EASTSIDE YOUNG LEADERS ACADEMY

What EASTSIDE YOUNG LEADERS ACADEMY does

Eastside Young Leaders' Academy (EYLA) is a UK-registered charity (Charity Number: 1093977) founded in 2002 by Ray Lewis CBE in East London, with operations headquartered at Bignold Hall, Bignold Road, London E7 0EX. The organisation develops leadership potential in children and young people, particularly Black and minority youth from grassroots communities, through a curriculum built on seven core competencies (Confidence and Capacity, Health and Wellbeing, Identity, History and Family, Self-expression and Leadership, Self-management, and Service). EYLA runs four core programmes: the Leadership Programme (LP), the In-Schools Leadership Programme (ISLP) delivered to partner schools, the Scholars Programme (SP) securing boarding school bursaries, and the Training Community Leaders (TCL) accredited programme. These are supplemented by the Young Leader's Galleria (YLG) employment network, the Family Network pastoral service, seasonal Summer Programmes, and the Ray Lewis Scholarship Fund established in memory of the founder.

EYLA's business model is donation-funded rather than revenue-generating. All programmes are provided free of charge to participants. Income is drawn from four streams: corporate donations (with Bank of America as Lead Corporate Supporter, alongside Linklaters, Johnson Matthey, Lockton, and others), trust and foundation grants (BBC Children in Need, National Lottery, Tudor Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, Fishmongers Company, Royal SpringBoard, ALMT), government funding via the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme through Newham Council, and individual donations (PayPal, cheque, bank transfer with Gift Aid). Go-to-market is community-led: recruitment flows through referrals, word-of-mouth, school partnerships, and direct family engagement via the website. Distribution is multi-channel: direct delivery at Bignold Hall, portable in-school workshops, residential summer programmes at partner boarding schools (Rugby School, Lancing College, Stowe School, Tonbridge School), and work experience placements with corporate partners.

The organisation operates with 13 staff and is governed by a Board of Trustees that includes several EYLA alumni. Notable patrons include Ric Lewis (CEO, Tristan Capital Partners) and Rudolph Walker (Playwright and actor). EYLA holds the London Youth Silver Quality Mark (2024, upgrading from Bronze in 2022) and is accredited as a Living Wage Employer and registered with the Fundraising Regulator. Following founder Ray Lewis CBE's passing in March 2024, Carol Murraine was appointed CEO effective 1 January 2025 after serving as Programmes Director since 2014. The organisation has produced measurable outcomes including 300+ pupils and scholars mentored, 25 graduates in 2020, and 23 scholars in 2023, with placements at schools spanning Somerset to Norfolk and Surrey to Warwickshire.

Name

EASTSIDE YOUNG LEADERS ACADEMY

Legal name

Eastside Young Leaders' Academy

Website

https://eyla.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Eastside Young Leaders' Academy (EYLA) is a London-based UK charity founded in 2002 that provides free leadership development programmes for Black and minority youth from grassroots communities, drawing on corporate donations, trust grants, and government funding, with 300+ pupils and scholars mentored across four core programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Leadership Development and Education Charity Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Leadership, Character Education & Values Development (EDAMAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Peer Support, Mentoring & Student Leadership (SEL) (EDAKAMAO), Leadership, Debate & Model UN Camps (EDAMALAK)

Keywords

• Youth leadership development
• Charity mentoring programmes
• Boarding school bursary support
• Community youth education
• Pastoral care services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Support and Donations: EYLA receives financial support from corporate partners including Bank of America (Lead Corporate Supporter), Linklaters, Johnson Matthey, and others. These partners provide funding, volunteers, career insight sessions, work experience placements, and governance support.
2. Trust and Foundation Grants: Funding from institutional funders including BBC Children in Need, National Lottery, Tudor Trust, Fishmongers Company, Garfield Weston Foundation, ALMT, Royal SpringBoard, and others supporting specific programmes and initiatives.
3. Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Funding: Government funding from Newham Council and Department for Education through HAF programme to support holiday activities and food provision.
4. Individual Donations: EYLA accepts donations via PayPal, cheque, and bank transfer. Gift Aid is available for UK taxpayers to boost donations by 25p per £1 donated.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Eastside Young Leaders' Academy (EYLA) is a UK registered charity that delivers free youth leadership development programmes to children and young people — particularly Black and minority youth from grassroots London communities. Its core offering comprises four programmes: the Leadership Programme (LP), the In-Schools Leadership Programme (ISLP), the Scholars Programme (SP) for boarding school bursary preparation, and the Training Community Leaders (TCL) programme, all built on seven core competencies (Confidence and Capacity, Health and Wellbeing, Identity, History and Family, Self-expression and Leadership, Self-management, Service). Supplementary offerings include the Young Leader's Galleria (YLG) employability network, the Family Network support service, seasonal Summer Programmes, the Let's Boycott Christmas fundraising campaign, and the Ray Lewis Scholarship Fund.

