A conversation with Giles

We hear from the Chairman of The Board of Trustees, Giles

Tell us about Footsteps in a few words.

Footsteps is a brilliant organization that I am happy to be the Chairman of Trustees for. We are all about helping young people fulfil their potential. We run an alternative education academy which offers secondary school age kids struggling with mainstream schooling with another option.

What is the vision for Footsteps and it's young people?

It's quite simple. We want our young people to get out into the communities they are part of and make a positive difference. They come in one way, but we want them to leave another. We want them to leave better, as better adjusted members of society. Ideally, we want every single student at Footsteps to be an ambassador for Footsteps. So, it will be great for members of the public to encounter Footsteps students and say "Hang on a moment...wasn't that the kid who was written of? Wasn't that the one they said could only achieve such and such, and yet they are thriving".

How would you like Footsteps to be perceived by the wider public, and how can we help?

When it comes to the wider community, be it members of the public or corporations, I would like them to see Footsteps as being on their side. I would never want Footsteps to be seen as doing it's own thing and being of no relevance to the wider community. It is obvious that the problems and challenges that we are dealing with affect everyone, and I think that is a fact that needs to be emphasized. We are at the forefront of many of the challenges young people face in London. It is clear that the issues in London are well documented and young people often receive negative press in the media. We are working hard to change that narrative and to do so, we need the help of the wider community. If anyone can assist, then please do reach out to us. We have a need for volunteers, motivational speakers, mentors, patrons, etc.