Future Founders
2025 — Year One
Dignity · Inclusion · Creativity · Connection for Young Refugees
Play and expressive arts methods
Children shape activities and themes
Predictable session structure
Observe, join, lead, or create
From Watching to Participating.
From our first year working with children in temporary asylum accommodation in South London — one moment that captures the impact of our programme.
Every week, a 14-year-old boy came to our workshops and sat near the edge of the room. He watched but didn't join in. Our workshops take place in temporary asylum accommodation in South London, where families from Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Syria and many other countries wait to find out what happens next. For teenagers especially, it can be hard to know where you fit.
Many are carrying adult responsibilities — translating for parents, helping younger siblings and navigating letters from the Home Office. For those not yet placed in school, the days are long and the space limited.
During the programme, we invited a specialist circus facilitator who introduced highly visual juggling techniques. The work was skilful and engaging. The teenager at the edge started watching more closely. Then he moved a little nearer. Then, without any pressure, he picked up the props and had a go.
By the end of the session the workshop had become a small performance, with children showing what they had learned. The atmosphere in the room shifted. The Centre Manager commented on it. Even security personnel — whose presence had sometimes made ordinary play feel tense — paused to watch, impressed by the children's skills. At the end of the session, one carer looked around and said, "A day like today deserves ice cream." He went to the corner shop and came back with two large tubs.
Moments like this are why play and creative expression matter in places where children's lives are shaped by uncertainty.
"A day like today deserves ice cream." — Carer, after the first circus workshop
Children demonstrated laughter and playful engagement in every session. One child attended 21 workshops — by choice, in a place where nothing else is predictable.
Caregivers attended over half of all sessions. Facilitators observed consistent, joyful shared moments — from joining in with games to crafting side by side.
In over 90% of workshops, children's ideas and choices shaped what happened next. When they asked for gardening, we brought seeds, pots and soil. It became a firm favourite.
Children who had said they would "never perform in front of anyone" gradually chose to do so. That shift — from reluctance to pride — was one of the most consistent things we observed.
"Whenever it comes to the next week, I'm excited and my Mum was like, 'You have to calm down. You can't be that excited.' I just love the sessions and I want it to be continued and not letting it get stopped."
— Kella*, age 10"When the sessions started, I didn't really know what to do and I didn't like being around people... I really like the sessions because I get out of my room and it's fun. My wish is I could come here forever."
— Sedi*, age 10*Names changed to protect identity
Help us protect what we've built.
What we saw across this first year is that children need time to feel safe before they can truly engage — and once they do, real changes begin to happen. The teenager who spent weeks watching from the edge didn't need to be coaxed or persuaded. He needed something meaningful to join when he was ready, in a space that had become safe and familiar. Continued funding makes this possible. It protects the continuity that trust depends on and allows us to reach more children.