A COLLABORATION BETWEEN
Year 4 Promo Video
AMANI translates to
“Aspiration” in Arabic
and “Strength” in Kiga
— embodying both ambition and resilience.
Our mission is to nurture these qualities in every mentee we support.
Applications for Year 4 are now closed
Deadline: Friday 2nd May 2025
OUR IMPACT
After completing last year’s programme:
* 100% of young people said the project improved their understanding
of how to achieve their goals, boosting their skills and confidence.
* 100% reported developing essential skills, with the top five being:
Teamwork, Listening, Problem Solving, Creativity, and Aiming High.
* 95% of young people agreed they had greater clarity and motivation about their future goals:
“I know what I want to achieve in life and have aspirations to work towards.”
* 90% of mentees who were previously NEET went onto re-engage with
further education, secure employment or start an apprenticeship
* 89% of young people said they are actively taking steps to achieve their aspirations.
OUR VISION
"Young Black Londoners are twice as likely to be unemployed as their white counterparts"
Independent and Evening Standard investigation reveals 37.4 per cent of Black Londoners aged 16-24 are unemployed
Since 2020, we’ve listened worked closely with our community and mentees to design a unique
six-month mentoring and employability programme tailored for Black and Black mixed-race
young people aged 16–19 who are seeking a second chance.
This project was inspired by the personal journey of our CEO, Amani Simpson, who was given a second chance at 16 by a mentor who helped him rebuild his confidence and find a positive path forward.
Since then, Amani has become an award-winning social entrepreneur, filmmaker, and role model — dedicated to creating opportunities for the next generation to thrive.
Each mentee gains exclusive access to inspiring workshops, one-to-one mentoring, and valuable networking opportunities — all aimed at building the confidence and soft skills essential for a successful life and career.
“Many of our mentees have faced systemic pressures and made poor decisions as a result — but they all deserve a second chance.
This project is about empowering young people too often written off by society, helping them build self-awareness, hope, and confidence before connecting them to further opportunities and support.
Someone did that for me at 16 — now I’m paying it forward.”
AMANI SIMPSON
Project Patron & Founder Of AVIARD
PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS