“We need to look after our community and help keep it clean” – Subhan’s Story

All his life, Subhan felt an urge to become an activist. However, he didn’t feel empowered to make it reality, that is until he found the Green Leaders programme.

Subhan experienced many difficulties during his teens, he was alone a lot of the time and didn’t have many friends. He had tried looking for a job but nothing was turning up. He felt like he had hit rock bottom.

Connecting with Nature

To help him through this challenging time, Subhan began spending time at his local park, drawing inspiration from the trees around him. He noticed the sturdiness of them and began to consider what trials they must have weathered. He felt like nature was communicating with him, telling him it was going to be ok.

Soon he was visiting the park every day. He even started to create videos to highlight to others that they were too a part of nature.

Spending so much time at the park Subhan quickly discovered a nearby Youth Centre. He developed connections with the other young people and ending up spending most of his time there.

The Youth Centre was a safe space for Subhan. Somewhere that everyone felt comfortable sharing their issues, such as depression and anxiety, taking comfort in the knowledge that they weren’t alone, and gaining support, where needed, from the Groundwork Youth Workers.

Green Leaders

Through his time at the Youth Centre, Subhan found out about the Green Leaders programme, the opportunity he needed to become an activist.

The Green Leaders programme provided Subhan with free mentoring to help him design his own community project. Subhan’s passion for the environment was finally realised, as he learnt practical skills which would inspire others to act to protect their local green spaces.

Subhan added,

“We need to look after our community and help keep it clean, that’s why we have the Youth Centre. That is why we have Green Leaders.”