Visage – Spring/Summer 2023

THE MAGAZINE OF THE EASTSIDE YOUNG LEADERS’ ACADEMY
Organised
citizens
A prescription for
the powerless
The wrath
of Khan
What went wrong
at the top of the
Metroploitan Police?
Rank
Foundation
Leadership
Awards
Top girls
snatch award
Profile
Meet our new Chair
of Trustees:
David Ejim-
McCubbin
ISSUE 4 | SPRING/SUMMER 2023

Daniel at Eton College as featured
in the 28th July 2019 edition of The
Sunday Times Magazine.

SPRING/SUMMER 2023
FIRST WORDS
INSIDE…
2 Profile
From paucity to public life –
David Ejim-Mccubbin – our new
Chair of Trustees
Welcome
from the team at
Akwaaba, as we say in Ghana! We are delighted
to write the opening sentences in this spring/
summer edition of Visage.
However you received a copy of this edition we pray that you will
find it both a blessing and informative. Once again we seek to lift
the lid on the activities of the young leaders.
Most of the articles are written by students, like ourselves, aged
between 10 and 16 – please be generous in your judgements!
Editing this edition was a great deal of fun and we were pleased
to reflect on the perspectives of the individual writers, as it
allowed us a glance back in our recent history.
Ona and Mira picked up the Rank award, Keza is doing well
in Wales and we welcome a new ‘family member in Leicester’ –
Clarion Young Leaders. Best of all we have new Chair!
Enjoy your read and please come visit us real soon.
Louisa Vershima,
Mirabel Agyemang
and
Jeremy Aikins
4 Thank you and au revoir – a
thank you to two long-serving
trustees
5 EYLA at the City of London
School
6 City links
A report on EYLA’s supporters in
the City of London
7 The Rank Foundation
leadership award – EYLA has
two winners
9 Spotlight on – Amir-Tinashe
Kassim
10 What was, what is and what’s
yet to come – Ray Lewis
reflects on 20+ years of EYLA
11 Dads and Mums – a look at
one of our most important
relationships
12 Clarion Young Leaders’
Academy – a profile of our
newest member
13 Young Leaders’ Academies in
the UK – a quick look at the
academies in our image
14 Reject to rebirth
The story of a changed life
16 Organised citizens – a
prescription for the powerless
18 The power of ‘no’ – are you
prepared for when life hits back?
19 The wrath of Khan – a
reflection on Dame Cressida
Dick
20 Might as well face it – you’re
addicted – our shopping habits
21 Keza at Cardiff – follow up on
one of our alumni
22 Bits and pieces – puzzles etc
24 Trustees and Summer diary
#EYLALondon
eastsideyoung
leaders
eastsideyoung
leaders
1

PROFILE
from paucity to
public life
our new Chair of Trustees
David Ejim-McCubbin is the new Chair of Eastside Young Leaders’
Board of Trustees. He works as Head of Policy and Advocacy at the
Social Mobility Commission.
II David was
however a young
leader and he
decided to make
the most of
this amazing
opportunity and
got stuck in.
Mirabel Agyemang
Only 8% of charity trustees are from Black
and Asian backgrounds, even fewer reach
the position of ‘Chair’, factor in the number
who are former users or clients – you are
into infinitesimal country.
David grew up on a housing estate in
east London with his mum and two sisters.
His mum, a hard working nurse, instilled
in David the importance of character and
determination. David did well in primary
school and progressed to a secondary
school that was in special measures. Difficulties
are often a chaperone to success
and as part of the school recovery plan
EYLA was invited in 2005 to run a leadership
programme. To cut a very long story
short David joined Eastside and began
his journey from poverty to politics via a
bursary place at Rugby School. He recalls,
in an interview with The Sunday Times
(2018), ‘the shock of being dropped off at
his boarding house on the first day in September
2009: “we turned up in a minibus.
Our mums were working and we had no
dads around so Eastside dropped us off.
I remember seeing all the other pupils
getting out of nice cars, but what really
struck me was the presence of two parents
with almost every child. It was weird to see
so many fathers taking an interest in their
children’s education.”’
David remembers how articulate the
other pupils seemed to be and their inherent
confidence. In the beginning he felt
locked out of conversations that weren’t
about football or music. David was
however a young leader and he decided to
make the most of this amazing opportunity
and got stuck in. He graduated from Rugby
in 2011 and progressed to university where
he studied law and business, achieving a
Master’s in Legal and Political Theory at
UCL. In 2015 David spent a year interning at
Eastside assisting with our Scholars Programme,
helping younger students from
humble backgrounds on a similar journey
to his own. He then moved on to work at
the Council to the Bar as a research assistant
and then as a civil servant in the
Ministry of Education, transferring to the
Ministry of Justice before joining the Social
Mobility Commission.
David is married with a son who he
hopes will grow up in a society with fewer
racial disparities. That is certainly a good
enough reason to work at the heart of
policy change towards social mobility and
to give up his time to lead a charity that is
creating tomorrow’s leaders – a mountain
with which he is familiar.
David is the first alumnus Chair of Eastside,
having recently taken over from
Matthew Hagopian who had been chair
for nine years. Alongside Matthew his role
models include Patrick Derham, former
headmaster of Rugby School; Ric Lewis,
who founded the Black Heart Foundation
through which David gained a scholarship
and of course the enigmatic and irrepressible
Ray Lewis. We are all delighted at
David’s achievements and his example of
leadership in our community.
2

SPRING/SUMMER 2023
Clockwise from top left: David volunteer gardening in the community 2009;
with Eastside-Rugby peers, Marcus and Dotun, 2010; at Brighton University
2011; David recently.
3

TRIBUTES TO
thank you and
au revoir
(not goodbye)
It is with gratitude and appreciation that we say a big
thank you to two longstanding trustees who have served
the Eastside board and community for many years. Dawn
Ferdinand and Matthew Hagopian have stepped down to
make room for a more ‘user-led’ management as they are
replaced by EYLA alumni.
Ray Lewis
Dawn Ferdinand, headteacher of The
Willow Primary School and educational
consultant, has served Eastside
as a board member since May 2004.
Her energy and enthusiasm is
contagious and she has remained
committed to improving the trajectory
of at risk Black boys with as
much passion now as when we began
this work 20 years ago. Raising two
boys of her own gives her credibility
through personal experience! Dawn
was an integral advisor to the team
as we developed our education programmes
and safeguarding policies
and procedures.
Matthew Hagopian joined the
board in 2013 having supported the
charity in other ways for a number
of years prior; this included acting as
my ‘mentor’ and sounding board as
I navigated strategic decisions. Matt
has been a rock – reliable but tough -
seeing us through challenging times
with persistence and humour. EYLA
would not be standing today without
Matthew Hagopian.
When Matthew joined the board he
was a senior partner at Linklaters law
firm who to this day are one of our
major supporters, helping us develop
our employability skills programme.
Matthew transferred to Milbank
as a partner and continued to use his
connections, especially the HR team,
to support our students through
work experience and apprenticeship
opportunities.
Both Dawn and Matthew have
shown unswerving commitment over
the years and leave big shoes to fill.
4

