Full Potential Workshops: Youth Empowerment, Violence Prevention & Life Skills

Overview

The Full Potential Workshops are a collaborative youth empowerment programme delivered by Our Pain 2 Power CIC and Forward Ever Inclusive Education CIC. Designed for young males in a London school, the project focuses on violence prevention, life skills development, and resilience building, helping participants make positive life choices and reduce their exposure to risks.

About the Programme

Over six months, we worked with a group of twelve young people to raise awareness of issues that directly affect them—such as youth violence, grooming, and criminal exploitation—while also strengthening their confidence, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills.

Through interactive group workshops, participants were supported to:

• • • Understand and address real-life risks
    • Build healthy relationships with peers, family, and authority figures
    • Gain practical tools to navigate challenges in their daily lives
    • Explore personal identity, leadership, and employability pathways

Workshop Structure

We delivered fourteen sessions during school hours, blending structured learning with creative discussion and practical activities.

The format included:

• • • Group discussions and breakout work
    • Icebreakers and reflective exercises
    • Educational social media content
    • Guest facilitators specialising in employability and authority relationships
    • Active involvement from the local community policing team

Topics Covered

Our youth empowerment curriculum addressed:

• • • Violence prevention – Youth violence, criminal exploitation, and conflict resolution
    • Life skills – Leadership, employability, emotional wellbeing, and decision-making
    • Awareness building – Grooming, bias, online safety, and the influence of social media
    • Community relationships – Building trust between young people and police
    • Personal growth – Understanding identity, family values, and self-respect

Creating a Brave Space

The workshops were intentionally designed to be a brave space, where participants could share openly about sensitive topics without fear of judgement. Facilitators worked alongside school staff and police officers to ensure a supportive environment where challenging conversations could take place productively.

Impact & Outcomes

The Full Potential Workshops delivered measurable results:

• • • High engagement – Every participant contributed meaningfully to discussions.
    • Mood improvement – 90% of sessions saw a positive shift in participants’ moods.
    • Behavioural progress – Notable improvements in respect, engagement, and conflict management.
    • Strengthened relationships – Increased trust between young people, school staff, and local police.
    • Targeted safeguarding – One-to-one mentoring provided when individual needs arose.

Voices from the Project

“I liked learning about conflict resolution as it taught me how to resolve things without arguing and violence.” – Participant

 

“These sessions are important for young people because not all conversations are easy for parents to have with their children.” – Partner

 

“As a Police Officer, it has given me an opportunity to form better relationships with young people.” – Community Police Officer

Why It Matters

The Full Potential Workshops show how youth empowerment, violence prevention, and life skills training can combine to create lasting positive change. By tackling difficult topics in a safe space, young people not only gain awareness but also develop the resilience and tools needed to thrive.

This approach works—and with the right support, it could be rolled out to benefit more young people across London and beyond.