Impact Report 2024-25
Welcome to our Impact Report – your chance to see everything we have been up to last year from 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025.
Scroll down this page to see the highlights, or click the section you want to see in the contents below.
You can also can download a full PDF version of the report here:
Contents
Our Vision
We want to see more children, young people and families in Newham and east London leading happy healthy lives, realising their potential and unlocking their ambition.
Using a community-focused approach, we foster opportunity, community and inspiration to children, families and young people in Newham and east London.
We do this through four main areas of work:
Our Year in Numbers
In 2024–25, Aston-Mansfield’ s impact touched thousands of lives:
182
children and young people supported through
356
sessions of breakfast club, afterschool club, and holiday schemes.
78
individual families supporting
288
members accessed our Supermarket Club
65+
groups accessed space to run vital community services
20+
community organisations strengthened via infrastructure training and coaching
441
young people engaged in youth development, heritage and leadership
40
volunteers gained skills, confidence, and connection through inclusive roles
210
residents with serious mental illness supported through trauma-informed care
150+
individuals participated in well-being and peer-led creative programmes
Our work with Children and Families
We provided vital wraparound childcare and enrichment for families across Newham.
Fun, exciting activities for children to enjoy, learn new skills and gain new experiences.
Allowing parents and carers to continue to work, study or attend to other commitments.
Children and Families in Numbers
We worked with
182
children and young people
We delivered
356
sessions of afterschool, breakfast, & holiday clubs
100% Children at Little Manor
improved their social communication
288 Family Members
benefited from the Little Manor Supermarket
93% of Young People
at The Manor reported improved mental health
86% of Children
at Little Manor were more physically active and healthier
83% of Children
at Little Manor reported reduced stress and anxiety
In 2024–25 we delivered a comprehensive year-round offer supporting hundreds of children and their families with high-quality care, learning opportunities, healthy food, and emotional support.
Our Impact
Holidays Activities and Food Programme (HAF)
Funded by the Department for Education, children eligible for HAF (children eligible for free school meals and those with SEND) accessed our full holiday provision at no cost, with free access to the food club and wraparound family support.
Highlights included our cycle training programme, where many children learned to ride bikes for the first time and completed an 8-mile round trip along the River Lea — a new and empowering experience.
The Manor Transitional Youth
The Manor Transitional Youth is our transitional programme for young people aged 11–14, designed to support them in the early years of secondary school.
It runs during school holidays and focuses on building resilience, independence, leadership, and community connection.
The Little Manor Supermarket
The Little Manor Supermarket is our in-house food club provides healthy, nutritious food to all families registered with our children’s programmes.
During supermarket sessions, staff touch-base with families, assessing their well-being and giving them the opportunity to share any issues that they are struggling with.
We have worked with families experiencing difficult issues, including bereavement, poor mental health, self-harm, loss of income, housing problems, and more.
Going to collect from the Food Club is a lifesaver for me, especially during the holidays. I have 3 children but only one is the right age for HAF meaning I have 2 hungry kids at home during the day. I can’t put in words how much it helps me budget. I now delay doing my weekly shop until after the food club day, it makes such a difference.
The children couldn't wait to tell us about it when we returned to school… The staff went above and beyond to meet the needs of the whole family.
Our work with Young People
Our Youth Empowerment services empower young people aged 14–21 across Newham through creative, skills-based, and culturally responsive programmes.
Youth Empowerment in Numbers
441 Young People Engaged
12 Paid Young Facilitators
trained and employed
500 Young People
shared their thoughts in our borough-wide youth survey
26 One-to-One Mentoring Sessions
74
Motiv! sessions delivered, alongside
3
youth-led community events, including
38
participants in youth-led heritage storytelling
Our Impact
Across both Motiv! and New Voices for Old Stories, young people reported measurable progress in:
- Social inclusion
- Decision-Making and Safety
- Confidence and Self-Esteem
- Well-being
- Youth leadership
- Voice and Influence
Since joining Motiv!, I’ve gained more confidence, and now speak in front of others. I’ve made friends and learnt how to plan events.
New Voices for Old Stories
Culture and Heritage Programme
This two-year initiative offers young people aged 16–21 a creative introduction to heritage, storytelling, and the history of Aston-Mansfield.
In 2024–25, 38 young people and two volunteers took part in activities designed to build archiving, research, communication, teambuilding, and digital storytelling skills.
