By David Cohen

Copyright standard

“I was 16 but I still remember it like it was yesterday,” said Samuel. “There was a knock at the door and the police asked to come in. They told us my father had passed. My world stopped. I still remember what I was wearing, what was on TV. He had health issues but it was still out of the blue.”

Now 29, Samuel says his father’s death marked him deeply. “At school, I was regarded as a student with potential despite having ADHD, but after my dad died, I lost focus. I was prone to angry outbursts, got excluded from classes, and did badly in my GCSEs.”

Even so, Samuel went on to college to study business where he excelled. He graduated top of his class with distinction and was made co-head boy. His family encouraged him to go to university, but it wasn’t for him and he dropped out.

The following year he was unemployed and vulnerable to negative influences. “I grew up in south-east London, surrounded by gangs. I wasn’t in one, but some of my friends ended up in prison because of knife crime.”

Although he resisted gangs, Samuel was drawn instead to a cult-like church later shut down amid allegations of exploiting vulnerable young people. “I found them when I was struggling to get a job and felt lost,” he said. “They encouraged me to cut ties with my family and move into housing they controlled. I was miserable but didn’t know how to leave. It was the lowest point of my life.”

One day, while scrolling on his phone, he noticed photos of people he knew, smiling, dressed in graduation gowns. “Their obvious happiness drew me in — I wanted that to be me,” he said.

The pictures were of graduates from 20/20 Levels, a grassroots group supported by our Destination Unknown campaign.

20/20 Levels, together with five other groups tackling youth unemployment in London — namely Steel Warriors, Toucan Employment, MyBigCareer, Art Against Knives and Urban MBA — have so far been collectively granted a total of £350,000. This comprises £250,000 from the Standard’s Dispossessed Fund and £100,000 from Deutsche Bank, with all grants administered by The London Community Foundation. A further £250,000 from the Dispossessed Fund has been pledged to employability programmes run by our campaign partner, The King’s Trust.

In addition, today we can announce a £153,000 donation from The London Community Foundation’s Youth Futures Fund which will be used to increase our funding of 20/20 Levels and the other grassroots programmes mentioned above. It takes our total campaign total to more than £950,000.

Paul Buchanan, chief executive of The London Community Foundation, said: “We launched the Youth Futures Fund to combat the unprecedented challenges facing young people in the capital. This additional funding will have a tangible impact across the city, helping young people thrive and giving them meaningful opportunities to build secure futures. We are grateful to The Standard for their long-term commitment to London’s grassroots organisations and their vision of a better London for young people.”

Duro Oye, founder and chief executive of 20/20 Levels, said that his group, which helps unemployed young Black and racially underrepresented low-income Londoners, has a 90 per cent success rate in moving people into work, education or training. “It can take two years for young people to find a job, but with our three month “I am Change” programme, they do it within six months,” he said.

For Samuel, the turning point was meeting Duro Oye. “I found I could talk to him,” he said. “I had trust issues, but Duro told me that If I was open, they would help. I applied for their next “I am Change” course, but it was full. I was gutted. Then I got an email the next day saying they’d extended the cohort to fit me in.”

During the course, Samuel built the confidence to leave the cult and move back home. With 20/20 Levels’ support, he too graduated from their programme and began applying for jobs. He landed an interview at Apple for a part-time position. “I applied what I learned on the course and smashed it,” he said.

After six months, he secured a full-time role at Virgin Media O2 where he has now worked for 18 months as a senior scrum-master — a project facilitator. “I love it!” he said. “Monday mornings are a blast for me.”

Where would he be without 20/20 Levels? “They changed my life. No question. I was stuck in a bad place, with low confidence and no vision of the future. Because of them, I’m not just surviving — I am building something meaningful. In April, I ran the London Marathon and finished. I’ve gone from lost and unmotivated to becoming the person I was meant to be.”

Visit kingstrust.org.uk/destination-unknown for more information or to donate

The King’s Trust has contributed £80,000 to help the Standard cover the costs of this appeal. This funding has been used to raise awareness of the Trust’s charitable work, helping it to transform young lives. The King’s Trust is a registered charity incorporated by Royal Charter in England and Wales (1079675) and Scotland (SC041198)