SPRING/SUMMER 2023
View across the River Thames from the
City of London School.
eyla at the City of
London School
City of London School has been hosting our Senior Saturday
masterclasses since September 2021, although we previously
used the premises as far back as 2014.
Anne Collard
‘Hosting’ isn’t just about letting
space, it includes help from teachers
on subjects such as English, Maths,
Classics, History of Art and the
sciences. We also have the benefit of
access to a drama theatre and studio
as well as an outdoor courtyard and
stunning views of the river and city.
In August 2021 we held our summer
graduation in the impressive Great
Hall which we also used for our Inter-
YLA talent show last July. Four Young
Leaders’ Academies (Eastside, Westside,
Lewisham and Milton Keynes)
came together to showcase their creative
skills in an afternoon of moving,
inspiring and hilarious entertainment.
The Great Hall was packed out with
young leaders and their parents. It
was a perfect venue for the occasion.
The school itself is in a prestigious
building on the north side of the River
Thames, next to the Millennium Bridge
and opposite the Tate Modern with
views of the Globe and other iconic
London landmarks.
The history of the school dates
back to 1442 although it was formally
established as a school in 1834
moving to its present site in 1986. It
gained the title of ‘London Independent
Secondary School of the Year’ in
2020, being recognised as a beacon
for social mobility, “… its students
recruited from across the capital
and reflective of its social and racial
diversity.”
City of London School is part of a
family of schools, which includes a
girls’ school and Freemen’s, one of
our boarding partners which has supported
six of our scholars in the 6th
form, with a seventh due to join this
year.
Above: Anne Collard speaking at the City of
London School during the 2021 EYLA graduation
ceremony. Below: seniors attend a lecture at the
school.
5

CITY OF LONDON
city links
What makes EYLA more than just a supplementary school or a youth
organisation or a leadership programme? I think it’s the opportunities
that the young leaders are afforded by our friends in the city -
Linklaters, Lansdowne, Lockton, Latham and Watkins – and others
who don’t begin with L! Acasta, OMD and Bank of America – the list
goes on.
Jamie Cudmore
Our corporate partners are a key component
to the successful trajectory of
our young leaders – they provide career
insights, employability skills training and
a host of opportunities to experience and
prepare for the world of work. We cannot
delay until they leave school or graduate
university to begin the preparation process
– it has to start earlier to open the young
leaders’ minds to the opportunities that
exist and the range of careers that are up
for grabs. Through networking, conversation
and exposure our students become
more ambitious, articulate and confident.
Following a visit to the Bank of America
Adam said, ‘I left the bank feeling inspired
especially by the president, Bernie Mensah.
It’s great to see a Black man running such
a huge organisation!’ A volunteer from the
bank described our students as being ‘intelligent,
enthusiastic and destined for great
things!’
The Linklaters visit with a talk and tour
was described by young leaders as ‘an eye
opener, a confidence builder, and an allround
enjoyable experience’.
Lansdowne Partners are regular visitors
to Eastside and we are looking forward
to a team visit for an activity day during
the holidays – young leaders will have
a chance to interact with ‘professionals’
whilst having fun and games.
Following a series of visits to and from
Acasta Partners, the company created a
competitive Further Education Scholarship
for EYLA students. Matthew Kosgei was
selected as the first recipient of the ‘Acasta
Partners Scholarship’ after a competitive
interview process. He is studying Electrical,
Electronic and Mechatronic Engineering at
the University of Manchester. The scholarship
comprises an award of £10,000 per
year toward tuition, course materials, and
other expenses while at university. It also
includes the option for a paid summer
internship with Acasta, alongside ongoing
mentorship.
Due to the strength of the applications,
the awarding committee decided to make
two further awards of £5,000 per year to
two additional recipients, Victor Adedeji
and Godfred Adomako.
Mike Humphries, Founder and Chief
Investment Officer said, “The team at
6

SPRING/SUMMER 2023
AWARDS
top girls snatch the
Rank Foundation
leadership award
Acasta was impressed with the talent,
industriousness, and leadership
potential of the recipients. We feel
privileged to work with the EYLA team
around helping support some of their
students as they move on to higher
education and ultimately begin their
careers.”
Matthew added, “These funds will
enable me to have even greater focus
on my studies and to receive the full
benefit of the university experience.
Throughout the scholarship application
process, I thoroughly enjoyed
getting to know the Acasta team, and
I am excited to start my internship
with them in the summer.”
Corporate partners who are willing
to provide funds, mentorship, and
professional opportunities for our
students in the next stage of their
journey are vitally important. We are
grateful to Acasta Partners for their
support and wish the scholarship
recipients all the best in their future
studies and beyond.
True to form, Mirabel Agyemang, a scholar at Oundle School
and Ona Wright, at Cheltenham Ladies College, have both
been recognised for their amazing achievement by their
respective head teachers.
Carol Murraine
Mirabel and Ona graduated from EYLA
in 2017, to attend preparatory schools,
(Windlesham House and Farleigh)
before moving on to their respective
senior schools in 2019. Fast forward
three years (2022) and their sustained
years of hard work and eagle-eyed
focus has netted both of them nominations
by their head teachers for
consistent demonstration of leadership
and diligence.
Both girls were born and raised in
east London - Barking and Newham
– with Ghanaian and Nigerian roots.
Their early humble beginnings have
clearly not hindered their ambitions
and it is certain they will go far.
The prestigious Rank Foundation
has supported around 1500 young
people through their educational journeys
since its inception in 1978. The
Leadership Award provides access
to leadership support, a community
action placement and admission to
the Rank network.
This is an incredible achievement
for our very own mavericks, Mirabel
and Ona. Well done!
Top: Mirabel Agyemang, a scholar at Oundle
School and, below, Ona Wright from Cheltenham
Ladies College.
7

FINANCE
make an impact!
Sponsor a Young Leader
Established in 2002, EYLA is a youth leadership development
organisation especially for Black and minority youth,
empowering them to become the next generation of
successful leaders.
We all know many paths in life are
determined by the influence and inspiration
of the learning environment.
EYLA is such a place. We have created
a zone of magical realism, channelling
energy and ambition into productive
pursuits unlocking the true potential
in each young person. We work with
our partners and parents to motivate
and encourage students to go beyond
their personal best. We run workshops
and classes utilising our own
unique, bespoke leadership curriculum,
built on seven building blocks:
Confidence and Capacity, Health
and Well-being, Identity, History and
family, Self-expression and Leadership,
Self-management and Service.
We also support parents through our
Parent University and we benefit from
the alumni who give back through
volunteering.
The programme has resulted in
increased academic attainment at
school and greater civic involvement
from the young leaders. EYLA
achieves its fantastic results by building
the academic and interpersonal
skills of its young leaders, instilling in
them self-confidence and unlocking
their creativity. Visits to corporations
and places of cultural interest build
the soft skills and cultural capital of
the young leaders. Visits to universities
such as Oxford and Cambridge
are a key aspect of EYLA’s extra-curricular
programme and are having
a huge impact on the attitude and
aspirations of the young people. Since
2007 we have placed >250 students
on full bursaries or scholarships in
world renowned boarding schools.
Over the last 20 years, EYLA’s success
has resulted in strong interest in replicating
the model and there are now
seven YLA’s, five in London and two
further afield in Milton Keynes and
Leicester.
■ It costs £1,550 per annum to
support a Young Leader.
■ £500 will provide 300 hours of
supplementary education including
maths, English, science and study
support plus a summer school.
■ £400 will provide 350 hours of
life and leadership skills training
towards a successful future.
■ £300 will provide at least 20 opportunities
such as career insight,
challenges, visits to universities and
corporations, work experience etc.
■ £200 will provide 25 hours of one
to one academic coaching and/or
mentoring.
■ £3,500 will prepare and support a
student towards a boarding school
bursary placement.
To make a donation please go to:
https://www.eyla.org.uk/donate
Or make an online transfer to:
EYLA – Admin Account
Sort code: 30-92-90
Account number: 02044631
Thank you for your support!
8

