The leader of Greenwich council, Cllr Danny Thorpe, met 10 local young women today, to celebrate their graduation from an innovative youth intervention programme.

Cllr Thorpe visited Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy to hear about the graduates’ experiences and learn how the intensive Street Elite programme has armed them with new skills, boosting their self-confidence.

The graduates are all Greenwich residents aged 15-16 and were recommended for the 12 week course by their teachers, as a way to help them re-engage with learning and renew their focus on the future.

Street Elite uses sports-based training, including coaching by qualified coaches from The Change Foundation, with support from the Berkeley Foundation.

The unique youth project combines the team sports with group workshops and one-to-one mentoring to boost both their physical and mental wellbeing.

Cllr Thorpe said: “It has been wonderful to hear these young women speak about their futures with such positivity and determination.

“Young people in Greenwich have so much to offer and I’m delighted to see Street Elite harnessing some of their talent and energy.”

Graduates have been encouraged to reflect on how to make good choices and the opportunities available to them, as they start to map out their career interests.

Despite many of the participants being disinterested in education at the start of the course, they now say they are interested in pursuing vocations such as teaching, law and veterinary nursing.

The Street Elite model was first developed by The Change Foundation and the Berkeley Foundation in 2012.

Since then programmes have run in boroughs across London, empowering hundreds of young people to make positive changes and take steps towards rewarding careers.