We talked with former Modus employee and Safe House Founder, Bisola Popoola about the incredible organisation, how it started, its aim to help young individuals- particularly from underprivileged backgrounds- experiencing and dealing with life minatory issues and how we can get involved…
What is Safe House?
Safe House is an organisation that aims to educate, entertain, and elevate the hearts and mind-sets of young people, particularly males; and those that are underprivileged, who deal with a series of educational failure, family destruction, financial deficiency, mental-health illnesses, unemployment and violence in London – in safe and inspirational environments, that we cultivate.
Our team’s objective is to change perceptions of what success looks like with positive, real-life and relatable examples through multi-dimensional events, workshops and sessions. We bring young people to multiple safe destinations for a day of difference, knowing they will all walk away wanting to spark change for their own futures. Young people in attendance have the opportunity to expand and develop their relationships and expertise in various divisions tailored to each project.
With the right access and information, we can make a generational shift to make leaders of the future rather than those becoming a product of their environments.
How did it get started?
For about 4 years, aside from my career in the fashion/music industry, I have worked as a Youth-Leader in my Church, in Hackney. (All Souls has been one of my personal Safe Houses for as long as I can remember). It was the summer of 2018, I remember re-grouping with the young people and one of our boys had just turned 16, he was interested in modelling and I told him I’d see what I could do for him. Then, as he carried on speaking, he mentioned that his friends had started dabbling into things that they shouldn’t be, but felt like they had to, due to particular circumstances. It’s like a premeditated intervention where childhood innocence is robbed and replaced with ‘adult responsibilities’. I grew up around a lot of males and the majority of them, shared similar experiences to this. I remember looking at my little brother, who was also involved in the chat and thought, this cycle has got to stop or change, somehow.
