In Tower Hamlets, volunteers like Chinyere Muhammad and Abyan Osman, both 18, are proving just how powerful youth-led youth work can be.
Young Tower Hamlets is the borough’s youth service, supporting young people aged 11 to 19 (or up to 25 with SEND) through free activities, youth centres and targeted programmes. It provides safe, inclusive spaces where young people can build confidence, explore their interests, and access support for their wellbeing and development.
Both studying music at college, Chinyere and Abyan are now part of that support system, using their creativity, energy and lived experience to make a difference to younger people in their community.
For Chinyere, volunteering felt like a natural next step. Having benefited from youth programmes herself growing up, she wanted to offer the same opportunities to others.
Abyan shares a similar desire to give young people access to creative spaces.
Abyan Osman (left) and Chinyere Muhammad (right),
Volunteers at Young Tower Hamlets
Now, both are part of a new generation of volunteers giving their time to create those opportunities for others.
Supporting young people to find their voice
Volunteering with Young Tower Hamlets, Chinyere and Abyan have been working with groups of young people, including young carers, a group who often face additional responsibilities at home and can lack time or space for themselves.
Through creative sessions focused on music, songwriting and self-expression, they’ve helped young people explore their interests and build confidence.
Abyan describes how important it is to give young people choice and ownership: “You can’t really tell them what to do… you have to sit down and figure out what they want to do and work around that.”
Chinyere highlights how creativity, especially music, can give young people a powerful outlet: “You might not be able to express your feelings through words,” Chinyere explains, “but through music… it can be an incredible way of expressing yourself.”
One of the most rewarding parts of volunteering has been seeing the transformation in the young people they support.
Abyan recalls one young person who started off shy but grew in confidence over time: “One girl wrote her own rap and performed it… and she won an award. It showed that our work paid off.”
These moments of confidence building and creativity are at the heart of youth work.
Learning and growing as volunteers
While both Chinyere and Abyan are passionate about making a difference, they’re clear that volunteering has shaped them just as much.
For Abyan, it’s built her confidence and leadership skills: “I wasn’t into leadership before… but it helped me with my social skills and speaking in front of others.”
Chinyere reflects on how it’s changed her perspective on her future: “It’s made me think it’s not just about what you can do for yourself, it’s about what you can do for others.”
Both say the experience has influenced their career aspirations, opening up pathways into teaching, coaching or community work alongside their creative ambitions.
Chinyere is now taking the next step, supporting the training of new volunteers and sharing her experiences with the next cohort.
For anyone thinking about volunteering, both Chinyere and Abyan have a simple message: go for it.
“If you feel like you have something to give, definitely do it,” says Chinyere.
“Don’t overthink it,” adds Abyan. “If you like the idea, just go for it.”
Because as they’ve both discovered, volunteering in youth work is a two-way street. On one hand, you build confidence, gain skills, and make strong connections. On the other, you make a lasting difference in your community and help provide young people with a foundation for a brighter future.
Chinyere performing at Young Tower Hamlets
Abyan performing at Young Tower Hamlets