SPRING/SUMMER 2023
SPOTLIGHT ON
amir-tinashe Kassim
In August 2023 Amir-Tinashe will graduate from Eastside
(aged 11) to begin the next phase of his educational career at
a high performing independent school.
Mary Roberts
Amir is the oldest of three brothers
living in Barking with his single mum.
Both his siblings are diagnosed with
autism – so you can imagine the challenge
of raising them.
Amir gained his placement through
the Royal National SpringBoard
Bursary Foundation, established
for families living
in circumstances such
as this. Eastside is
pleased to partner
with them in this
important mission.
Amir sat a cognitive
abilities test to assess his academic
potential in a boarding context and to
identify what kind of boarding school
would be suitable. His scores were
amongst the best we have seen in ten
years and remind us that underneath
the rubble of such social circumstances
there are real gems.
In September, Amir will be joining
Papplewick (boys) Prep School, in
Ascot, Berkshire.
Papplewick boys go on to gain entry
to the top UK senior schools including
Eton, Wellington, Bradfield, and Stowe,
also EYLA partner schools. Although
they have set the bar high, the headmaster,
Tom Bunbury, believes that,
‘the happiness of the boys should come
first’ which is evidenced by their most
valued annual award; for the boy who
has ‘shown the greatest enthusiasm
for life, contribution to the community
and, above all, kindness to others’.
Amir joined Eastside in September
2021. His mother recognised his leadership
and academic potential and felt
that her input along with his school
would not be enough to draw it out.
After all, it takes a village to raise a
child. Eastside became that village
and we look forward to working with
Papplewick to take Amir through the
next stage of his journey.
atalya’s art
Artwork produced by Atalya Idike, aged 14.
Hunger
Tranquility
Stress
9

what was, what is and
what’s yet to come
20 years ago I started Eastside with a vision to produce a
new generation of young men and women, young leaders,
who would in turn go on to transform the social trajectory
of ethnic communities in the UK. Our mission was ‘to
nurture and develop the leadership potential of African and
Caribbean males, empowering them to become the next
generation of successful leaders’.
EYLA achieved
the London Youth
Bronze Quality
Mark in March
2023.
Ray Lewis
To do so we aimed to be the best
youth leadership organisation,
working with Black and minorities in
the country. Keen to learn from others
we spent the first three months
talking to every youth organisation I
could find, nonetheless we remained
focused on the mission not on what
others were doing. As the years
passed, people and organisations
increasingly began looking at us!
We are, to date, some distance
from fulfilment of the vision, but
the mission goes from strength to
strength and each year we disorganise
in order to reorganise. There is now
a network of seven independent YLAs;
each with familial connections. Each
organisation shares a common trait –
we are prepared to work harder than
all others and do what no one else
will do in order to make a difference.
We have discarded the youth workers
guide to good practice and developed
our own radical, bespoke curriculum
and practice. Of course, we are keen
to learn from others but in this space
increasingly, people want to learn
from us or at least replicate some of
our practices. We were not the first in
this so called youth space, but we are
increasingly considered to be first in
the space until one day soon we will
become the space.
When Anne Collard and I started
this important work I was given a piece
of advice by a wise sage who said,
“Ray, once you set out on this road, do
not slow down or let up. You must continue
to stoke your fire and obsession
and as it begins to overheat you will
become consumed with possibilities.
Stay obsessed for only the paranoid
survive.” At the time I chuckled at this
counsel but treasured it nonetheless.
Eastside began as a small, local
charity and we’ve done much to
maintain that feeling of localism,
community and belonging. Gandhi
said “…the future of India lies in its
village.” For me, the feeling of being
in a village, known and appreciated, is
important for our children and families.
Villages are key to our growth
strategy nonetheless we know that if
we are to change the world, we must
be bigger – much bigger.
Progress and success demand
continuous attention, like my garden
lawn. Success relies on disciplined,
determined, consistent and persistent
action and each year we are learning
to become more and more unreasonable.
Our targets in 2023/24 are to
grow our outreach ten-fold and that
includes establishing ten new YLAs.
We will modernise and revolutionise
our digital delivery incorporating our
‘secret strategies’ such as transactive
knowledge. And key to our development
is the Parent University which
to date has provided holistic support
for the family and is now evolving into
‘The Diamond Club’, through which
parents can help themselves, even
change themselves, to make a difference
to the world around them.
Further we will complete the plans
toward opening a school.
10

SPRING/SUMMER 2023
dads and Mums
Earlier this year (2023) we did a masterclass on the theme
of wellbeing. In February we were doing stuff around trauma
and the lead instructor (Nigel) used word association to
gauge our emotional responses when certain words are used.
Anita Adejori
After 20 minutes of lively discussion,
Nigel projected the word ‘dad’ on
screen. We were then encouraged to
shout out the first word that came to
mind. At first the response was calm,
then someone used a nasty word and
the storm followed, other responses
were equally obscene. I don’t know
what the lesson plan was meant to
be, but Nigel just allowed it to flow
and we flowed way beyond our scheduled
finishing time.
For those who don’t know much
about EYLA, my guess would be that
eight out of ten young leaders live
with a single mum and many have a
difficult or non-existent relationship
with their dad. I do not have my biological
father living in my home. In
fact he’s hardly ever even mentioned
in our house. This came to life for me
during the masterclass because for
the first time I had to consider what I
didn’t know in my everyday life – the
experience of having a dad around
and active. What am I missing? Isn’t
mum enough? What about my uncles;
aren’t they good enough substitutes?
As the conversation developed the
main battle was about ‘what is a dad
for and can single mums successfully
raise boys into men?’
I don’t know what it’s like to have
a male presence (dad) regularly in
the home. For the last 14 years his
absence has never seemed a big deal
or so I thought. Following our masterclass
I found myself thinking ‘what is
it like to have two incomes or an extra
babysitter?’ I know that two parents
don’t automatically make things
better but it does seem to make sense
to have extra support.
I’m sure very few people can say
they do it all by themselves. Everyone
needs help, but from our seminar, it
surely doesn’t help going it alone.
In my family I think mum had no
choice about splitting with my dad,
but the consequences are big. As
me and my siblings grow up I notice
that my mum is getting older and
tired. She works hard and long hours
(sometimes nights). When it comes
to raising us she is not as fierce as
she was and doesn’t have the same
energy. Is this when trouble comes
calling?
People often use the phrase ‘strong
black woman’. Most women I know,
black and white, are strong – they
have to be, and we are constantly
having to redefine ourselves in ever
changing circumstances.
Despite her many gifts and skills
the dad-gap is difficult to fill because
apart from financial things and emotional
support I carry his DNA; it is a
blueprint that needs a guide
and I don’t have one!
II For those who
don’t know
much about
EYLA, my guess
would be that
eight out of ten
young leaders
live with a single
mum and most
have a difficult
or non-existent
relationship with
their dad.
11