Product overview

Eastside Young Leaders' Academy operates a multi-layered youth leadership development ecosystem with four core programmes: the Leadership Programme (LP) as the foundational offering, the In-Schools Leadership Programme (ISLP) for partner schools, the Scholars Programme (SP) providing boarding school bursaries, and the Training Community Leaders (TCL) programme. These are complemented by the Young Leader's Galleria (YLG) network for employment support, the Family Network support service, seasonal Summer Programmes, the Let's Boycott Christmas (LBC) Campaign for African education fundraising, and the Ray Lewis Scholarship Fund. The programmes are built on seven core competencies and focus on nurturing Black and minority youth to become successful leaders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Young Leader's Galleria (YLG): A dynamic network of Black-led community organisations, collaborating to support Black and minority girls and boys towards meaningful employment opportunities. The YLG offers employability skills training, career insights, work experience placements and internships.
• Ray Lewis Scholarship Fund

Products and services

• Leadership Programme (LP) Foundational programme where students attend workshops focused on seven core competencies (Confidence and Capacity, Health and Wellbeing, Identity, History and Family, Self-expression and Leadership, Self-management, Service), learning to become catalysts and agents of change tackling real-world issues for positive community impact.
• In-Schools Leadership Programme (ISLP)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 pupils and scholars received mentoring and pastoral care
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

39 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• Tonbridge SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024In May 2024, young leaders enjoyed enrichment day with maths class, metacognition lesson, tour including chapel, and friendly sport. Followed by weekend at Hoppers in Kent for boarding preparation.
• Stowe SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2022Visited by young leaders on 21st May 2022. Headmaster Dr Anthony Wallersteiner hosted visit including Chemistry lesson, music studio tour, lunch, and networking. A monumental independent school in Buckingham.
• Every Mikkle FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2020Jamaican foundation that partnered with EYLA for an international entrepreneurship workshop in October 2020. Eight young leaders participated alongside youth from USA, Jamaica, Trinidad, Kenya and Ghana.
• Urdd Gobaith CymruminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Welsh youth organisation that partnered with EYLA for Peace and Goodwill Message beyond Wales. Young Leaders travelled to Cardiff Bay to join Urdd members at Eisteddfod festival and learned Welsh.
• Linklaters LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLinklaters has supported EYLA for many years in governance, funding employability skills programmes, providing volunteers for career insight presentations, CV writing and mock interviews. Organised by Lavanya Thavarajah. Young leaders visited for career insight day.
• Johnson MattheycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr Efosa Obasohan, Strategy Manager at Johnson Matthey (global leader in sustainable technologies), shared career insights and journey with young leaders. Johnson Matthey visited during Summer 2025 programme.
• LocktoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLockton invited young leaders to perform their Windrush play during Black History Month and hosted the 2025 Scholars' Graduation.
• Eton CollegesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrestigious independent school providing educational support and opportunities.
• OMDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedia agency providing work experience placement for young leaders during Summer 2025.
• AcastaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided work experience placement for young leaders during Summer 2025.
• Paul WeissminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw firm providing work experience placement for young leaders during Summer 2025.
• RSKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental consultancy providing work experience placement for young leaders during Summer 2025.
• Latham & WatkinsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUpcoming work experience opportunities for young leaders.
• WeilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUpcoming work experience opportunities for young leaders.
• Mubadala Investment BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentored three young leaders for work experience placements as part of Summer 2023 world of work programme.
• Portland CommunicationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted Jeremy Aikins for a work experience placement during Summer 2023.
• Byrne DeanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted Esther Ajayi-Akinsulire for a work experience placement during Summer 2023.
• Cabinet OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree young leaders spent two insightful days exploring policy and politics through work experience during Summer 2023.
• Young Leader's Galleria (YLG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDynamic network of Black-led community organisations collaborating to support Black and minority girls and boys towards meaningful employment. EYLA coordinates this initiative providing employability skills training, career insights, work experience and internships.
• EduCaidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational network in Sierra Leone partnered with EYLA for Let's Boycott Christmas campaign. Donations covered main costs for 7 children for the year including participation in maths and language fairs.
• St Dunstan's CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrestigious independent school in London partnered with EYLA for Lewisham Young Leaders' Academy (LYLA) opening at St Dunstan's College in September 2021.
• Lewisham CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partnered with EYLA and St Dunstan's College to establish Lewisham Young Leaders' Academy addressing attainment and outcomes disparities for African Caribbean children.
• StepWiseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganisation providing volunteer doctors who trained 24 young leaders in Emergency First Aid with eight selected to co-deliver training to become Street Doctors.
• The Steel Pan TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed steel pan workshops for young leaders, progressing from never having played before to performance level in February 2025.
• TimeGiversminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer organisation running bakery lessons and jewellery making workshops for young leaders during half-term and summer programme. Young leaders also bake for elderly residents at Just Homes.
• Queen Mary's UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents from Queen Mary's University led a series of STEM workshops for EYLA young leaders during February 2025.
• Rugby SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJustin Muston from Rugby School provides leadership coaching to young leaders, helping them master effective communication, public speaking, debating, and explore identity, emotional intelligence and inclusion.
• Oxford University (St Edmund's Hall)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity insight day with Access & Outreach Coordinator Eve McMullen and current students. Young leaders received tour and were described as 'absolutely brilliant, so engaged and showed all the potential to come and study with us'.
• Rugby SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEYLA's oldest partner boarding school having sent young leaders there for over a decade. Scholar Muna Nwabueze earned a place.
• Lancing CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner boarding school in West Sussex where scholar Claire Mukuru earned a place. Hosts annual Summer School programmes for EYLA young leaders.
• Lancing CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts Summer School for EYLA, Clarion YLA and MKYLA students. Provides enrichment experiences including metacognition, codebreaking, formal dinners, and preparation for boarding life.
• MKYLAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilton Keynes Young Leaders' Academy network partner attending Lancing College Summer School together.
• Clarion YLAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork partner attending Lancing College Summer School together with EYLA and MKYLA.
• Team ArchieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported The Great Escape summer adventure in Shropshire with Mark and George Bullard providing team building activities for young leaders.
• Woodrow High HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for Boys' Group residential providing personal development activities including team building, survival skills, and fire-making.
• UCLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUpcoming visits planned for young leaders to explore higher education opportunities.
• London YouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOldest and largest network of community youth organisations in London. Provides Quality Assurance programme, training, network events, and access to sports, employability and youth action programmes.
• Westside Young Leaders' AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister academy that established Lewisham Young Leaders' Academy. EYLA is the first young leaders' academy in UK established in 2002.
• Southside Young Leaders' AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Young Leaders' Academy network established after EYLA's genesis in 2002.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• London Youth: Network body of London youth organisations that administers EYLA's Bronze and Silver Quality Mark accreditation. Acts as capability-building partner and sector infrastructure rather than a direct competitor, but representative of the broader member organisations with overlapping youth-development missions.

