JFS and City of London students win Young Social Enterprise competition

Social action charity Young Social Entrepreneurs brought together students, educators, community leaders and supporters on Sunday 12 July for the YSE Launch final competition pitch at King’s College London’s Entrepreneurship Institute.

Over recent months, students from across London have developed innovative social enterprise ideas addressing issues within their local communities.

At the final pitch, five outstanding finalist teams presented their ideas to an expert judging panel comprising Dr Yotam Levy (King’s College Entrepreneurship Institute), Natalie Deller (The National Lottery Community Fund), Rebecca Filer (Camden Councillor), and Lauren Keiles (Camden Councillor and Director at the Anne Frank Trust).

The evening saw Yoav Oshman, Kaylah Bailey, Noam Greenaway, Maya Gorijan and Leo Mass, a team of students from JFS and the City of London School crowned winners with Play It Forward, an innovative social enterprise tackling youth inactivity in Brent, through low-cost, peer-led sport.

Their idea, which secured up to £3,000 in seed funding to help bring the project to life, will run weekly one-hour sports sessions across 12-week term blocks, giving younger pupils a fun and welcoming way to get active alongside their friends.

Participants will work towards Bronze, Silver and Gold milestones through a passport-style reward scheme, culminating in a community Sports Day to celebrate commitment, achievement and encourage family involvement.

The team hopes the model will not only improve physical activity but also create a sense of belonging and long-term progression for young people in Brent.

YSE Launch winners Ariella Wolfson and Aliza Siepe said the initiative is “something that stays with you if you let it. Your journey as social entrepreneurs, whatever today’s outcome, is only just beginning. Being given the chance to think through some of the most significant social issues facing our communities at a young age has been transformative. It has given us the confidence to believe that we all have the power to contribute in a meaningful way to an issue we are passionate about.”

The evening also featured a keynote address from Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, a longstanding supporter of YSE, which was inspired by his Ben Azzai Programme.

Speaking to finalists and guests, the Chief Rabbi reflected on the importance of taking responsibility for the world around us and empowering young people to become leaders of positive social change.

Dan Amroussi and Asher Levy, co-founders of YSE, said:“The Final Pitch is always one of the most inspiring evenings of the year because it demonstrates what young people can achieve when they are trusted with the opportunity to solve real-world problems. The creativity, maturity and entrepreneurial thinking on display this year were exceptional.”

They described reaching 1,000 young people through YSE’s programmes as “a significant milestone” but added they “believe this is only the beginning. Our ambition is to build the next generation of social entrepreneurs by equipping young people with the confidence, skills and opportunities to turn ideas into action. We look forward to working with even more schools, partners and supporters as we continue to grow.”

YSE Launch is a social enterprise competition for Year 12 students, equipping young people with the skills to identify social challenges, develop sustainable solutions and present them to leaders from business, charity and public life.