Who we work with & how
At Imani Academy Academy & Co, we work with young people, communities, organisations and research organisations to increase youth and community leadership, participation, governance and inclusion.
Some of the ways we can help you:
Develop guidelines on equitable youth engagement and establishment of good and emergent practice
Provide youth participation strategy and consulting to support organisational readiness
Audit your existing youth participation strategies, offering facilitated support to reflect on how you might strengthen and improve your practice.
The best way for us to understand how we might work together is with a conversation.
Our Values and ways of working
Our approach and ways of working underlines all we do – and how we do it. These values are our guiding principles in all of our work and partnerships.
Collaborative: As a youth-focused organisation, we recognise that collaboration leads to increased innovation, effective problem-solving, and stronger relationships. Our aim is to foster a sense of unity by encouraging active engagement, mutual support, inclusion and a value for diverse perspectives among those we work with.
Courageous: We embrace a courageous approach to youth participation and leadership. We understand that by being bold, resilient and willing to take risks, we foster personal growth and empower individuals to make a positive impact. Our goal is to inspire others to follow suit, encouraging them to step out of their comfort zones, embrace new challenges, and advocate for what is right.
Inspiring: Our organisation has cultivated a culture of enthusiasm, ambition and continuous learning, inspiring others to take action on their passions. With an intergenerational team of facilitators and associates, we serve as positive role models, sharing our experiences to contribute to the personal and professional development of those we have the privilege of working with.
“The whole team thoroughly enjoyed the training and all felt it was thought provoking and helpful as they reflected on their work. Imani has a great facilitation approach and asked very important questions to help us reflect on our engagement with young people in a thoughtful way.
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Meet the Team
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Leah Gowing
Youth Associate
Leah is an Energy efficiency advisor for Groundwork. Self-employed yoga and meditation instructor.
In recent years, she has transitioned to facilitating art and nature-connection workshops for self- expression, self-discovery, and has a passion for forging connections between people and place.
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Olivia Agbe
Youth Associate
Olivia Agbe is a History and Politics student, facilitator, and youth empowerment advocate. She has a passion for supporting young people to improve their political literacy and facilitates sessions which seek to bridge the gap between politics and a young person's everyday life. In 2024 she, alongside her campaign group won the EY Foundation's Southern Youth Champion Award and she is a finalist for the 'Young Achiever of the Year' 2024 Birmingham Awards. She has sat on various youth boards and held leadership roles which have shaped her understanding of what best practice looks like when organisations want to include youth voice.
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Remaya Amelia
Youth Associate
Remaya, a black empowerment advocate from Birmingham, founded A Product Of My Environment, an initiative focused on inspiring young black people to dream big. She works at Harambee Organisation of Black Unity and the Marcus Garvey Centre in Birmingham. Alongside her advocacy work, Remaya studies Law and Politics at SOAS University of London, on a scholarship from the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation.
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Savannah Hanson
Youth Associate
Savannah is the Youth Engagement Officer at Connect Futures', a Birmingham-based organisation that conducts research and training on violent extremism, radicalisation, gang exploitation, international conflict, and mis/disinformation. She is an experienced public speaker, facilitator, who thrives at facilitating tough conversations, exploring the complexities of socio-political issues, and embracing the journey to find solutions. Savannah is passionate about using education to empower young people and their communities, and is particularly interested in community building and closing generational gaps.
