Raw, vulnerable, transformative
Happy new year to you all. I hope 2026 has started well for you, we – at Grit – are thinking about beginnings and endings.
The beginning of the new year sees exciting new partners coming on board to work with us – Leeds Beckett, Sussex and Birmingham City Universities all start in the next couple of months. We’re always delighted to welcome new universities into the Grit family and we’ll be holding an event in February for all university partners to come together and reflect on their shared learning, best practices and ways they can use their collective voice. If you are a Grit university and you don’t yet have an invite to this event then please do drop me a line.
We are also preparing ourselves for a monumental ending. Amira Asantewa, who has been working for Grit for 27 years, will be retiring in February. There really are no words that can sum up the significance of Amira’s departure.
Personally I can’t imagine working without her. She has been by my side over the last 25 years and has personally and professionally been my rock. Beyond that she is a powerful, empowering, committed and inspiring leader who has created transformation for thousands of young people and professionals in her time with us.
She has spearheaded our Black Leaders and Students of Colour programme, creating our fastest growing strand of work. She has created extraordinary relationships with the clients and partners she manages and – closer to home – all staff will miss the amazing combination of her big heart and her challenging coaching. She is an outstanding woman, professional, leader, and friend, and we are all in denial about how life at Grit will look without her.
However, she is courageously and contentedly stepping into a new phase of her life and we are all delighted that she has made a choice for herself that brings her joy. She may be leaving Grit but the impact she has made will live on and on. And (it goes without saying) we will be staying in touch to share the relaxation of her schedule-free and list-free life. We are wishing you so much joy in your notebook-free life Amira and thank you beyond words for everything you’ve contributed.
Ellie
The Reflective Space
Programme Manager Emma is inspired by how local authority staff show up in the Grit course room …
“Earlier this month I had the privilege of attending our Coaching for Professionals programme with Children’s Services managers.
Being in a room with people so deeply committed to making a difference was inspiring. With the high stakes they work under, it was understandable that there was some initial scepticism and apprehension about having to step away from their roles for three full days.
“On day one, some of the coaching concepts can feel abstract, but what stood out to me about this group was their openness and willingness to engage, even when it didn’t make sense. Each day, I watched them experiment with the approach and begin to apply it to real situations. By day three, I watched as the final pieces of the puzzle fell into place – “I get it now!” They revisited challenges that had previously felt frustrating and at times impossible, and by parking judgement and shifting perspective, new possibilities emerged.
Seeing that transformation unfold was a powerful reminder of the impact of reflective space and coaching.”
If you’ve spent time in a Grit workshop we’d love to hear your reflections. Drop us a line at jon@grit.org.uk
Running 10k for Grit
Grit Advisory Board member Amira Mansour is running a 10k in Napoli in February to raise money for Grit.
Amira first came across Grit back in 2014 when she was at Octopus Investments. She did a coaching training as part of a programme in East London where she went on to coach a young person. Since then she has gone on to set up her own coaching business.
Says Amira,
“Grit was the most raw, vulnerable, transformative experience I didn’t know I needed.”
We’d love you to sponsor Amira. Every donation, no matter the size, will help ensure Grit continues to make a difference with young people.
And the results are in…
We regularly go back to university students up to a year after they have completed a Grit programme to find out how they’ve been getting on. The results from our latest survey are just in.
This is what we found:
Grit impacts student retention – 85% of those who had been thinking of leaving are still at university and no longer thinking of leaving
99% are still at university or have successfully graduated
A huge 91% of students are still setting themselves goals
85% continue to have an increased sense of belonging
79% still have two or more resilience indicators
AND we asked the students what three words they would use to describe their Grit experience. This is what they told us:
Read more about what has happened to students and other Grit participants after they left the course room …