My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
Yes
I am 18 years of age or above, by the application deadline.
Yes
My organisation is a registered legal entity
Yes
My organisation is a non-profit (e.g. school, university, or local authority) — not a for-profit, which can only join as a partner.
Yes
If there is a for-profit organisation as a partner in my initiative, they work on a cost-recovery basis only.
Yes
My solution is implemented at scale, or if not, I have a clear business plan, a minimum viable solution (prototype, pilot, or proof of concept), evidence of access to a lease for the space you are leveraging, and evidence of work or impact in London within your coalition.
Yes
I am aware that, if I am submitting more than one application to a Challenge run by Ashoka and Go! London, only one of them is able to progress through the stages.
Yes
Are you an employee (and their children and grandchildren) of Ashoka or any of its respective affiliates and participating advertising and promotion agencies?
No
I have read and accepted the Challenge Terms & Conditions.
Yes
First Name
Douglas
Last Name
Cosbert
Pronouns
He/Him
Email address
I would like to receive notifications and updates about Go London!, Ashoka, Ashoka Changemakers, and other Ashoka opportunities.
1
Are you an Ashoka Fellow?
No
Are you applying from an organization founded by an Ashoka Fellow?
No
If you are applying from an organization founded by an Ashoka Fellow, please specify the name and organisation of the fellow below.
Lead Organisation Name
CHAMPIONS 4 CHANGE WELLBEING C.I.C.
Year that you started/ registered your organisation
2019
Initiative Title
YOUTH SOCIAL ACTION EMPOWERMENT AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
1
Website URL(s) or Social Media Handles
https://c4cwb.org.uk
Initiative Stage
Established (You’ve successfully passed early phases and have a plan for the future. Your venture has been in existence for 6 years and above)
Sectors/Themes: What topic does your project most directly relate to?
Children & Youth
Initiative Summary: Describe your initiative in one sentence
Empowering children and young people across Vauxhall, Lambeth and Southwark through free access to sport, creativity and emotional support via C4C’s Youth Mentor Shop and inclusive drop-in programmes.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve and who will benefit the most from your solution? How close are you to the problem and/or community impacted?
Our initiative addresses a growing set of interconnected challenges facing disadvantaged young people aged 9-18 in Lambeth and Southwark, particularly those living in low-status housing, low-income households, and areas with high rates of youth crime, such as the Ethelred Estate in Vauxhall (SE11). These communities are deeply affected by a combination of: Rising Type 2 Diabetes diagnoses in young people under 18, linked to poor diet, food insecurity, and low physical activity, which is prevalent in families with limited access to healthy food and safe play spaces. School exclusions, disproportionately affecting children with ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), and other forms of neurodiversity, who are often misunderstood and unsupported in mainstream education. Low educational attainment and rising levels of gang-related crime, with both Lambeth and Southwark recording some of the highest youth violence rates in London, according to Metropolitan Police statistics. We are embedded in the communities we serve, with long-standing grassroots relationships built through: - Collaboration with Lambeth Children's Services - Engagement with SENDCOs from local primary and secondary schools, including targeted work with The Oasis Academy in Southwark, where we support at-risk and excluded pupils - Partnership with community groups on estates like Ethelred, where our visibility and trust with families enable us to reach young people often missed by formal services - A growing network of parents who bring their children to our boxing empowerment classes at Churchill Boxing Gym, seeking alternatives to exclusion and pathways to positive development.
Your approach: How are you/ will you addressing the problem outlined above? How does your solution unlock or reimagine access to spaces for sport and physical activity? What role do landowners, local authorities, or other decision-making stakeholders play in your approach? We'd love to know about the origin of your idea, and what was your "aha" moment" that led you to take action?
