Spring forward
Spring is a time of growth and newness and this is well-reflected in Grit right now. Our new strategy is looking at how we can grow our impact of our work - key to this is enabling staff to take the Grit approach into their work with young people. So we’re really delighted to be working with so many staff teams this year in Children’s Services, Virtual Schools (who oversee the education of Children in Care) and in universities right across the UK. You can read more about our work with staff here and below on our work with UKAT and the University of Hertfordshire.
Also reflecting a time of growth and newness is the welcome we extend below to Marcus, who we’re delighted to have on board in the Grit staff team, bringing enthusiasm, passion for the work and a fresh pair of eyes and ears to support us in our forward journey. We’re equally delighted to welcome Nottingham Trent University graduate and long-time Grit champion, Ollie Wanjohi, on to our training team.
It is particularly special that both Marcus and Ollie have been participants on Grit programmes. It just goes to show that you never know when you will plant a seed that will, in future, become part of the team, coming back to plant seeds of their own.
I hope you can enjoy the sunshine and this period of newness. Thank you as always for the support you give to Grit and if you have any feedback or stories for us then please do get in touch.
Ellie
Welcome aboard
A great big Grit welcome to our new Director of Programmes, Marcus Leon, who started with us this month.
Marcus first came across Grit when he took part in a programme for staff in Westminster and brings a wealth of experience from across community and education settings, leading programmes that focus on personal development, wellbeing, and employability. Marcus is passionate about creating and delivering impactful initiatives that support young people to thrive.
A proud Londoner, where he is currently based, Marcus remains closely connected to the communities he serves. Outside of work, he enjoys cooking, sport, and travelling, and is always looking for new experiences and cultures to explore.
We’re so excited to have him join the team - he’s up and running already, busy meeting staff and trainers, and looking forward to meeting people from across the Grit community.
And a welcome to Ollie Wanjohi who has just joined our team of trainers. Ollie took part in a Grit programme as a student at Nottingham Trent University - you may have seen him on film talking about his Grit experience. A lifelong learner passionate about self-development he leads Young People Empowered, an organisation empowering Northampton’s Kenyan-British youth.
Welcome aboard, Marcus and Ollie! We’re so pleased to have you join us.
Think like a coach
We’re thrilled to announce the release of a Grit workshop and a Grit online module “Think Like a Coach” via UK Advising and Tutoring (UKAT) - the professional body for personal tutors and academic advisors working in universities.
Think Like a Coach is open to anyone in the Grit community and, as the module is part of UKAT’s Professional Development Curriculum, colleagues from institutions who are members of UKAT may be able to access Think Like a Coach module for free.
Find out more about the online module and the in-person workshop.
All about the stories
You might have noticed that we’ve been refreshing the Grit web site recently. One of the things we’ve been doing is uploading a whole new suite of case studies - stories from participants about the difference Grit has made to them.
Read about care-experienced student Anisha at the University of Leeds who was struggling with imposter syndrome and the transition from college to uni. She describes how Grit gave her the confidence to just “go out and get it.” Or refugee Fana who wasn’t feeling part of the student community at the University of Exeter. Since Grit she’s “found a way to make my time at university my own instead of trying to fit in with some sort of student stereotype. Grit was the catalyst.”
Then there’s Nile who took part in a Grit programme in year 11 as part of an access programme run by the University of Sheffield. He talks about how “I would be the first one in my family to go to university and that will make them all really proud. And now I’m confident that I’m going to make it.”
Or Paula a member of staff from the Kent Virtual School on how she valued a “training that’s about supporting us. It’s often about supporting the young people.”
And there’s a whole host more. Take a look!
Read more about our work with staff teams
Programme Manager, Emma, reflects on challenges of putting Grit into words
One of the things we often remark on in Grit is that our workshops are so experiential that the challenge is finding the right words to adequately describe what they’re like. No matter how long you’ve been here, or how many workshops you’ve seen, it’s not easy to put into words… And we want to support our partners to do just that.
Last week, we had the pleasure of delivering a staff taster session at the University of Hertfordshire to give staff across their team the Grit experience. The aim wasn’t only to explain what happens in a Black Leaders workshop, but to immerse colleagues in it. From stepping into the space, to sharing openly, to feeling acknowledged by the group, participants were able to connect with the workshop in a much more meaningful way.
It was a special session - energising, reflective, and genuinely engaging. It reinforced for us how powerful it is to move beyond description and let people see it for themselves. We’re keen to build on this, creating more opportunities to bring the programme to life, increase awareness and understanding, and empower staff to support more students to take part.
Read more about our programmes for Black Leaders and Students of Colour.