Drawing and digital design during an educational course

EDUCATIONAL COURSES

ABOUT US

Open Lens Media is a Development, Engagement, and Employability Social Enterprise. We utilise creative approaches in Media and Digital Technology to provide employability, educational, engagement, training, and community consultation services to young people and youth-focused agencies.

We specialise in working directly with children, young people, and young adults between the ages of 11-16, 17-24, and 25-35 stemming from disenfranchised and low socio-economic backgrounds.

Find Out More

Watch our Promo Video below to discover more about what we do.

Read our 2024 Annual Outcomes Report here!

"I’m pleased to invite you to join us in celebrating our 2024 accomplishments, as shared by the Open Lens Media team in this report. Together, let’s continue our mission of ‘Developing Young People, Creating Opportunities, and Opening the Lens on the Youth Perspective.’"

- Daina Anderson Mpunzi (Founder and CEO)

Read the full report here

WHAT WE OFFER

EDUCATIONAL COURSES

Curriculum Enhancing programmes designed to encourage educational engagement and youth engagement.

SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMMES

Social Action focused, youth led programmes designed to build confidence and leadership skills.

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES

Providing help to further personal and professional goals alongside developing transferable skills to boost youth employability.

TRAINING AND CONSULTANCY

Bespoke consultancy for local authorities and youth-focused agencies.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SERVICES

Support for statutory bodies to form relationships with communities.

WHAT OUR GRADUATES SAY

Kevin, 17

Pathways Employability Programme - Triangle Trust Fund

I've enjoyed the course and it has taught me everything I need to know. It has helped me build skills and I'm grateful for it.

TRUSTED BY OUR PARTNERS & SUPPORTERS

Riz Ahmed

Director at Youth Connect

OLM staff are really committed to their field and are very impressive.

A couple of young people have gone on to pursue specific further education around journalism and media after their engagement in our sessions with OLM.

Why are Local Companies Joining Pledge 10? 🤔

Because it works - for them and for young people!

At Open Lens Media, we designed Pledge 10, our recruitment arm, with our participants at the heart. It gives them a route beyond our Pathway Employability Programme and helps local employers access skilled, creative talent that has been shaped by real-world training

Take a look to see what our current Pledge 10 partners are saying, and what benefits you could gain from being a partner!

Please email us at info@openlensmedia.co.uk to find out how you can become a Pledge 10 partner!

#olm #walsall #blackcountry #westmidlands #youthdevelopment #developingyoungminds #youthemployability #pledge10 #avaloninsights #aainacommunityhub #britasiatv @britasiatv @aaina.c.hub

Wrapping up Pathways at Aaina Hub!

Last week, Tahlena and Damaris, our brilliant facilitators had their final session leading our Pathways Employability Programme at Aaina Community Hub.

Tahlena observed that the 6 sessions at Aaina Hub were really fruitful. Participants covered CV writing, how to approach job interviews, and also focused on personal development and preparation for entering the workforce. She had also said that it has been a positive journey witnessing the participants’ growth throughout the sessions, with noticeable improvements in their engagement and confidence through each session.

After reflecting on the 6 weeks at Aaina Hub Community, Damaris commented that while the programme focused on professional etiquette, work life balance and employment preparation, the facilitators were able to develop accountability with each participant, build awareness of their strengths and weaknesses as well as create a safe space for them to grow in confidence in their professional identity and achieve their personal goals.

Thank you to Aaina Hub for hosting us and to the Aaina Hub visitors who took part in our Pathways Programme - we hope that you had a productive time with us!

And as a treat, here’s a final note from Damaris: “If there's anything this programme has reminded us about, it is how much we should not overlook the small things that contribute to the development of our professional identity which will in turn shape our practice.”

@aaina.c.hub #olm #walsall #caldmore #blackcountry #westmidlands #developingyoungminds #walsallyouth #walsallcommunity #walsallemployment #nationallottery #nationallotterycommunityfund

AI in action with Avalon Insights!

One of our Pledge 10 partners, Avalon Insights, offered some of our Pathways participants the opportunity to join their online AI training sessions. Avalon offered our participants that are interested in pursuing careers in tech and computing two taster sessions all about using AI in the workplace. Participants were given live demonstrations on how to utilise AI more effectively and had the chance to ask any questions about things that they wanted to learn more about.

Thank you again to our fabulous Pledge 10 partner, Avalon Insights!

Can your organisation offer our talented young participants training sessions or work experience? Email us on info@openlensmedia.co.uk to find out how you can become a Pledge 10 partner!

#olm #walsall #blackcountry #westmidlands #youthdevelopment #developingyoungminds #youthemployability #pledge10 #avaloninsights #aitraining

Well done to our Pathways graduate, Dominic!

Dominic joined our Pathways Employability Programme hoping to upskill and to gain employment. Whilst on our programme, Dominic received sessions to improve both his personal and professional skills. He noted that the course has helped him further his knowledge in Adobe Premiere Pro, Canva and with hardware such as podcasting equipment and cameras.

Dominic has now graduated from our Pathways Programme and has told us that he hopes to continue building on what he has learnt with us, mentioning that he would be interested in applying to more of our courses too! We’re all looking forward to hearing about how Dominic progresses in his future.

#olm #walsall #blackcountry #westmidlands #developingyoungminds #walsallyouth #walsallcommunity #walsallemployment #youthemployment #nationallottery #nationallotterycommunityfund

Praise from our Community Partner! 🙌

Assistant Team Manager at Walsall Youth Justice Service, Kelly Rutherford, has provided some positive feedback on our services.

We have worked with Kelly on multiple Youth Engagement projects in the past, helping young people in the YJS to engage in positive activities that focus on personal development and employability skills. We have also partnered up on our disproportionality projects, which saw social research and youth consultations being conducted to understand the effects of disproportionality on young people in the Walsall Service. Alongside this, Kelly has engaged in our training services on multiple occasions, where we have trained her team on topics such as bias, belonging, cultural awareness, and equality vs equity to lead to positive changes in the Walsall YJS.

Thank you to Kelly for giving us great feedback; we’re excited to continue working with you and the young people at WYJS in the future!

#olm #walsall #blackcountry #westmidlands #developingyoungminds #walsallyouth #walsallcommunity #wyjs #yjs #walsallyjs @ourwalsall

How can Pathways help with more than just securing a job?

As someone who has recently moved to the country, Mohammad was not only in need of assistance in securing a job, but he was also looking for some help with his personal development.

Whilst on our Pathways Employability Programme, Mohammad found the communication skills session and CV sessions as most useful to him as he was able to work on his confidence when communicating with others and also had a solid CV to take away with him.

We are happy to hear that we could offer Mohammad a supportive and encouraging environment for him to work on his personal skills and to feel more confident in his abilities.

Ready to enrol on our Pathways programme? Email us at info@openlensmedia.co.uk or drop us a DM.

Not ready to enrol yet, but still interested in hearing more about Mohammad’s story? Stay tuned to see Mohammad sharing with us exactly how Pathways has changed his life for the better!

#olm #walsall #blackcountry #westmidlands #developingyoungminds #walsallyouth #walsallcommunity #walsallemployment #youthemployment #nationallottery #nationallotterycommunityfund

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@openlensmedia

EDUCATIONAL COURSES

ABOUT US

Watch our Promo Video below to discover more about what we do.

Read our 2024 Annual Outcomes Report here!

WHAT WE OFFER

WHAT OUR GRADUATES SAY

Kevin, 17

Pathways Employability Programme - Triangle Trust Fund

TRUSTED BY OUR PARTNERS & SUPPORTERS

Riz Ahmed

Director at Youth Connect

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