In many ways, 19 year old Franchescia Byam is typical of the young people that LEAP access through its community activities. Talented, bright and full of potential, Franchescia found herself caught up in a world that would have seen all that promise wasted, she was living a life where just getting through the day was an achievement.
Franchescia was brought up in west London, where being teased at school affected her confidence. She had the ability to achieve so much more educationally, but it found it difficult to do so in an environment where academic success was not valued by her peer group, so she left school at 16 without the qualifications that could have given her a good start in the adult world.
Along with her friends, Franchescia would hang out at the youth club that LEAP runs from its Hazel Road Community Centre in Kensal Green on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She got to know the LEAP youth workers, but also some of the full-time LEAP staff members. A conversation led to Franchescia being invited into LEAP’s offices in April 2007 and being assigned an advisor to work with her on a one-to-one basis. Over a number of weeks Franchescia was given careers advice and guidance and helped to create a CV. She was placed into employment in May 2007, but that unfortunately did not last long. Feeling that she had let LEAP down; Franchescia avoided coming back to LEAP and found herself a job as a cashier. When that job, too, did not last she came back to LEAP in June 2009. She ended up having a long conversation with LEAP’s Chief Executive, Tunde Banjoko OBE, where she finally understood that there were things that she was in control of, that she needed to take responsibility for. She was assigned another advisor and set a number of tasks to fulfil to show that she had taken ownership of her own life.
Franchescia did all that she was asked and was placed on a three days work experience at BBC Radio London. She really enjoyed this and aligned with the advice she was being given at LEAP, she realised that she actually needed to do more study/training to get the kind of job she really wanted. Franchescia is now training for a new job as a customer services advisor and is determined make the best of the opportunities that are presented to her.
She says: “I have had problems but I am strong and I will overcome them. I was lucky because LEAP stopped me from hitting the bottom. LEAP gave me so much help and I am really grateful for that. There will be hurdles along the way, but I have talent and I WILL BE SOMEBODY!!”
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