Help me keep my promise to the young people of Liverpool!

leanne jones is organizing this fundraiser.

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My Three Peak Summer Challenge...

My name is Manoka Mbolokele. I am reaching out to you all to share my story and ask for your support...

I am going to raise £1500 for 20 Stories High - an incredible theatre company and arts organisation that supports vulnerable, working class and culturally diverse young people to express themselves through the arts.

20 Stories High changed my life, my wellbeing, my friendships, and my career. Will you help me to raise money so it can keep having this impact on more young people like me?

My story...

I have been a part of 20 Stories High for nearly a decade! 20 Stories High is my extended family; not through blood, but through the Arts. Since joining in 2015 I have fostered valuable friendships that I believe will last a lifetime.

I started off by signing up to become a youth theatre member after the Co-CEO came in to lead a session in my school. I have performed in many shows, led the youth advisory group and seen so much theatre. I’ve travelled with the company and developed soooo many skills (beyond acting!). Made soooooo many life-long friends. I am now coming to the end of my time on the Board of Trustees as a Young Board Member, and it is now my turn to give back to help the next generation of young 20 Stories High members.

It has played such a massive role in my life, key examples:

-Learning new skills which play a crucial role in my current profession I use everyday: creativity, team work, leadership, communication, adaptability etc.

-The mentorship from 20 Stories High Alumni, Staff Members and Board Trustees has supported me with every new challenge I have faced since the age of 15, ensuring that I come out stronger than before once the dust settles.

-Building my confidence and self-esteem, including being featured on billboards in my home town of Liverpool during Black History Month in 2020.

Why I am doing this?

I made a promise to a Youth Theatre member that I will raise money on the behalf of the charity to help ensure that she, and the rest of Youth Theatre, can always access 20 Stories High for free. Promises matter to me so I am going to climb the 3 highest peaks in Yorkshire in 12 hours on Saturday 6th July. It definitely won't be easy for me - but it will definitely be worth it.

Every single penny will go direct to support 20 Stories High’s work – and I will massively appreciate your support and encouragement. It will be the thing that gets me up every mountain!

I promise to keep you updated during my journey, and 20SH promise to keep sharing info about the impact your investment will have on the organisation.

With ongoing cuts to the arts, especially for working-class, culturally diverse young people – there has never been a more important time to show your support!

About 20 Stories High

20 Stories High believes that 'everybody’s got a story to tell… and their own way of telling it.' They create bold, innovative, and excellent theatre, music and art projects with culturally diverse, working-class communities, emerging artists, and world-class professionals to tell stories that bring joy, empower, and enable social change. For more info on the company visit here !

What your support would give…

Even the most basic things we need for our Youth Theatre sessions end up being expensive across the year. Your donations will make a contribution towards costs like these:

£900 on fuel for our creativity: food and refreshments for us young people to have before the sessions start
£1,000 on travel for young people who can’t afford to get to sessions, whether its bus fare or a taxi
£500 on tickets to take us to shows and experiences to inspire us
£100 on art materials, pens, paper and card to make props for our shows
£2,000 on artists who come into lead workshops and help us create our art