“I thoroughly enjoyed bringing ‘Why Not I’ in to speak to the Manchester Metropolitan students as part of a black history month event. They really tapped into the young audience and connected with them through storytelling. The students were inspired and asked alot of questions about their experiences. I would definitely book ‘Why Not I’ to speak again as they captivated the room and was very relatable, genuine and so flexible to work with.”
Sports Officer Manchester Metropolitan University
“The children were inspired and engrossed as Why Not I shared their personal journey. From a humble inner city background to international stardom, Why Not I has an immense desire to succeed. They have faced mental health issues and are an advocate of hardworking and perseverance. As we all know, nothing worth having is easy to obtain. It takes perseverance and commitment.”
Teacher at King Solomon International Business School
“Why Not I did not hesitate when we asked for support for our documentary our young people created as part of our contribution to the legacy of the Commonwealth Games in the West Midlands region. Why Not I are gifted communicators and were open and honest about the ups and downs of their life journey. Our young people commented with them very quickly and left inspired and encourage by the story they heard. It is clear that Why Not I are passionate about, and committed to empowering young people to become the best versions of themselves. Why Not I’d storytelling is very compelling and inspiring. We definitely look forward to working with them again in the future.”
Chair Director at the Cyrill Regis Legacy Trust
“Why Not I delivered two excellent sessions to pupils. One session focused on resilience, being the best person you can be, and how to work as part of a team through a basketball session. A range of pupils with different abilities participated and were fully engaged throughout the entire session. Pupils have asked for Why Not I to return to DTA to delivery more sessions. The second session focussed on how to look after your mental health. Pupils completed a range of activities in groups and discussed what they can do to look after their mental health Pupils were given information on where they can access support if they feel like they need to talk to someone. The session was excellent and also reinforced key areas from the PSHCE curriculum. Feedback from all pupils was positive and again, pupils have requested Why Not I return to DTA.”
Assistant Headteacher at Deans Trust Ardwick Academy
“Listening to Kofi talk about his experiences was truly inspiring for both my personal and professional life. Kofi was able to help the children see that there really is light at the end of the tunnel and that with the right support anything is possible! I hope Why Not I can work with the hospital again in the future as they had such a positive impact on the kids.”
NHS Senior Occupational Therapist Assistant
“We had incredible feedback from both staff and patients on how inspired they felt by the Why Not I talk. The talk featured aspects of different trials, which was most poignant and connected well with the audience. The key take away was the level of interaction & how receptive the young people were. 100% engagement is unheard of in this type of facility and the face that the young people wanted to communicate how the talk had resonated with them was significant and really added value to the session. Why Not I’d contribution added value to our project and I am excited to see the overall outcome and impact of this work.”
B2022 Commonwealth Games Lead Community Engagement Manager
“It is always a pleasure working with ‘Why Not I’. They have a real passion for driving lasting change and is very diverse in their ability to make things happen. ‘Why Not I’ has great credibility in their work due to their lived experience and willingness to talk openly about their past struggles. Why Not I are extremely passionate about mental health and supporting young people. Having worked together with ‘Why Not I’ on a number of projects, I have always found them to be dedicated, knowledgeable and highly professional. The work ‘Why Not I’ has delivered for us has been eye-opening, and I have personally enjoyed working with them on our black history month campaign and mens mental health awareness week. They are incredibly thorough in their approach and always go the extra mile to deliver a great outcome and ensure everything is exactly as required.”
ED&I Manager at Basketball England
“It was fantastic having ‘Why Not I’ talk about their life story at our wellbeing event. They were so friendly and approachable and made everyone feel at ease. They were an absolute delight and a pleasure to be around as they talked about their life growing up. You could hear a pin drop. Why Not I was honest, open and vulnerable as they took us all on a journey. It felt like we were actually there with them. We wish ‘Why Not I’ all the best and know the journey is just starting.”
Founder/Managing director – Windrush Initiatives