Our approach transforms underused community spaces into safe, inclusive hubs for physical activity, creativity, and emotional support. We deliver place-based, youth-led programmes shaped by lived experience. At the centre is the C4C Youth Mentor Shop — a drop-in space supporting at-risk young people across Lambeth and Southwark. We provide: Boxing and sport Creative workshops Emotional support Mentoring and leadership We are expanding this model through a partnership with London South Bank University (LSBU), seeking to lease the ground floor at 120 London Road, SE1. This central location will serve as a flagship Youth Mentor Hub, supporting wider access and collaboration with students, researchers, and community networks. To unlock space access, we partner with: Churchill Boxing Gym Local estates and centres, including Ethelred Estate Schools and SENDCOs, including The Oasis Academy, Southwark Lambeth Council’s youth and estates teams Our ‘aha moment’ came when young people lingered after boxing—not for more exercise, but to talk, feel safe, and be seen. This led to our realisation that young people need consistent, trusted spaces, not just activities. We reduce barriers by: Offering free or low-cost sessions Employing local, relatable staff Embedding trauma-aware and culturally sensitive practice Our model builds cross-sector connections and reimagines sport spaces as holistic wellbeing hubs. It is rooted in community, scalable across boroughs, and designed to deliver long-term impact for young people most at risk.
Collaboration with young people and the community: In what ways does your initiative engage young people and community members closest to the problem? What role do they play in building the solution you deliver?
Young people are at the core of our initiative, not just as participants but as leaders, planners, and co-creators. Our Youth Management Team (YMT) was established through our BBC Children in Need Youth Social Action and The Phoenix Way Boxing Empowerment programmes. The YMT’s structured processes evolved from a dedicated 6-month planning phase in 2023–24, during which they took full responsibility for designing and delivering our boxing empowerment sessions. Their contributions included: - Scheduling sessions and allocating resources (coaches, venues, equipment), - Designing inclusive lesson plans, including pictorial versions for mixed-ability learners, - Liaising with six schools in Greenwich and Lambeth, reaching 200+ children, - Managing feedback through entry, mid-point, and exit questionnaires. The YMT also defined clear internal roles: - A Team Leader led stakeholder engagement and impact tracking - A Marketing & Promotions Manager oversaw youth-facing outreach - A Registration & Safeguarding Officer enforced the C4C Digital Safeguarding Policy, ensuring only authorised adults could take photos and that parents/visitors were properly informed This model was strengthened by partnerships with Shaftesbury Youth Trust and extension funding from BBC CIN and The Phoenix Way in 2025–26. In 2026, our work received further investment through the National Lottery Million Hours Fund, supporting the expansion of our Youth Mentor Hub at 36–37 Albert Embankment, SE1 7TL. Today, our YMT (ages 11–18) continues to lead co-creation, community engagement, and inclusive delivery, ensuring our work remains youth-led, trusted, and impactful.
Potential for/Evidence of Impact: How do you imagine your initiative will make a difference in unlocking spaces for and access to physical activity and sport so far? If you have already implemented it, what difference have you made so far? What is the impact your initiative has had , and or what impact do you envision having in the future?
C4C is uniquely addressing the physical, emotional, and creative wellbeing needs of young people from disadvantaged communities. Our integrated approach , combining sport, counselling, mentoring, and creative enrichment, directly aligns with the Open Innovation Challenge’s call for bold, community-rooted solutions that reimagine how space is used to engage young people. No single community organisation currently offers this breadth of delivery under one model. To date, our impact includes: • Over 200 children engaged in boxing empowerment programmes across six schools and community centres in Greenwich, Lambeth and Southwark • 85% reporting increased confidence • 70% becoming more physically active • Over 50% reporting stronger peer relationships • SENDCOs in three schools noting reduced behavioural issues Our YMT drives programme planning using engagement tools like Mentimeter to support real-time, democratic input. In 2026, we plan to expand our YMT to include a new cohort from Angell Town, Brixton. Holiday activities will include cycle maintenance in partnership with upCYCLE, an organisation founded after the Black Lives Matter movement to empower ethnically diverse young people through hands-on skills development. Thanks to the National Lottery Million Hours Fund, we now provide 4 hours/week of emotional support, delivered by two BACP-accredited child counsellors from Chichester Young People’s Shop, in two private rooms at The Chandlery, Westminster Bridge Road. Our young people engagement in schools and the community is expected to reach 500+ young people annually. Holiday enrichment is also scheduled at Mud Gang Pottery Studio and Trampoline CIC Enterprise Hub for activities such as 3D printing, podcasting, sewing, and more.
Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions that are already out there? How is your approach original and innovative?
