Students Across London Gain Hands-On Leadership Experience Through LYG Active Leader Programme

London Youth Games (LYG) has partnered with Active Leaders to launch the London Youth Games Active Leader Programme. This is an exciting programme that provides young people in 3 boroughs of London with leadership skills, work experience and personal development opportunities.

Running from November 2025 to July 2026, the pilot programme involves three secondary schools: Brent Knoll School (Lewisham), King Solomon Academy (Westminster) and Sydney Russell School (Barking & Dagenham). Over the course of the programme, each school will deliver 20 hours of Active Leader training to students and receive 3 hours of LYG event and sport-specific training, alongside opportunities to volunteer at London Youth Games events.

In total, 60 young people will directly benefit from the programme. Brent Knoll School will focus on training SEND students from Key Stage 4, while King Solomon Academy and Sydney Russell School will train Key Stage 3 students. Each school will deliver at least two events and may also run additional local activities, creating a ripple effect to inspire the next generation.

The programme supports Gatsby Benchmarks 5 and 6, giving young people meaningful, face-to-face experiences that link to different workplace settings, helping to develop transferable skills, confidence and employability. It also supports schools in meeting statutory requirements to provide two weeks of work experience between Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5.

Katie Berry, Chief Executive of London Youth Games, said: “We are thrilled to launch this leadership pilot in partnership with Active Leaders. By providing young people with training and volunteering opportunities, we are helping them gain the skills and confidence needed to thrive.”

Penny Snowden, CEO of Active Leaders, added:  “We are really proud to partner with the London Youth Games and work with their pilot schools to create a long-lasting leadership pathway for London students. Our aim is to empower young people to be great role models and admired citizens, increasing their skills and experience through fun activity. We are excited to see them support LYG events.”

Head of PE, Brent Knoll School said: “We are looking forward to being part of the Leadership pilot with the LYG so that our students learn new skills, are more active and grow in confidence. We also hope that our students will gain the skills and confidence needed to thrive during adulthood.” 

For more information or to register interest for future cohorts, schools can contact: emma@londonyouthgames.org