions. The projects delivered:
- employment skill development with mentoring, particularly for young Black African and Caribbean men, also encouraging intergenerational relationship building
- support for Somali children with special educational needs and disabilities and their families through workshops, mentoring and links with schools, faith groups and local businesses
- youth forums and a rap competition to raise awareness of knife crime and establish safeguarding tips
- an after-school programme for 8-12-year-olds to create a safe space where they can make friends, build skills through new play and creative activities, and thereby increase their confidence
- a confidence and personal development programme that helps young people to explore their identity, strengths and aspirations through workshops, discussions and self-reflection activities
- a youth club for girls and young women providing a safe space for them to connect, focusing on building resilience and confidence through workshops, creative activities and mentorship.
- A community leadership programme with a focus on violence reduction was launched in partnership with SOAS University of London.
- A young leadership programme with a focus on campaigning was launched.
- All young people on the ‘Growing Independent Resilient Leaders’ programme to build vulnerable young women’s resilience against harm who were surveyed said that they better understood healthy relationships since taking part in the programme.
- Two forums for young people were held.
- Five community linkups, one in each focus area, were held.
- 48 year 6 children from six schools in Harlesden and Stonebridge who are at risk of violence and exploitation were supported through activities and mentoring for the year, in partnership with the schools.
- Relationships were established with 14 young men currently serving sentences at Wormwood Scrubs and due to return to Brent. This led to nine referrals to vital support agencies to enable their smooth return to the community and to reduce the likelihood of reoffending.
- Intensive mentoring and support for 10 young people enabled 70% of them to then be in some form of education, training or employment.
- 45 at-risk young people were engaged through detached work in Harlesden. 25 were referred to support for housing, mental health, addiction, or education, training and employment.
Contact us
To find out more about any I AM Brent provision, please email IAMBrent@stepuphub.org or phone 020 8830 3568.
Our team
| Role | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Programme manager | Grace Hutchison | Grace@stepuphub.org |
| Community engagement lead | Anwar Elmi | Anwar@stepuphub.org |
| Delivery and analysis lead | Abu Idrees | Abu@stepuphub.org |
| Director | Sham Qayyum | Sham@stepuphub.org |
| Finance officer | Mohamed Abdulle | finance@stepuphub.org |
To find out more about the six member organisations and their range of work, see their website:
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