Our initiative, Physical, Creative and Emotional Empowerment, is a pioneering model that combines sport, creative expression, and mental health support into one integrated, youth-led space , the C4C Youth Mentor Hub. Unlike traditional programmes that silo physical activity or therapeutic support, our model reimagines how space, time, and trust are used, giving young people freedom to move between boxing, art, mentoring, and one-to-one counselling , based on their own needs and readiness. What makes our approach original and innovative is: • Imaginative use of space: we transform everyday, often overlooked environments , like gyms, school halls, commercial units , into trusted, multi-purpose youth wellbeing hubs. • Youth-led decision making: our Youth Management Team uses tools like Mentimeter to democratically plan holiday activities and co-design delivery structures in real time. • Flexible, trauma-informed delivery: combining structured physical activities with drop-in emotional support, led by BACP-accredited child counsellors, available on-site in private spaces like The Chandlery. • Integrated access: Creative workshops (e.g. pottery, podcasting, 3D printing) are planned alongside sport and mentoring, forming a holistic ecosystem of engagement. At the heart of this innovation is a shift in power and purpose: we don’t just deliver services to young people , we build with them, challenge exclusion, and transform how communities value and design youth space. By bridging physical, emotional, and creative pathways in one youth-owned setting, C4C is redefining how safe, inclusive, and impactful youth support can look , and where it can happen.
Viability and Scalability: How are you setting your initiative up for success, and what is your plan to ensure operational sustainability of your solution and its impact? What are your ideas for scaling your initiative to the next level?
We are setting our initiative up for success by building a multi-layered sustainability model rooted in partnership, youth leadership, cross-sector collaboration, and evidence-based delivery. Our Youth Mentor Hub is supported by strategic partnerships with: • National Lottery Million Hours Fund • BBC Children in Need • The Phoenix Way • Shaftesbury Youth Trust • Southwark and Lambeth Youth Services • Chichester Young People’s Shop (mental health support) These partnerships allow us to diversify funding streams, embed clinical and safeguarding standards, and expand access to holistic support across multiple London boroughs. Operationally, we have a core delivery team, a youth-led governance structure via the Youth Management Team, and robust monitoring tools (including participant questionnaires and real-time decision-making using Mentimeter) to ensure responsiveness and continuous improvement. We have also secured additional space at The Chandlery for emotional support and are actively developing our flagship Youth Mentor Hub at 36–37 Albert Embankment, SE1, with a vision to replicate this model in other boroughs. To scale, we are: • Developing a C4C delivery toolkit and training model to enable replication by other youth organisations and community partners • Establishing a youth peer mentor programme to support capacity building from within • Exploring commissioning opportunities with NHS ICBs, schools, and local authorities • Planning a multi-borough pilot expansion, beginning with Southwark, Greenwich, and Lambeth Our goal is to grow the Youth Mentor Hub into a citywide network of youth-led, multi-use spaces that combine physical activity, creative expression, and mental health support
Roles and Responsibilities: Describe how responsibilities are shared among your team or partners.
Our initiative is delivered through a collaborative delivery model, combining strategic leadership, youth participation, professional expertise, and trusted partnerships to meet the physical, emotional, and creative needs of young people. Programme Management – Douglas Cosbert (Managing Director, C4C) Leads the initiative’s strategic vision, cross-sector partnerships, funding development, and long-term scalability. Oversees expansion of the Youth Mentor Hub model across London. Project Management & Safeguarding – Angela Ravagnan (Youth Social Action Project Manager) Coordinates day-to-day operations, manages delivery schedules, oversees safeguarding, and liaises with schools, children’s services, and young people. Supports the Youth Management Team’s leadership development. BACP-Accredited Counsellors (x2), Chichester Young People’s Shop Provide weekly trauma-informed emotional support for referred young people. Sessions are delivered in private counselling rooms at The Chandlery, Westminster Bridge Road. Churchill Boxing Gym – Professional Coaches Deliver structured, trauma-aware boxing and fitness sessions designed to build resilience, confidence, and discipline in a supportive environment. Regus – Office Space Provider at 36–37 Albert Embankment, SE1 Currently provides office space and meeting rooms used for counselling, mentoring, administration, and Youth Management Team planning activities. London South Bank University – Landlord of The Factory, 120 London Road, SE1 We are actively negotiating a lease for this space, which will serve as the permanent Youth Mentor Hub. LSBU’s commitment to civic engagement and community innovation aligns closely with our mission. Lambeth and Southwark Children’s Services – Referral Partners Refer neurodiverse and at-risk young people, particularly those at risk of school exclusion, into our holistic support programmes. Holiday Activity Partners: • upCYCLE – Cycle maintenance workshops promoting hands-on skills and sustainable transport • The Mud Gang (Vauxhall) – Therapeutic pottery sessions • The Enterprise Hub Trampoline (Elephant & Castle) – Creative tech-based enrichment including 3D printing, podcasting, and sewing Together, this team forms a youth-centred ecosystem delivering inclusive, responsive, and sustainable impact.
