SIA grant helps to support young black men in London
In 2023, the SIA gave 1000 Black Boys CIC £10,000 to inspire and support young black men and their families.
Through the SIA grants for good causes fund, we distribute money recovered through proceeds of crime confiscation orders. We give funding to registered charities and community interest companies in the UK. We aim to benefit the private security industry and improve public safety in the UK.
In 2023, the SIA awarded £10,000 to 1000 Black Boys CIC, a social enterprise based in London. The CIC had made an application to the fund, to explain what they wanted to do and how much this would cost. The CIC explained that the project would support public protection by providing opportunities and role models to young people who are more likely to be victims of knife-crime or youth violence.
The grant has helped to fund 3 events and 2 mentorship cohorts.
Support for bereaved families
The SIA grant funded an event for families, attended by 40 people. The guest speaker was the mother of a 15-year-old boy who had died after being stabbed multiple times.
Ademola Adeyeba, Founder and CEO of 1000 Black Boys CIC, explained:
We do family events to give parents and families that have lost children to knife crime or youth violence a platform to be heard and a platform to be seen.
Many of the families are traumatised. Some of the siblings are impacted and this has the potential to lead to more violence, or issues in schools. We wanted to see what we could do to heal this.
As a result of the event and conversations with bereaved families, the CIC launched a new therapy and support service. It has provided therapy for 3 families so far. It has also provided practical support – for example, travel expenses to support a bereaved parent to attend court.
Developing a mentorship scheme
The grant subsidised a mentorship scheme for 20 young Black men aged 12 to 23. Mentors supported the young people to build their self-confidence, communication and public speaking skills. The mentees attended an awards ceremony with their families.
Nifemi, who took part in the scheme, said:
At first I wasn’t really interested in the programme because I personally thought it was a waste of time… But then I started paying attention… I really started to think ‘okay, wow – what he’s saying is very good and very useful’… It did help me overcome some challenges I did face.
Inspiring and empowering young people
The grant also enabled 200 people to attend 1000 Black Boys’ Inspiration and Empowerment events. Guest speakers included young black entrepreneurs and adult role models. Some of the mentorship scheme participants also put their public speaking skills into practice. Local businesses offered attendees development and job opportunities.
Ainsley, who attended one of the events, said:
I was quite amazed, you know, because a lot of people like myself, sometimes struggle with confidence. But to see a lot of young people speak up… it’s quite inspiring… I’d want to be like that one day and speak out in front of a lot of people, and inspire a lot of other people.