Philanthropy and giving back are words long described as hobbies reserved for old, rich, and successful people. The creation of SHDP aims to turn this on its head, providing a vehicle for young people, who have come from disadvantaged backgrounds to give back to their community.
After graduating from university in 2019, and returning to Small Heath in Birmingham, I set up the Small Heath Development Programme. It was unchartered territory for me. I had never set up a charity before and wrapping my head around funding, marketing and how the organisation would practically operate were all things I had to get my head around. Luckily, I wasn’t alone, and I was able to utilise my university network to create a vehicle to give back to my local community.
The young people that I knew couldn’t wait for me to be “old, rich and successful” to help them out. They needed someone to show them it is possible, but also – importantly – how to get there. After graduating from university in 2019, and returning to Small Heath in Birmingham, I felt that some things couldn’t wait decades. In 2020, I put a plan into action and Small Heath Development Programme (SHDP) was born. It was unchartered territory for me. I had never set up a charity before and wrapping my head around funding, marketing and how the organisation would practically operate were all things I had to get my head around. Luckily, I wasn’t alone, and I was able to utilise my university network to create a vehicle to give back to my local community.
My desire to give back and help develop these young people transform into confident, employable, skilful individuals was because I realised I, myself, was one of them not too long ago. I came from a similar background, but now that I have gone to university and progressed onto the career ladder at a top law firm in London, it’s time to provide a ladder below to help others climb. If there are those of us from this community who do achieve things and don’t give back – why would others bother? Starting something also means anyone else who wants to mentor, volunteer, and take part can do so easily as the programme now exists.
But why Small Heath? Aside from it being the area I grew up in, Small Heath is one of the most deprived and impoverished communities in the United Kingdom. Alongside neighbouring communities such as Bordesley Green, Yardley, and Erdington, it is listed in the top 30 most deprived areas in the country. The extent of this is even more pronounced in the 2019 IOD (Indices of Deprivation), an official governmental analysis measuring levels of deprivation across constituencies, local authorities, and neighbourhoods. The report highlights extremely high levels of relative deprivation found in Birmingham, with Hodge Hill (the constituency encompassing Small Heath) described as ‘the most deprived constituency in the city’. Hodge Hill is ranked in the top 10% of the most impoverished areas in the UK.
‘My desire to give back and help these young people transform into confident, employable, skilful individuals was because I realised I, myself, was one of them not too long ago…’
Furthermore, the impetus for SHDP is highlighted by the extreme rates of childhood and youth poverty, with 51% of children living in 10% of the most deprived areas in Birmingham. This becomes even more concerning when focusing on Small Heath, with the endpoverty.org report highlighting that 52% of children in the Hodge Hill constituency were living in impoverished conditions.
These high levels of poverty, deprivation, and poor socio-economic conditions help foster lower levels of education, employment, and community engagement; as well as increasing the levels of anti-social behaviour in Small Heath. The link between deprivation and prosperity is clear and well documented, with Small Heath’s poverty directly suffocating the ability of young people to develop skills, acquire experience, and be supported by a network to succeed.
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It is therefore no surprise that the young people we have at SHDP all began life on a starting line far behind many of their wealthier peers throughout the rest of the UK. Some of their parents are immigrants who don’t speak English, didn’t attend university, and are single-parents. Some of these young people have come from homes suffering from financial, food and heating insecurity. All of these young people are at a disadvantaged position due to no fault of their own -and yet, they’re suffering the consequences of it.
Our most successful case study is Haider Ali, who attended our 2020 bootcamp and now assists me with running the charity. There are loads of interviews with SHDP attendees who now benefit from improved confidence, skills, and knowledge on future careers paths so we really are making a positive impact and fulfilling our goal as an organisation. Being part of SHDP has also benefitted the mentors and guest speakers, providing them with a route to give back and pass down knowledge to younger people whilst allowing them to practice their presenting and teaching skills.
The biggest challenge that currently faces SHDP is trying to get more people on board and by that I mean volunteers. We regularly have classrooms full of young people eager to learn and take part but we need more people, especially from BAME backgrounds with a success story to tell, to help inspire and run this sessions. If you (or someone you know) would like to get involved you can volunteer or become a mentor by contacting mentorship@theshdp.org or visiting our website to learn more.
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Aqeel Asif graduated from the University of Warwick in 2019, with a bachelor’s degree in History, later completing the GDL and LPC. He currently works as a trainee solicitor at Herbert Smith Freehills, as well as being founder and director of the Small Heath Development Programme (SHDP).