Upcoming Milestones: Please provide an overview of the milestones that are required for your initiative to come to fruition/to grow.
We have a clear roadmap for scaling the Youth Mentor Hub and expanding the reach of our Physical, Creative and Emotional Empowerment model across Lambeth and Southwark. The following milestones outline the key stages required to deepen our impact, secure long-term infrastructure, and grow sustainably across 2026–2028. Q2 2026 • Complete lease negotiations with London South Bank University (LSBU) for The Factory, 120 London Road, SE1 – our future permanent Youth Mentor Hub site Q3 2026 • Expand the Youth Management Team (YMT) to include cohorts from additional schools and community centres: o Longfield Hall o St Gabriel’s College o Sacred Hearts Brixton o Ethelred School, Vauxhall o Oasis Academy, Southwark • Deliver youth-led planning sessions using Mentimeter to co-design summer and term-time enrichment Q4 2026 • Complete delivery of 450+ additional hours of emotional support and holiday activities for young people in: o Vauxhall o Lambeth o Elephant and Castle o Waterloo (Southwark) • Finalise and sign the lease for The Factory, SE1, securing long-term, high-visibility space Q1 2027 • Fit out The Factory with: o Multi-purpose sports facilities o Dedicated counselling rooms o Flexible spaces for mentoring, workshops, and peer-led sessions Q2–Q4 2027 • Official launch of the Youth Mentor Hub at The Factory • Increase capacity to serve 500+ young people annually • Expand school referrals and community partnerships across Lambeth and Southwark • Begin consultation for cross-borough expansion into Greenwich and Lewisham 2028 • Develop and pilot a C4C replication toolkit to share the Youth Mentor Hub model with partner organisations • Secure multi-year funding and establish a citywide network of youth-led, integrated wellbeing hubs
Capacity-Building Participation and Support Funding: If you were to make it as a finalist, you will be required to participate in an 8-week capacity building programme. If funding/ cost is a barrier to your participation, we may be able to offer up to 10,000 GBP of grant money available to support you. Please break down below, if it is the case, what costs you would incur and you would need covered. (Please note that there are restrictions on how the grant money may be used; please refer to the T&Cs for further details.
C4C is committed to fully participating in the 8-week capacity-building programme if selected as a finalist. However, due to the scale of our delivery commitments and the need to maintain safe, consistent services for over 200 young people weekly, additional support funding would be essential to ensure full participation without disruption. We would respectfully request grant support to cover the following costs: Breakdown of Support Costs (Total Request: £9,600) 1. Backfill Staffing Cover – £4,800 Temporary cover for our Project Manager and Youth Social Action staff to enable them to attend capacity-building workshops and related planning activities without affecting programme delivery or safeguarding responsibilities. 2. Youth Management Team Engagement – £2,000 Costs to support the participation of our Youth Management Team in relevant sessions or consultation activities during the programme, including: o Session facilitation support o Food, travel, and access costs o Youth-facing materials and digital access 3. Travel and Subsistence – £1,200 Travel and refreshments for attending any in-person workshops, events, or peer learning days, including for staff and youth representatives. 4. Administration and Coordination Support – £1,600 Additional administrative hours to support grant reporting, workshop follow-up, and internal knowledge-sharing across our team and delivery partners. This support will ensure C4C can engage fully and meaningfully in the programme, while continuing to meet the needs of the young people we serve.