clarion Young Leaders Academy
Leicester
Eastside are thrilled to welcome and adopt the Leicester
based Clarion Education Foundation to the Young Leaders’
family.
The Editors
Clarion was founded in 2012 by Albey
Law-Smith with a vision to reach
students of African Heritage in the
Leicester area. Albey retired last year
to focus on her health and family but
remains patron of the organisation.
From humble beginnings this Midlands
education service has made
strides and headlines as the premier
supplementary programme north of
London. Clarion is now headed up by
a Board of Trustees made up of local
community members and managed
by Carol Murraine. Carol will take up
the role of Interim Executive Director
in April 2023, using her experience
at EYLA to manage the transition to
becoming a young leaders’ academy.
Clarion meets on Saturdays and
has created an environment that
promotes academic excellence and
Clarion’s Interim Executive Director, Carol
Murraine.
rigour. It also develops leadership
skills, citizenship, confidence and
self-esteem.
Clarion joins Eastside, Westside,
Southside, Lewisham, Milton Keynes
and the recently launched Northside,
in advancing the YLA movement
across the UK. Over the next few
years Clarion plans to strengthen its
infrastructure, increase the number
of beneficiaries and provide greater
access to educational opportunities
including boarding school bursaries.
Clarion is located in an annex
adjoining Manor House Community
Centre off Haddenham Road which is
south-west of Leicester city centre.
The main building which is run by
Mosaic Church is a large 19th Century
former residential building set in substantial
grounds.
A warm welcome to the Clarion
Community into our YLA family!
For more information check out
their new website: www.cyla.org.uk
12

SPRING/SUMMER 2023
uk Young Leaders’ Academies
Like the well-known coffee brand,
Eastside is the original – and some
would say the best! It was founded
by Ray Lewis and Anne Collard in
2002. With a membership of about
300 young leaders, 450 parents, 135
active alumni and 110 scholars in
boarding school.
In April 2022, Eastside came
full circle and welcomed David
Ejim-McCubbin, an alumnus turned
Chair of EYLA. Twenty years on, we
continue to nurture the next generation
of successful leaders.
In March 2023, Eastside was
awarded the London Youth Bronze
Quality Mark. EYLA went through
a vigorous assessment process to
gain this badge of excellence.
n Address: Bignold Hall,
Bignold Road, London E7 0EX
n Contact: 020 8522 1000
Set-up in 2007, Southside, is the
second YLA in the family. It is
currently led by Charlotte Prendergast,
the Chief Executive Officer and
supports BAME boys in the London
Boroughs of Southwark and
Lambeth. The programme focuses
on character development and
sport through their ‘active lives’
programme, which included water
sports at the UK Sailing Academy.
In early 2021, Davino Crooks,
Leadership and Diversity Manager
at SYLA, received a well deserved
certificate of recognition for his
dedication to the community during
the Lockdown period.
n Address: Ark Walworth
Academy, Shorncliffe Road,
London SE1 5UJ
n Contact: 020 7701 9055
The third of the YLA community,
Westside Young Leaders’ Academy,
is directed by Andrew, David, Mark
and Kirsty. The triumvirate plus one
have decades of experience working
with young people and are blazing a
trail in west London - known as the
place to be for children and youth.
Congratulations are in order
to the team for being shortlisted
for Services to Youth Support at
the Bright Lights Award Ceremony
(Blac). This award acknowledges
their efforts and their significant
contributions to their field.
n Address: Newman Catholic
College, Harlesden Rd, London
NW10 3R
n Contact: 07956 087021
MILTON
KEYNES
YOUNG
LEADERS’
ACADEMY
In 2016 we welcomed MKYLA as
the first family member outside of
London. Managed by Pam Lewis,
this youth leadership organisation
strives to produce role model
students and citizens. The supplementary
school provides a bespoke
curriculum in academia with 11+
tuition, leadership training and, of
course, the scholars programme.
The programme develops the
young leaders during the sessions
through workshops, benefiting
them both professionally and
personally. By attending seminars
that equip them with different
skills, young leaders are able to
demonstrate effective collaborative
skills, good time-keeping, and confidence
in their presentation skills.
Recent masterclasses the students
attended were on The Art of Persuasion
and Transactive Knowledge.
These experiences allow the young
leaders to practise these skills in
their day-to-day life, and are core
competencies to becoming a leader.
Planted by the Westside team in
2021, LYLA is the 5th member of the
young leaders’ academy community.
The programme promotes
academic excellence, resilience
and humility in its young leaders,
providing a positive representation
for black youth.
It has been a busy year for the
young leaders of Lewisham YLA
- sailing around the Isle of Wight,
visiting the Houses of Parliament,
meeting top scientists, and being
shortlisted for a Social Mobility
Award in partnership with their
host, St. Dunstan’s College. It is
their mission to raise aspirations in
young people.
n Address: St. Dunstan’s College,
Stanstead Rd, London, SE6 4TY
n Contact: 07852 108 768
NORTHSIDE
YOUNG LEADERS
NYLA is based at the Willow
Primary School on Broadwater
Farm and is headed by Dawn Ferdinand,
a former EYLA trustee. The
Academy was created in 2022 and
supports 30 young leaders on the
Saturday leadership programme.
Northside follow the AQA accredited
EYLA leadership curriculum
alongside creative arts and drill led
by Mark Muhammad.
n Address: The Willow Primary
School, Adams Road, London,
N17 6HW
n Contact: 020 8885 8800
Based in Leicester, Clarion is the
second YLA outside of London and
was originally founded by Albey Law-
Smith in 2012 as a supplementary
school for Afro-Caribbean heritage
youth, with a mission to improve
academic attainment and provide
young people boarding placement
bursaries and scholarships.
In 2022, Albey passed the torch
to the charismatic and enigmatic
Carol Murraine. The Saturday
programme consists of different
workshops, seminars and lectures
with a specialised curriculum. Each
student is placed on the leadership
programme with an opportunity
to join the scholars programme
and secure a boarding placement
and bursary. The warmest of
welcomes to the new director, we
look forward to positive changes
and growth, leading the academy
towards even greater success.
n Address: Manor House Centre,
Compton Road, Off Haddenham
Road, Leicester LE3 2BG
n Contact: info.clarioneducation@
gmail.com
n Address: Whaddon Way Church,
Beaverbrook Ct, Bletchley,
Milton Keynes MK3 7JS
n Contact: info.mkyla@gmail.com
13