I never thought I’d be interested in history, but learning about our local archives and turning them into stories that people can connect with through modern platforms has been really interesting. I’ve picked up many new skills… and made new friends too (Participant, age 17)
MOTIV! Programme
Motiv! supports 14–21-year-olds with meaningful, youth-led sessions designed to promote safety, build life skills, and increase community connection.
Delivered over 15 months, the programme combined social events, creative sessions, 1:1 mentoring, and targeted workshops.
Workshops explored themes including:
- peer pressure
- wellbeing
- personal safety
- community leadership
Residentials offered immersive learning with participants co-creating session plans and leading aspects of delivery.
My son is autistic and Motiv! is the only place he feels he belongs. (Parent)
Youth Networking Event
On 21st November, we brought together young people and local professionals for a Youth Survey Networking Event, exploring findings from our survey of 500 Newham-based young people.
Community Iftar
On 22nd March, we hosted a Community Iftar attended by over 50 residents, families, and young people who shared food, cultural learning and community reflection.
My role as a Young Facilitator has helped me become more confident and personable… I’ve gained soft skills I now use in all areas of life. I feel trusted to plan and co-deliver sessions for young people who share similar experiences to mine.
Community Connectors
This is the first time I’ve felt I’ve had someone really listen to me.
Who We Support
We work with people facing complex emotional needs and diagnoses, including: severe depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Many of our clients experience persistent low mood, disconnection, and a lack of routine or motivation. Our aim is to help individuals move forward in ways that feel safe and sustainable.
210
individuals were supported
59
trusted partners to which referrals were made
326
one-to-one and group sessions delivered
Outcomes include:
- reduced isolation
- improved access to services
- restored confidence
We support our service users by:
- Signposting to local activities, community groups, and befriending schemes
- Linking to housing, benefits, immigration, and legal support services
- Facilitating creative and therapeutic group work
- Providing advocacy and navigation across statutory and voluntary services
The help I got made a real difference. I’m now more independent and feel better about myself. Your support helped me gain confidence to go out again and reconnect with people.
What Changed for People
Improvements in our delivery model led to stronger outcomes and deeper engagement:
Tailored Support
Through weekly joint case allocation meetings between North and South teams, service users are now matched more effectively with the right Connector.
Empowered Staff
Each Connector is encouraged to develop groups based on their skills and passions. These groups — such as Community Crafts — provide calm, creative environments where users feel safe and valued.
Trusted Partnerships
Ongoing engagement with external organisations ensures our signposting is accurate, relevant, and sensitive to the changing needs of our service users.
Resilience & connection
Many clients who were previously disconnected are now accessing services, sharing openly, and developing coping strategies to manage distress and build confidence.
Read about the Ms A and Paul’s story about how they came to Community Connectors, and the help they got.
Ms. A was initially referred for help with financial and housing needs.
She expressed reluctance to engage in social inclusion activities due to feeling overwhelmed.
As her relationship with the Connector developed, she disclosed multiple serious safeguarding concerns — including past abuse, self-harm, and suicide risk.
Our team worked closely with her therapist and local safeguarding services, making referrals to MARAC, Hestia, and the Home Treatment Team.
With support, she accessed crisiscare, began building trust with mental health services, and took steps toward safety and stability.
Though she ultimately relocated out of borough, we helped her register with a GP and referred her into local mental health services. She now has more secure housing and can seek crisis help when needed.
Thank you so much for the support. I only asked for help with friends, but you’ve helped me with other things, like housing and free solicitor help! I’m really grateful!
Paul lost his wife recently and was left emotionally and practically overwhelmed. Unable to manage bills or seek help, he fell into rent arrears and isolation.
Our team supported him in applying for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction, and worked with local partners to access food, debt support, and home essentials.
He now lives independently with improved financial security, and attends a local bereavement group and “Men’s Shed” support circle.
Being signposted to a local group gave me a reason to leave the house — I now have something to look forward to.
Well-being Services
Building Preventative Well-being Support
In 2025, our well-being department placed prevention at the heart of its work, designing culturally responsive programmes to support adults navigating ADHD, the intersection of race and disability, and mental health challenges.
Through a combination of group sessions, one-to-one coaching, and online peer spaces, we created accessible, positive environments where people could strengthen their well-being long before reaching a point of crisis.
48 One-to-One Coaching Sessions
supporting personalised strategies for mental health and emotional regulation
12 Online Body-Doubling Sessions
for adults with ADHD. Averaging 18 participants each - reducing isolation & building routine
8 Psycho-educational Guest Speaker Workshops
in partnership with the NHS
10 Well-being Events
60 Group Sessions
The Black and Asian Men’s Journaling Series created a rare, culturally tailored space for men to explore their internal worlds, challenge mental blocks, and build resilience. With a 90% engagement rate, participants developed tools for reflection, goal-setting, and emotional expression.
