Genuine Futures Inspires Young Minds at Ellesmere Park School Salford.
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Recently, Genuine Futures had the privilege of delivering an inspiring motivational talk to the young people at Ellesmere Park School — a powerful session made possible thanks to funding from MC Manchester Cheshire Construction Company and organised by Siobhan Murphy, Business Development Manager at MC Construction, as part of their commitment to meaningful social value.
The aim was simple: to show these young people what’s possible when you believe in yourself, even when the odds feel stacked against you.
The event unfolded with Mike Alleyne, Director of Genuine Futures, sharing his own powerful story of growing up, falling in with the wrong crowd, and the life-changing moment when he chose a different path. Mike spoke openly about the importance of mindset and the power of changing habits — lessons that really hit home with the students.
Sam Smith, Founder of Genuine Futures, then took the stage to deliver his hard-hitting story of surviving poverty, abuse, the care system, and prison. His raw honesty about where he’s come from and how he turned his life around showed the young people that no matter where you start, you can choose a different ending.
The atmosphere in the auditorium was silent — every student was fully absorbed in the stories being shared, a true testament to the power of lived experience and honesty.
The feedback from students and staff was overwhelmingly positive. One young person summed it up perfectly:
“Amazing — it’s so inspiring!”
Matt Connolly, Deputy Head Teacher, spoke to us afterwards and said:
“It was fantastic — really, really inspiring and engaging. Looking round the auditorium, every single kid was engaged in both stories, so really, really positive.”
Mrs Yates, the school’s Physical Health Teacher, added:
“I was gobsmacked by how it impacted me as well as the kids. I found it so true to life, so inspirational — and just to see a specific student of ours get up, want to talk to you, and reach out — I just thought that was lovely. It made my year. The messages were hard-hitting, real, and raw.”
This is exactly why we do what we do. Every young person deserves to see their potential reflected back at them — to hear that their story doesn’t have to end where it started.
We’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to MC Construction for funding this session and to Siobhan Murphy for making it happen. Partnerships like these make it possible for Genuine Futures to keep inspiring and motivating young people who might otherwise feel forgotten.
We can’t wait to see the seeds planted today grow into confident, motivated futures tomorrow.
To read more about Sam’s journey from the care system and prison to becoming the founder of Genuine Futures, visit Sam’s Story.
If you’d like to find out more about our motivational talks or how your business can support local young people as part of your social value, get in touch. Together, we’re building futures worth fighting for.