INSIGHT
reject to rebirth
My name is Seraphim, I’m 21 and every day I thank God for love and
my life. When I was 14 only seven years ago I could not have written
these words. Back then my life seemed like hell, now my life looks
promising, not perfect but going up.
II I entered the
care system
when I was six,
as my mum
went in and
out of rehab
and my dad
refused to take
responsibility.
Seraphim Luongo
I was brought up by my mother who
was at that time, a heroin addict and
a prostitute. She had spent years in
a violent relationship with my father.
Shortly after they met, my father introduced
her to heroin. Soon after that he
left her for another woman and started
another family. My mother struggled to
love and care for me despite her addiction.
My earliest memories with her are
desperate; there wasn’t much to eat and
I remember that my clothes were dirty
and, yes, I did smell! I witnessed my
mum being attacked and at one time we
had nowhere to live, I often slept on the
floor of my aunt’s house.
Eventually I entered the care system
when I was six, as my mum went in and
out of rehab and my dad refused to take
responsibility. I know it’s called social
care but it didn’t seem very caring and
I remember being really scared on most
days. I had four placements in one year
and struggled to settle, I just wanted
to be loved. Eventually I came to hate
my foster parents – and I had many. My
lengthiest placement was with a loving
family in Hemel Hempstead, I was nine
years old. It was there that I found a love
for books. I attended a good school and
had amazing friends. I would pretend
to them that my life was indulgent, like
theirs and I picked up the language of
abundance. I dreamed of one day driving
a car and running my own business. I
talked about my dreams like they were
actual but my reality was so different. I
was a foster child, which meant that no
one really cared – I was unwanted. Eventually
I became detached and angry.
Most of my foster parents treated me
fairly but I always felt like I was additional
and inauthentic. One family use
to take me to church and there was this
bible reading about Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego. These guys were in a bad
place and their identity was changed;
names, religion and foods. I could feel what
they felt. I hated my father for leaving my
mother and despised my mother for being
helpless; I wanted to be her saviour.
After a violent outburst, I managed to
sabotage my placement and was sent to
London; I remember thinking that maybe
now I could get closer to my mum – I was
now twelve years old. They placed me in a
care home in east London, at this stage, I
was considered too aggressive and too ‘old’
to be matched with another foster family.
A year later my mum died. I was angry
and fearful and even more aggressive
towards adults. I spent a year in my room;
refusing to come out to eat or socialise. I
didn’t have friends, I spent most days idolising
the Kardashians and quickly became
a school refuser. Anxiety ruled my day and
fear dominated my world.
Then I met Ray Lewis and Ms Carol, the
leaders of EYLA. I was introduced to Eastside
by the head of social care; he had worked
with Mr Lewis in the past and seemed to be
convinced that, if anyone can help, Eastside
can. I did not trust adults, and I certainly had
no intention of making it easy for new adults
to access me. What I didn’t know was that
Mr Lewis and Ms Murraine were equally wild
and would not budge or back away.
I began my first day with a list of my
demands, which included: a regular ‘lie in’
then a late start, weekly equine lessons,
daily McDonalds and loads of attention.
What I got was a timetable, tough talk, a
daily wake up visit at 7:30am and tons of
work. It felt like a daily disaster but something
about this rigour felt to me like, I had
no choice. Mr Lewis never spoke much, he
explained that he was like Moses coming
down the mountain carrying the commandments
not suggestions. Ms Carol was a
great talker but her voice carried weight –
either way it was a rock or a hard place.
Seven years on my Eastside experience
14

SPRING/SUMMER 2023
is the reason I possess ambition and drive.
Eastside staff taught me how to be organised
and on time. They gave me a daily
routine and Ms Carol even helped to take
care of my hair.
At that time (2016) I walked through
what felt like the valley of dry bones
(maths, science and English) but I also
made friends for life and have fond memories
of being led like a lamb.
The few other chapters of my life since
leaving Eastside would be so different had
I not had the intimate care and unwavering
support from Eastside. Eastside managed
me. Not just my learning but they helped
me unlearn some pretty awful stuff until in
the end (or middle) I learned to love myself.
I now work for a charity who support
girls in care in need of a big sister; an ear to
listen and a heart that understands.
I have had ups and downs since leaving
Eastside but they never, ever gave up on
me and so I don’t give up on myself.
II Eastside
managed me.
Not just my
learning but
they helped me
unlearn some
pretty awful
stuff until in the
end … I learned
to love myself.
15

COMMUNITY
organised citizens!
‘A prescription for the powerless’ is how our trainer began his
introduction on day one of our four-day training module on
community organising – right from the get go I knew I needed this
prescription!
II I want to make
a difference to
be the change
but I’m only 14
so how is this
possible? I can’t
vote or go on
strike, we don’t
have money
… Where is
my power and
influence?
Joshua Bangura
When I joined Eastside in 2018 I was not
exactly sure what a leadership programme
was all about. “What is a leader?” I asked
my mum on the day I joined. “You’ll find
out” she replied – and I did!
Through community organising training
I learned that leaders are people who (are)
MAD – they Make A Difference, they have
cashed in our #prescription.
Leaders are everywhere and even though
we talk about leaders I don’t think I really
understood what it meant until now.
For instance what is a community
leader? Mum is the leader of our home, my
head teacher is the leader of my school, we
have religious leaders, MPs and gang
leaders (Top Boy). I’ve never
seen myself as a leader until
now. I want to make a difference
to be the change
but I’m only 14 so how
is this possible? I can’t
vote or go on strike, we
don’t have money and
I’m not violent. I do pray
but sometimes I don’t
see the difference
(although I do feel
better). Where is my
power and influence?
Black Lives Matter, The Living Wage,
Strangers into Citizens, City Safe – these are
all campaigns carried out by everyday people
who had enough of the status quo and chose
to do something to make a difference. Sometimes
we feel driven to act but feel powerless
as we do not know what to do or how to do
it. Broad-based community organising is for
such people – people like me.
Citizens UK says, “By teaching people
how to listen, form a team, relate to people
in power and hold decision makers to
account, we tip the balance of power back
towards people facing injustice”.
Eastside’s involvement in community
organising goes back a long way, to when
our founder, Ray Lewis, was one of the
founding members of The East London
Community Organisation having
been inspired by people like
Johnny Ray Youngblood
of St. Paul’s Community
Church in Brooklyn
who was instrumental
in building affordable
housing through the
Industrial Areas Foundation
of New York.
Over the last two
years we have trained
over 700 young people
and parents in the principles
and practices of
community organising.
16

