Supporting Young Females Into Training & Leadership
Current situation
Young females from low-income backgrounds face many barriers that limit their access to jobs and leadership opportunities.
Young people are three times more likely to be unemployed than older adults.
Many lack key skills, including communication, confidence, and teamwork, due to unequal access to education and opportunities.
Participation in activities that build these skills is also lower for Young Females. Especially as creative subjects decline in schools and private options are often too costly.
Combined with mental health challenges and caring responsibilities, this creates a strong need for targeted support to build skills and open pathways into work.
OUr approach
Dance Ambassadors is a funded leadership course for Young Females who face barriers to employment, education, and training.
It uses dance as a starting point to help participants build confidence, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills, while also supporting mental health, resilience, and self-expression.
The programme provides hands-on experience in delivering workshops, leading community events, and contributing to fundraising and youth advisory work.
Participants gain mentoring, teaching skills, and access to professional networks, helping them move into education, employment, and creative industries.
The course is delivered in four stages, gradually building skills from supporting sessions to leading independently, and ending with planning and delivering a youth-led community event. This prepares participants for future opportunities.
What Sets Us Apart
Building skills
From communication, time management, event planning, fundraising and more. We introduce participants to safeguarding, and youth work approaches. We monitor and record participants progress using observation rather than written, formal assessment.
Delivered in safe spaces
We address high levels of anxiety and low confidence by offering training in settings frequented by young females in communities underserved by existing services.
Mental health support
All of our mentors are mental health first aid trained. We always have a Wellbeing Officer available to provide pastoral care. We have developed trauma informed training for our team, specifically for working with Young Females.
Removing financial barriers
Financial barriers are a key issue in preventing young people from low socio economic back grounds attending youth organising programs. Project Female offers a travel bursary and healthy meals for young females involved in Project Inspire.
Providing opportunities
We have robust partnerships with other organisations in the City that can provide opportunities in volunteering, social action and work experience. We connect young people with key decision makers in the City including MPs, Councillors and local Universities.
Our impact
In the last 3 years we have supported 1075 young females to:
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Improve their physical and mental health
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Grow in confidence and capabilities
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Engage in regular physical activity session