Teaching young people about positive
self-esteem, relationships + sexual health.
How it all started
How it all started
LVA started around a kitchen table. Our founders, Kayleigh & Sue, were friends through their mother and baby groups and one day they started discussing the importance of RSHE and the mounting need for there to be dedicated provision for our young people in Richmond…. scroll down to read more
Where we are now
Where we are now
We are currently working with 12 school communities across 3 London boroughs. In recent years, we have delivered on average over 300 workshops per academic year.… scroll down to read more
Where we are going
Where we are going
We are continuing with our RSHE workshops in all our current schools and will be expanding into other Boroughs where the demand is the greatest. Due to current government guidelines we are developing a teacher training programme in collaboration with schools… scroll down to read more
How it all started
LVA started around a kitchen table. Our founders, Kayleigh & Sue, were friends through their mother and baby groups and one day they started discussing the importance of RSHE and the mounting need for there to be dedicated provision for our young people in Richmond - Both Kayleigh and Sue had previous experience of delivering RSHE – so that conversation ended with both of them saying ‘what if…?’ Fast forward a few months (and quite a few prayerful conversations) and LVA became a reality! On October 6th 2016 (Kayleigh’s 30th birthday), we had our charity number, another educator (Lydia), a board of trustees and two schools who wanted us to support their RSHE program. During LVA’s first year of operation, we expanded from 2 school bookings to working with 6 schools, and we have gradually increased that number to about 12 schools at the current time.
Where we are now
We are currently working with 12 school communities across 3 London boroughs. since 2018, we have delivered on average over 300 RSHE workshops per academic year.
Through our workshops, we recognised a need for more tailored work for young people who need a little extra time and attention, so we established our small groups. Since 2018 we have delivered an average of 30 small groups each year, covering topics such as, CSE, toxic masculinity, self-harm support, self-esteem and emotional well-being , along with other tailored programs to fit the needs of the students who are referred to us.
Often, schools request more one to one work for their most vulnerable students, and in response we have started informally mentoring young people, creating a safe space for them to be heard and supported. We are currently experiencing a high demand for mentoring spaces in our schools.
Our community events are becoming an integral part of LVA’s vision and mission. We do these through parent and fundraising events, bringing communities together. Our parent events focus on empowering parents to navigate the teenage years, knowing they are not alone in supporting their children through the formative years. We have run 6 parent events. Our fundraising events are about community and fun across all generations.
Where we are going
We are continuing with our RSHE workshops in all our current schools and will be expanding into other Boroughs where the demand is the greatest.
We continually update the content of our small group material to ensure they meet our students current social and cultural context.
We are a trauma informed organisation. Through this training we have been able to develop our Therapeutic Mentoring programme. We launched in early 2022 with a project manager overseeing its growth and effectiveness as we meet the needs of the schools and young people, we currently work alongside with a view to expanding the program nationwide over the coming years.
With our parent community building on from the talks we plan to facilitate, train and empower parents to set up support groups in their local communities and networks.
We have a vision for bridging the gap between the work we do in schools with young people and our work in the community by creating LVA themed youth spaces. With a view of empowering young people to take up leadership responsibly and creating job opportunities for those who have come through the programme.