SPRING/SUMMER 2023
Our December 2020 Boycott
Christmas campaign raised almost
£20,000 for education programmes
in Africa.
In October 2021 Stacey Plaskett, Delegate to the US
House of Representatives , visited Eastside Young
Leaders’ Academy to share her knowledge and insight.
The training has taught us how to listen
to people’s interests and concerns, how to
negotiate using teamwork to strengthen
arguments, to understand how power works
in the world and the decision making structures
that govern us. We are grateful to The
Considered Ask for funding us to develop this
programme so that the Eastside community
can be proactive in campaigning for change
locally and further afield.
Over the last couple of years, actions
have included an environmental campaign
– to improve recycling locally and create
urban meadow spaces; The young leaders’
vaccine campaign which was developed in
partnership with Eton College pupils, provided
education on the pros and cons of
the vaccine which encouraged more people
in our community to get vaccinated. We
also ran our ‘Let’s Boycott Christmas’ campaign
to raise money for girls’ educational
projects in Africa and enabled some of our
girls to provide digital mentoring for their
peers in a school in Nigeria.
A highlight was a visit from Congresswoman
Stacey Plaskett, featured in our
last issue of Visage, who gave the young
leaders a better sense of power and politics
through her experience as the delegate
for the US Virgin Islands in the US House of
Representatives.
We have also conducted various financial
literacy sessions towards economic
empowerment.
In response to our focus on community
organising, Eastside parents have set up
an action group appropriately called ‘The
Diamond Club’ to organise and strategise.
In addition, the alumni have formed a community
interest company to operate as a
think tank to influence policy as a voice in
the public space.
Areas that we continue to work on
include: addressing racism in boarding
schools, expanding Black History Month
into the British History curriculum and environmental
concerns.
We are grateful to Eton College students,
who share our passion for change
and have agreed to work with our young
leaders in addressing various issues. OMD
UK were a great support in helping us to
develop media strategies; Milbank law firm
have been on standby as advisors to make
sure we don’t cross any legal boundaries.
Notably our magazine – Visage – is an
outcome of community organising. The
first issue was distributed in Autumn 2020
following a pilot training course in the
summer of that year after our first few
months of lockdown.
Four alumni now sit on our board of trustees,
one as chair, and they are all trained
in community organising; so are a driving
force in our plans and direction.
The Considered Ask funds our
training programme for youth
community leaders.
The Diamond Club – for parents
of EYLA Young Leaders to help
themselves make a difference to
the world around them.
17

the power of ‘no’
For nearly 20 years I have I lived my life in such a way
that I hardly ever hear the word no!
Ibukun Manah
To me, the word ‘no’ is so draining and
it means that I have failed. I hate the
word. I avoid it (and its many relatives)
with the skill of Dickens’ artful
dodger. I work hard to put myself in a
place where no-one tells me “No”. I’m
sure that there is something wrong
with me, something deep inside,
something toxic that I don’t even
want people to shake their head –
even in jest. I avoid Dr No at all costs!
What about you? Do you know
what it’s like to hear the word ‘no’?
How it feels to experience the sting of
rejection, real or imagined? Like me,
does it conjure up images of lack, cash
flow, overdraft or just the start of an
old-fashioned telling off? What about
the word ‘no’ to a job application, or a
mortgage?
“No joy, I’m afraid.”
“Sorry, you were unsuccessful.”
“Hell, no!”
Growing up it seemed to me even
yes meant no!
Back in the day (I know I’m only
23) I recall my mum saying that, ‘no’
often came in the form of a letter; an
unsuccessful loan application, job
offer or not. She said “I always knew I
didn’t get the job because they would
call you when you do and if you didn’t
they would write”.
They said ‘no’ to me when I took
my driving test last year, “You haven’t
passed” my examiner said. When I
heard this, I was confused; it felt like
yes and no at the same time. To me
it seemed like he was saying ‘no’ but
perhaps he meant ‘not yet’. My first
girlfriend began by saying ‘no’.
They said ‘no’ when I applied to join
my first choice university. How can
London Met say ‘no’ to anyone? My
first credit card application was a ‘no’.
I’m now in my mid-20s, and I know,
‘no’ comes in many guises – it is not
always spoken using the two letters
conveniently placed next to each
other in the alphabet. I know it in its
modern forms; presented as ‘unfortunately
on this occasion’ or even ‘I’m
afraid that…’
When I was at school my teachers
and college lecturers did not prepare
me for a life of ‘no’. Life and love were
ready and willing to pass on that
message!
18

SPRING/SUMMER 2023
the wrath of Khan
I remember the day she entered the doors of Eastside;
this tiny, demure woman that wielded such influence –
Dame Cressida Dick.
MP Diane Abbott speaks to demonstrators
outside Stoke Newington Police station in March
2022 in protest at the strip search of black school
girl Child Q. Although the story broke after Dame
Cressida Dick had resigned as Commissioner of
the Metropolitan Police the incident happened
during her tenure. Her oversight during the
murder of Sarah Everard and policing of the
subsequent vigil, misconduct at Charing Cross
police station and the Child Q case were thought
to have contributed to her decision to leave.
Michael Lowry
Even before she arrived, there was
an advance party of police officers
– checking, for God knows what, in
preparation for her visit.
I remember one of the officers
asked Mr Lewis, “Do you have anyone
in your community that has a criminal
record?” This kind of question is meat
and drink to someone like Mr Lewis
and within three seconds, everyone
was in fits of laughter. I guess what
I’m trying to say is that Dame Cressida
was an important person and when
she came to visit us in the boondocks
of East London it felt very special.
It also felt special because, like
me, she is a woman, albeit a powerful
woman, and yet it seemed to me that
she was prepared to humble herself to
visit us. I felt proud because she is a
woman and I am a young woman and
I love seeing women in power.
That very evening I went home
to do my research on this important
person. I discovered that she
was Commissioner of Police of the
Metropolis ie the head of London’s
Metropolitan Police Service (aka ‘the
Met’) – part police and part politician.
Within her small frame lay a big brain.
As I reflected, I realised that while
some jobs are physical and others
perhaps more mental, she held the
one that is both: political.
The head of the Metropolitan
Police (recently in the news accused
of institutional misogyny and racism)
is a very high-profile job, so high-profile
that he (or she) has two bosses
– the Mayor of London (Sadiq Khan at
present) and the Home Secretary.
What went wrong? Why was
Mr Khan so unhappy leading him
to dismiss my hero? The answer, it
seems, is to do with years of neglect,
and the difficulty of managing a
massive organisation with huge staff
not to mention her being a servant
trying to please two masters.
When Dame Cressida visited us
she spoke passionately about youth
crime, making London’s streets safer,
the importance of community and
community policing. She spent time
with the other young leaders and she
seemed in no hurry to leave. The head
of the Met is a job where you can’t
please everybody and certainly not
all of the time; a bit like the England
football manager!
I was sad when she was fired and
I spoke to Mr Lewis about it. It was
on the news. Mr Lewis explained the
political nature of the role and the
demands of serving the British public
– ‘difficult things to manage’. I think
one of her bosses (the Home Secretary)
wanted her to stay but in the
end it was the ‘wrath of Khan’ that
prevailed.
Mr Lewis was sure however, that
she would land on her feet “After all,”
he said, “there is nothing like a dame!”
II … while some
jobs are physical
and others
perhaps more
mental, she held
the one that is
both: political.
Shutterstock.com/heardinlondon
19

