Pretty Hearts social enterprise
From Pretty Hearts website
Pretty Hearts CIC is a social enterprise founded in Woolwich in March 2024 with a mission to meaningfully engage young people through workshops, social activities and literature. They aim to create a safe space where young people can express themselves and improve their collective wellbeing.
Their beneficiaries are young people (boys and girls aged 12-25), based in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Young people in Greenwich may feel disenfranchised, disengaged from the community, and excluded from other spaces. Youth services of this nature do not currently exist in the area. Their work helps to build self-esteem and improve mental health through hands-on workshops and community-building activities for young people.
They do this through some activities:
1. Multi Activities & Events. Hosting interactive seminars to inspire and equip the next generation with valuable life skills. Organizing cultural and arts events that foster creativity and unity among young people. Recognizing and rewarding exceptional talents through their community ambassador awards. Offering empowerment workshops to nurture leadership and entrepreneurial skills in youth.
2. Bible Study Club. Guiding young minds in understanding Biblical principles through their engaging Bible Study Club. Building faith and character in youth with weekly Bible discussions and reflections at Pretty Hearts CIC.
These lead to skill and character development.
For example, they have been running weekly hair braiding workshops in two locations in Woolwich. During the summer, 45 people participate in the workshops every week. The workshops comprise hair braiding skills lessons with discussions about the cultural context and history of hair braiding. In 2017, 37% of people under 19 in the Royal Borough of Greenwich were of a black or mixed black heritage background. Learning about hair braiding is of great cultural and historical significance to the communities living in Greenwich and their workshops provide a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for young people to explore their heritage, create local connections and build their sense of pride and confidence in their self-identity.
They also publish a quarterly magazine, "Celebrating Youth". This is dedicated to showcasing the remarkable contributions of young people within the local Christian community. This publication serves as a platform to celebrate the efforts of youth in various sectors - whether in schools, churches, or their local communities. They believe that young people are not merely the leaders of tomorrow, but active agents of positive change today. By featuring these stories, they hope to inspire and encourage other young people to get involved and make a difference. The goal is to create a ripple effect in local and global communities.
Find out more here.
They are a young social enterprise and need support but could this be a model for youth work?
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From Pretty Hearts website, 16/07/2025