Harrow Change Makers in practice: Nathan’s story with Ignite Youth

Donors: Harrow Change Makers

One of those organisations is Ignite Youth. With support from Harrow Change Makers, Ignite runs the Lead Right programme at The Jubilee Academy, utilising boxing, group workshops, and one-to-one mentoring to support young people at risk of exclusion or involvement in the criminal justice system. The focus is on behaviour, school engagement, self-esteem and planning for the future.

Nathan’s story shows what this looks like in practice, told from his mentor’s perspective.

Meeting Nathan

Nathan* was in Year 11 when he came into my care at the beginning of 2025. He was deeply disengaged from education and from life in general. He had a long-standing history of drug and cannabis use that began at age 11 and carried on into his teenage years. This played a big part in his lack of motivation and his resistance to attending school.

When I first met Nathan, he hardly attended lessons and had openly said that school was not for him. He felt he did not understand much in school and had slowly disengaged from a young age because of that.

From the start, I tried to create a space where Nathan could be open and unjudged. I focused on getting to know him better, asking what he liked and listening more than telling him things.

Building trust

When Nathan returned to school after missing most of the school year, he slowly started to open up. We discovered some common interests, including our shared passion for Chelsea. Small things like that helped him feel more relaxed and willing to talk.

As trust grew, we were able to move from small talk into conversations about how he was feeling, what his days looked like, and what he could imagine for himself in the future, even if that picture was still very unclear at that stage.

Finding a practical strength

The key turning point came when we began to explore his practical strengths. Through mentoring conversations and small, hands-on tasks, it became clear that Nathan had a natural aptitude for mechanical and technical work, something he had never really considered as an option for himself.

By helping him recognise his own strengths and demonstrating that these talents had real-world value, I began to see a gradual shift in his mindset. Together, we built a realistic and motivating plan, using mechanics as the foundation for his future goals.

Our mentoring sessions focused more on Nathan’s future and on understanding the implications of his current actions and how they can affect him later. I shared one of my favourite sayings with him:

“What is more important?”

The phrase stayed with him and became a useful prompt for the gradual changes he began to make.

What changed for Nathan

Since then, Nathan has reduced his cannabis use and started attending school every day, surprising teachers and staff who had been used to seeing him absent. He is now waiting to secure an apprenticeship in the field of mechanics.

His confidence, his commitment to personal change, and his ability to envision a more stable future, not just in terms of work but as a person, all demonstrate how far he has come. Nathan was awarded the Jack Petchey Achievement Award in recognition of his growth and perseverance.

Nathan’s journey reflects the power of tailored mentoring, consistent encouragement and genuine belief in a young person’s potential, even when they are at their lowest. It also shows how Harrow Change Makers funding allows organisations like Ignite Youth to work closely with schools, give time to relationship-based support, and stick with young people long enough for change to take root.

*Name has been changed to protect identity.

His story is one of several featured in the 2025 Harrow Change Makers Impact Report, which shares how local projects in Harrow are helping young people reconnect with education, manage difficult situations and build a more hopeful path forward.