Direct peers

• Generating Genius: UK charity that supports high-achieving students from disadvantaged backgrounds into top universities, particularly STEM. Shares EYLA's model of university access and corporate employer partnerships (e.g., work experience placements) for Black and minority youth.
• Westside Young Leaders' Academy: Sister academy in the Young Leaders' Academy network that established Lewisham Young Leaders' Academy. Operates an identical model of youth leadership development for Black and minority youth, making it the closest direct peer to EYLA.
• Lewisham Young Leaders' Academy (LYLA): Newest addition to the YLA network, established in 2021 with St Dunstan's College and Lewisham Council, expressly addressing attainment disparities for African Caribbean children. Operates the same curriculum and partner school model as EYLA.
• Clarion YLA: Network partner in the YLA ecosystem, co-attending Lancing College Summer School with EYLA and MKYLA. Delivers the same leadership development and academic-enrichment model for minority youth.
• Milton Keynes Young Leaders' Academy (MKYLA): Network partner that attends Lancing College Summer School alongside EYLA and Clarion YLA. Operates the same EYLA-derived leadership and scholarship model in a different regional geography.
• Southside Young Leaders' Academy: Sister academy in the Young Leaders' Academy network established after EYLA's founding in 2002. Delivers the same leadership curriculum and boarding school pathway model, serving as a near-identical peer in another London geography.
• Reach Out Foundation: UK youth charity mentoring state-school students into top universities and professions. Overlaps with EYLA in the university insight and mentorship layer, though without EYLA's specific boarding school pathway.

Broad incumbents

• The Prince's Trust: Major UK youth charity supporting disadvantaged young people into education, employment and training. Operates at significantly larger scale than EYLA across broader demographic and age cohorts, providing overlapping but far wider youth-development programming.
• Mayor's Fund for London: London-wide youth and education charity focused on social mobility and skills development. Competes for similar corporate funding, government grants, and employer partnerships within the same London youth-development ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eastside-young-leaders-academy

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about EASTSIDE YOUNG LEADERS ACADEMY