My experience with Project Flourish – making social mobility a reality

Did you know that people from affluent backgrounds are 80% more likely to end up in a professional job than their working-class peers? Many barriers can prevent some young people from securing and maintaining meaningful employment: they may have lived through traumatic experiences, had disruptions to their education or employment, or had no support network to lean on.

These issues highlight the important mission of Project Flourish: our pro-bono service that aims to help some of the most disadvantaged young people find and sustain meaningful employment.

After hearing Project Flourish Lead, Jamie Houlders, speak passionately about how this service has the potential to change so many lives for the better, I decided to get involved. Through Project Flourish, I hired Akame, a young person who had been through extreme hardship. Here’s my experience…

You can have a huge impact on someone’s life

Akame was sadly a victim of the Russian invasion in Ukraine and was evacuated. Without any family – just with her beloved sausage dog, Guli – she initially fled to a refugee camp in Poland, before transferring to the UK via a sponsor on the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.

Following a harrowing time in her life, with Guli by her side throughout, securing a meaningful job opportunity has finally given Akame the brighter future that she so desperately needed and deserved. This is Akame’s first corporate role; it has helped her to develop practical skills, including improved confidence, enhanced use of written and spoken English, and an understanding of corporate structure.

Flourish provided continued support along the way

The ongoing support that Project Flourish gave us was quite simply incredible – in fact, this was perhaps the smoothest recruitment process I have ever experienced.

We were introduced to our charity partner to discuss our vacancy and the type of person we thought would fit our team culture and the parameters of the role. They, in turn, introduced us to Akame who was a perfect fit from the start and has now been with us for over six months.

Project Flourish provided us with a structure and process to follow from start to finish, including an employer awareness session with a clinical psychologist. This enabled us to really understand the management styles required to support a young person affected by trauma. In addition to the support we were given, Akame was given access to a bespoke learning management system, where training courses included: health and wellbeing, employability and industry insights, and general skills. The support that Flourish provides to both employer and employee alike is unparalleled to any recruitment process I have ever been a part of.

I can’t recommend Project Flourish enough

If you’re able to support a disadvantaged young person in finding employment – then why not get in touch? As an employer, you have the ability to change someone’s life for the better – someone who is just looking to be given the chance of a fresh start.

But hiring Akame has had a wider impact; countless other benefits have been felt by the whole team. Her presence has added a new dimension of diversity to our team, and a different perspective on our processes and working practices in general. Akame has faced hardships that you wouldn’t ordinarily see in someone so young, so it’s been a humbling and enlightening experience for the entire team. Team spirits have been lifted and we’ve all undergone a huge lesson in resilience.

Akame is an exemplary employee: extremely hard-working, motivated and keen to learn. She manages a full workload in her third language and responds well to feedback in support of her development. After passing her six-month probation with flying colours, Akame has a bright future ahead of her – both in and out of the workplace.

It’s been truly humbling to be a part of Akame’s lifechanging journey and to see her literally flourish before our eyes. I cannot recommend Project Flourish to employers enough. So, what are you waiting for? Make a difference to someone’s life today.

If you’re considering hiring a disadvantaged young person, make the first step now. Get in touch with Project Flourish Lead, Jamie Houlders, who will be happy to talk you through how you can get involved – whether you’re hiring for one role or several. Alternatively, visit our Project Flourish webpage for more information.