might as well face it –
you’re addicted!
The Amazon delivery guy was coming to our house almost
every day during lockdown. In fact these deliveries were the
highlight of the day. We would bet on whether or not it was
an order for mum or dad or my older sister Jennifer. I reckon
60% of the time it was something for dad and I’m kind of glad
it was because his orders were more fun (mum would say
unnecessary). It was never something for me!
Andrew Mensah
Stuff would arrive almost every day.
We now have an air fryer, home pod,
Jasmine candles, face masks, box files,
shelving units, A4 plastic wallets, a
chrome square trivet and much more.
This year, however, the Amazon ‘guy’
has hardly been, I asked mum why
and she said “Ask your dad!”; I did and
Dad said “It’s the cost of living crisis
– we need to cut back!” Mum agreed
“Everything has gone up except my
pay.” She says this so often I’m wondering
if she’s talking us into a bleaker
future!
According to mum we all need
to cut back; “Turn off the light!” she
bellows every day. In our flat, baths
are now banned (just showers – we
still wash!), we walk to school more
often and we have even changed to
another supermarket.
Now, sit back and understand,
the weekly shop in our household is
a very big deal. It’s as important as
going to church, yes I mean it. The
change is massive – it’s like changing
‘religion’, going from Saint Paul’s
Cathedral to fellowship at a disused
cinema. This shopping decision was
made by mum on her own; no conversation,
no consultation. The first I
knew was the sudden appearance of
cornflakes with an unpronounceable
name!
This change of ‘religion’ started
in the middle of November; it
started small, things like milk
and fruit juice. On November
30th 2022 came the big
bang. I remember the date
because it was my sister’s
birthday (and mum
bought a cake from the
German church supermarket).
The second
reason I remember it was because it
was my first experience of mum and
dad really arguing!
The argument started quite calm.
My dad loves cream crackers but
what I didn’t know (although I’m sure
mum must have) was that the crackers
MUST be Jacob’s. Mum bought
another, cheaper brand. Nothing
about the packaging indicated anything
was wrong and as dad opened
the packet and spread the SunPat
peanut butter, he didn’t notice – until
the first bite. From his reaction the
cracker fell well short of his expectations.
Mum was summoned and the
argument began. Twenty minutes
later and they were still at it, later
it spread to include baked beans,
tomato sauce, toilet paper and jam.
I learned that day that my dad is a
brand addict. Cost of living crisis or
not he refuses to change (lower his
standards). He said “I would rather
starve than eat that!”. He may have to
because mum is on a mission!
In our house austerity came face to
face with tradition; Muhammad and
the mountain – something’s got to
give – I think it may be the marriage!
20

SPRING/SUMMER 2023
FOLLOW UP
keza at Cardiff
Our Autumn 2020 issue of Visage featured one of our alumni,
Keza Nganga – halfway through lockdown, 18 years old and
trying to figure out life ‘beyond the boarding school bubble’
of Rugby.
The editors
Cardiff University
Just over two years on, Keza is now
fully immersed in studying medicine
at Cardiff University and also sits on
EYLA’s Board of Trustees.
We caught up with Keza to find
out what’s changed for her since her
interview back in 2020.
Keza said about life in Cardiff, “It’s
one of my favourite cities, moving
here from London is like a breath
of fresh air. It’s a capital city so you
get all of the benefits of being in the
capital but it’s a lot smaller so the
community is really great. Once you
live here for a couple of years, you get
to know the familiar faces in town;
people are so lovely here and say hello
– a lot different to London; in London
you are a needle in a haystack!”
Regarding student life Keza said,
“Well right now it’s the busiest
season of the year so it’s an academic
focus. I’m doing 8,000 words
and preparing for an exam so the
balance is researching, writing, revising
and sharing good practice with
friends. It’s very collaborative, especially
with a medical degree; I’m
constantly working with my friends
and we spend time teaching each
other different concepts we don’t fully
understand.
“One thing that I’m really enjoying
which is part of my degree, although
it doesn’t feel like it, is the Oncology
Project. I am a buddy with someone
who’s recently been diagnosed with
cancer. My role is to be their ‘person’
but let them take the lead. I’ll go to
his chemo appointments but we talk
about music, art, food and places
we’ve visited. It has given me a
chance to do something for someone
else and make a friend in a place that
I never thought possible. The benefits
work both ways.”
But student life isn’t just course
related. Keza told us, “The social life
is pretty good because everything is
in walking distance – bowling, dance
shows, meeting up with friends etc. In
my third year I feel settled and I know
who my friends are. It’s less about the
craziness of the first (freshers) year,
meeting new people; it’s now the little
things that I enjoy.
“I look after myself mentally, spiritually
and physically – taking time for
myself, going to the gym, going for
walks. I love to keep in touch with
family and friends who come to visit,
or I visit them. I keep in touch with
my girls from Rugby. We are a tight
knit group and although we might not
speak every day, we know we will be
there for each other. Covid probably
bought us closer. And I’m still in touch
with all my old teachers – it’s nice to
get messages from them to find out
how I’m doing. You never really leave
Rugby – it’s always with you.”
Outside of uni life Keza believes it’s
important to give back. She said, “I’ve
been working with the Black Heart
Foundation organising their social
events and I’m a trustee on EYLA’s
board. I’m also involved in a medical
project which is looking at how to
bridge the attainment gap.”
In terms of Keza’s future, she’s
half way through her medical degree
and she’s weighing up whether she
wants to do an extra degree, a bachelor
of science in medical education
which she thinks is really important.
Somehow she plans to squeeze in a
few holidays during the long summer.
There’s no stopping Keza!
21

bits and pieces
puzzles, poetry and stories
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
Can you spot twelve differences between these to pictures.
WORDSEARCH
CONUNDRUMS
B E G D E L W O N K
D E C I S I V E X P
Y V A L E A D E R S
C O U R A G E M P C
W H B T I R Z U A N
Y Q U I F N R T O T
T U E Y H J G K M N
I N I T I A T I V E
L S A L N I S M S M
I E B A T J P S A E
B L G Y E G Y A T G
I F E O G A T I Y D
S I I L R L H S U U
N S S T I P L U K J
O H C H T O A H V L
P O H E Y H F T W Q
S W L V O W V N H O
E R E V E S R E P H
R Q P K E R X A N C
BEARING
COURAGE
DECISIVE
ENTHUSIASM
INITIATIVE
INTEGRITY
JUDGEMENT
KNOWLEDGE
LOYALTY
PERSEVERE
RESPONSIBILITY
UNSELFISH
Answers to
puzzles on
page 24
1 What gets wetter and wetter
the more it dries?
2 Which weighs more, a pound of
feathers or a pound of bricks?
3 How many months have 28 days?
4 Name four days of the week
that start with the letter ‘t’?
5 What goes around and around
the wood but never goes into
the wood?
6 Two mothers and two
daughters went out to eat,
everyone ate one burger, yet
only three burgers were eaten
in all. How is this possible?
7 A man was outside taking
a walk, when it started to
rain. The man didn’t have an
umbrella and he wasn’t wearing
a hat. His clothes got soaked,
yet not a single hair on his head
got wet. How could this happen?
8 A cowboy rides into town on
Friday, stays for three days,
then leaves on Friday. How did
he do it?
9 What do the numbers 11, 69, and
88 all have in common?
10 You walk across a bridge and
you see a boat full of people yet
there isn’t a single person on
board. Explain
11 If there are three apples and
you take away two, how many
do you have?
12 Beth’s mother has three
daughters. One is called Lara,
the other one is Sara. What is
the name of the third daughter?
13 If an electric train is going east
at 60 miles an hour and there is
a strong westerly wind, which
way does the smoke from the
train drift?
14 How can you throw a ball as
hard as you can, to only have
it come back to you, even if it
doesn’t bounce off anything?
15 A boy fell off a 30 meter ladder
but did not get hurt. Why not?
16 What never asks questions but
is often answered?
17 What belongs to you but other
people use it more than you?
18 What five-letter word becomes
shorter when you add two
letters to it?
22