- 90% Engagement Rate
- 95% of participants would recommend the group to others
- Participants gained new tools for reflection and goal-setting
The program helped reduce isolation and increase emotional expression among men—a demographic that often struggles to access or engage with traditional mental health resources.
As men, we can often feel isolated. This group is a vital space to not only talk but to be heard and understood.
The THRIVE pilot programme supported 36 Black and Asian women on Newham’s NHS ADHD waiting list through psychoeducation, group and one-to-one coaching, and peer-led body-doubling.
The co-created approach reflected the intersection of gender, race, and neurodiversity, achieving tangible outcomes:
- 87% reported a better understanding of how ADHD affects their lives
- 60% reported fewer depressive episodes
- 80% experienced reduced shame and isolation and improved selfesteem
THRIVE helped me understand my ADHD and gave me tools to support myself better.
Our online body-doubling sessions became a lifeline for adults managing ADHD, providing structure and connection in a safe, low-pressure environment. Meanwhile, the Guest Speaker workshops brought psychoeducational tools to a wider audience, blending clinical insight with lived experience to reduce stigma and empower participants.
By working in a preventative way and centring cultural and intersectional experiences, our wellbeing service to the community, not only supported individual mental health but also built networks of mutual support and resilience that extend far beyond each programme. These outcomes reflect our commitment to early, community-led interventions.
We bottle up a lot; our journaling group provides an outlet and helps us see that we are not alone in our struggles.
Capacity Building and Organisational Resilience
Fitter Finances: Investing in Health is a four-year initiative (2023-2027) that supports grassroots health and wellbeing organisations across London by strengthening their financial sustainability.
Funded by City Bridge Foundation, the programme offers targeted support through one-to-one sessions, capacity-building workshops, community events, and strategic tools to build long-term financial resilience.
9
workshops and events
135
individuals supported
7
training sessions
50
organisations supported
57
one-to-one sessions
Key Achievements
- £13k Grants secured for grassroots groups via 1-2-1 coaching
- Re-launched AMCT Seed Grants as ‘AMCT Plus’ support in late 2024
- Co-developed and delivered the Newham Community Health Fair in partnership with One Newham, Newham Borough Council, and Compost London
- 96 attendees and 58+ organisations connected around health & well-being
- Showcased our work at 3 community events
- Contributed to the One Newham Conference, strengthening borough-wide partnerships
This year also saw the creation of a sustainability toolkit, providing organisations with accessible resources on income generation, policy development, and financial planning.
Key Outcomes
As a result of this support, community organisations reported the following benefits:
- Improved knowledge and confidence in income generation, fundraising strategy, and grant applications
- Greater clarity around financial responsibilities, including bookkeeping, budgeting, and committee oversight
- Increased awareness of health and wellbeing initiatives across Newham, boosting outreach and participation
- Practical confidence to launch new services, open bank accounts, and secure digital infrastructure
The workshops provided invaluable guidance on financial management, exactly what our small organisation needed
Volunteering has been at the heart of Aston-Mansfield’s service delivery.
From the longstanding charity shop to Durning Hall reception and online roles, the organisation provided meaningful and flexible opportunities to volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities.
Volunteers included:
- Students (Years 10–11) gaining work experience
- Retirees seeking to contribute to community life
- Individuals facing physical or mental health challenges
- New arrivals to the UK working to build local experience
We supported 40 volunteers across
Charity Shop Operations
Durning Hall Reception
Well-being Online Support
A 12 Month International ICYE Volunteer from Germany.
Online volunteering allows me to volunteer in the borough I grew up in, even though I now live outside of London
Our Impact
Volunteers reported increased:
- confidence
- skill development
- social inclusion
Provided a pathway into employment for multiple volunteers with no UK work history
Continued opportunities for remote and hybrid volunteering, allowing for sustained community connection
When referring clients with mental health challenges, I find it easy to speak with the volunteer manager and get them involved.
Volunteer Story
Three volunteers who were new to the UK had difficulty securing jobs due to a lack of local references. Our volunteer manager accepted character references and helped them set clear milestones.
Over time, they built customer service experience, practised interview skills, and ultimately progressed to the interview stage in job applications — a significant milestone for integration and independence.