CO-FOUNDED BY
Watch our 'PAYING IT FORWARD' documentary
Documentary Trailer
Year 4 Promo Video
ABOUT
The name 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.
The AMANI Project is our flagship employability and coaching programme,
prioritising Black Londoners aged 16 to 19 in pursuit of a second chance.
Entering its fifth year, it has now supported over 100 young people to
build confidence, develop skills and carve out real pathways forward.
We define ‘in pursuit of a second chance’ as:
Someone who has experienced significant challenges, barriers, or setbacks that have impacted their education, employment, or personal development.
You may have made mistakes, faced difficult circumstances, or simply fallen through the gaps.
What matters is that you are now committed to taking steps in the right direction.
Applications for Year 5 are open NOW
Deadline: Tuesday 28th April 2026 @ 5PM
OUR IMPACT
During a recent cohort:
* 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.
Previous Insight Day partners include:
OUR MISSION
Nearly one million young people across the UK are unemployed or not in education and training.
"Young Black Londoners are now up to three times more likely to be unemployed than their white peers"
This programme intentionally prioritises Black and Black mixed race teenagers aged 16 to 19 from London who are in pursuit of a second chance and would benefit from targeted support to
elevate their aspirations, networks and self-belief.
While this is our core focus, we remain open to considering applicants who fall outside of these criteria,
and these will be reviewed on an individual basis.
A 2021 Independent and Evening Standard investigation also revealed that back then,
37.4 per cent of Black Londoners aged 16-24 are unemployed
Since 2020, we’ve listened carefully and worked closely with the community and our mentees to design a unique
programme tailored for those often disqualified from opportunities due to choices, circumstances or confidence.
This project was inspired by the personal journey of our patron, Amani Simpson, who was given a second chance at 16
by mentors who helped him rebuild his confidence and find a positive path forward.
Amani has since become an award-winning social entrepreneur, filmmaker, and role model,
dedicated to paying forward that empowerment to the next generation.
Each mentee gains exclusive access to practical workshops, one-to-one coaching, and professional networks,
all designed to build the confidence and 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