SPRING/SUMMER 2023
PHOENIX
THE GENDER AGENDA
Emmanuella Adewole
So this it.
The final page.
The final sentence.
Our coming of age.
Our independence.
And isn’t it just beautiful?
But won’t you spread your
wings?
It’s just an exam way.
A full stop,
a multiple choice answer box;
The first of multiple choices we
will soon have to make.
Of which school or which
accommodation,
on how we will spend the next
chapter of our lives,
learning to spend real money
and real time with each
other.
No longer sitting in uniform idle
lines,
Sing hymns or walking hand in
hand –
But won’t you spread your
wings?
You may be looking forward to,
a summer in the sun
burning the midnight candle,
in the interest of future fun.
We will no longer stand
shoulder to shoulder for
whole school photos
and instead will rub shoulders in
the workforce.
But won’t you spread your
wings?
You’ve kept ‘all your limbs inside
the cart at all times’
for so long,
that you’ve forgotten how to fly.
You’ve measured yourself up
with another man’s metre rule
and it’s made you feel down
about all the things you did in
school.
You still have things that you
wish you had said or did,
that dream that you’ve held in
your heart since you were
a kid.
It’s just too far out of your
reach,
but did you know that you can
fly?
You may have grown
up in a chicken’s coup
but you have an eagle’s
wings,
if only you could see the things
that I see from my bird’s eye
cause when I see you, I cannot
deny
I see potential.
But won’t you spread your
wings?
Won’t raise both hands at either
side
and show the world what it
truly means to be a ‘free’?
Standing here in front of me,
are individuals teeming with
promise:
Engineers, artists, doctors,
scientists, lawyers, directors,
mathematicians, actors,
writers, philosophers.
All in one place for the very last
time.
So won’t you spread your wings?
Cause my God you’ve seen a
swimming pool burn down,
you can sure as hell see
phoenix rise from its ashes.
We have been cooped up for far
too long,
so won’t you spread your wings?
I see you biting your
tongue,
so much you’ve grown
accustomed
to the taste of your own
blood.
You’ve curled into yourself.
You’re full of more compressed
air than a can of coke,
weighed down by the heavy
words that you never spoke.
You’re a liar.
Not in the way liars usually are,
you lie to yourself
every day you refuse to do what
you were born to do.
Did you know that you were
born to fly?
Have you ever seen a flock of
birds,
high in the sky,
The way they seem to form an
arrow pointing towards new
heights?
Of greener pastures, new
dangers
and feats to overcome
but you know you’ll never make
it if you don’t run.
Run towards the you that you
want to become.
Don’t run ‘pretty’ run ugly,
let sweat drip down your
temples
and the wind rush past your
face,
until you are flushed and out of
breath
and your legs turn to jelly,
until you begin to feel
weightless
and you are walking on air.
Forget the looks and the stares,
who cares,
they are simply bird watching
because the validation of others
means nothing
if you cannot validate yourself.
We may not cross paths again,
as we criss-cross the
hopscotch of life like we did
when we were
little.
But our future selves are waiting
for us
and I cannot wait to meet them.
So this is it.
The first page,
the first sentence,
our coming of age,
Our independence.
Congrats! You’ve finally done it,
you’re flying,
and isn’t it just beautiful.
Is Gender an identity? This poem explores
the theme of justice or rather the lack
thereof. It explores the importance of
defining your own identity rather than
succumbing to the definition of identity
that mankind has assigned to us.
Princess Longe
What is the difference between him and her?
From birth, taking our first steps into this world,
like cookie dough, shaped, moulded; all part of the
same cut.
Made to fit a certain expectation,
yet, still in a situation,
where there are certain limitations.
Because I am a girl, and you are not.
Your skirt’s too short, your top, too tight,
what about his trousers, the top almost scraping
the backs of his knees!
That dress code, is just about right.
She dresses to impress. No, I disagree.
We have this role to fulfil as women.
No! I disagree.
We, are the weaker identity. I disagree.
Strings hang us from our shoulder joints from
youth,
to dance as society tells us,
forced into a trance because society is our
puppeteer.
The man, the boy.
He can’t feel things, or at least show them
because,
that is not what he does.
For society will see him as otherwise
But we are not dancers, we move as panthers.
We’ll take our chance, and make our advance,
sever the strings. To take a stance.
Videos impersonate me. What I look like,
how I act.
You think you have the slightest clue,
But really it’s you who’s in the blue.
I touch my hair and you think, ‘she’s trying
to flirt’.
You see, these are the stereotypes that
really hurt.
But they act as simple obstacles to our glory.
Because you, are just characters in our story.
Why can’t we have equal opportunities?
Why is a woman’s promotion such an extremity?
To start it off with gender inequality is the
difference in status, power and prestige,
that you and I; he and she have in society.
When we ask, they say ‘It just is.’
‘It just is.’
It is gender injustice.
23

trustees of EYLA
David Ejim-McCubbin
Chair of EYLA Trustees
Head of Policy and
Advocacy, Social Mobility
Commission; (Alumnus)
Pelumi Agbedejobi
Finance Analyst, TD
Securities; (Alumnus)
Tom Carroll
Principal, Freshstream
Manon Dave
Chief Product & Design
Officer at Mind Valley;
Songwriter and producer,
7Wallace/Universal Music
Adrian Deazle
Senior Vice President,
Enterprise Risk
Management
Marcus Kerr
Software developer;
(Alumnus)
Giles Marshall
Managing Director,
Searchlight Capital
Partners
Keza Nganga
Medicine Undergraduate,
Cardiff University;
(Alumnus)
Thomas Tharakan
Associate General Counsel,
Global Infrastructure
Partners
Misa von Tunzelman
Head of Corporate Affairs
& Marketing - Europe,
Lendlease
summer
calendar
JULY
8th
11th
24th
29th
30th
Final Saturday Masterclass
of term
Online Parent University
Start of summer holidays
Kenya and Friends in the
Park
Kenya and Friends in the
Park
AUGUST
17th A-level results
24th
24th
31st
GCSE results
Copyright © EYLA 2023
www.eyla.org.uk
Scholars 2023 graduation
End of summer holidays
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CONUNDRUMS
1 A Towel.
2 Neither, they both weigh one
pound.
3 All 12 months.
4 Tuesday, Thursday, today, and
tomorrow.
5 The bark on a tree.
6 They were a grandmother,
mother and daughter.
7 The man was bald.
8 His horse’s name was Friday.
9 They read the same right side
up and upside down.
10 All the people on the boat are
married.
11 If you take two apples, you have
of course, two.
12 Beth.
13 There is no smoke coming from
electric trains.
14 Throw the ball straight up in
the air.
15 He fell off the bottom step.
16 A doorbell.
17 Your name.
18 Short.
24

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Eton College!

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