What We Do

Supporting young people into life-changing employment

Circle Collective is a London based charity and social enterprise  founded in 2011 to support unemployed young people (16-30) to gain the skills, experience and confidence to find sustainable employment and financial independence. Circle Community the charity, and focus of this website, provides holistic, bespoke support to build knowledge and resilience, reduce anxiety and develop employability skills whilst the social enterprise, Circle Collective, provides essential work experience in streetwear / vintage retail stores. 

Together we create over one million pounds worth of social value every year and have valuable partnerships with a wide range of corporate and statutory stakeholders. 

Why It Matters 

Unemployment rates remain disproportionately high for young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds and racially minoritised groups. This “employment gap” has widened in the past few years, with a growing young population that lack career advice or access to work experience, perpetuating the struggle to find employment. Youth unemployment in London for individuals aged 16–24 consistently remains significantly higher than the national average, according to the ongoing quarterly figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). 

The Difference We Have Made

• • Supported 2160 young people with vocational training and mentorship.
  • Provided 103,680 hours of  on the job training to young people
  • Supported 1660 of those young people into permanent work
  • 70% of young people who complete our programme secure employment, and 70% remained in those jobs 6 months later
  • 100% of young people who join our programme experience a real work environment, most for the first time.
  • Our employment, education and training outcomes have grown year on year, from 84 outcomes in 2019/20 increasing to 260 in 2024/25. 

The Back Your Future Programme

Our Back Your Future employability initiative is a rolling programme for 16-30 year olds. Young people complete work skill modules and work experience in our Circle Collective stores in Dalston, Hackney and Lewisham in London and on our e-commerce platform, run by our social enterprise. The stores stock pieces from global streetwear/skate brands and young local designers; and those from our own collection – Purpose. The aim is for retail profits to be reinvested into Circle Community.

Every young person who joins Back Your Future gets 8 hours per week of personalised support including information, advice and guidance, wellbeing and confidence building sessions, employability workshops and access to our network of corporates supporters and employers, alongside 8 hours per week of structured work experience and customer service training.

Programme Induction 

We enrol trainees on the programme following an introductory meeting where we establish two-way commitment to volunteer on our programme. We want young people who are motivated to develop skills, and our role is to support them to unlock their potential, secure paid employment and remain in work.

Employment Coaching 

We coach our trainees in our intensive, personalised employment coaching programme. Our dedicated Job Coaches conduct a weekly one to one with every trainee to help identify their goals, transferable skills, potential barriers, write CVs and cover letters, apply for jobs, and prepare for interviews. Job Coaches also facilitate ‘Job Club’ group sessions each week during which they provide this help and young people support and motivate each other.

Our space is an inclusive, supportive, safe environment that helps young people gain confidence and maintain motivation as they search for roles. Between shop shifts and job club, they build a strong peer network that they can lean on for support.

Workshops

We encourage our young people to have agency in their own lives. Trainees attend wellbeing workshops that teach breathing techniques, stress management and tools to overcome poor sleep habits. They also have access to sessions such as rights & responsibilities, which educate young people on reading contracts, understanding the ‘gig economy’ and what type of work is best for their current and future needs, and on personal budgeting/financial capability.

Work Experience & Customer Service Training 

We train young people with real life work experience in our retail stores.  

Every trainee volunteers for 2 x 4-hour shifts per week. Here, they develop transferable skills – they learn the importance of timekeeping, help customers navigate the store, handle payments, clean the shop and set up visual displays. They work as part of a team and learn the importance of showing up and putting in their best effort. All these aspects form the basis of customer service training that can be utilised in any sector and is not specific to just retail. They are skills for all entry level jobs. 

We evaluate our trainees on their work in the store and provide feedback. This helps them build awareness and improve employment gaps. We provide credible references to future employers based on their contributions in the store. 

Access to Corporates and Employers

We educate our trainees about different career fields through information sessions with our corporate partners and network of employers, including a monthly visit to a corporate office to learn about new sectors, roles they may not have heard of and opportunities they may not previously  considered. We’re also developing a network of employer partners who come to us exclusively when are recruiting for entry level jobs .

Transition Support

We support our young people to successfully transition into new jobs with 1:1 monthly check-in for their first 6 months. They maintain a strong support system of coaches and peers from Circle Collective to support a successful transition and continued resilience in the face of challenges. 

Young people who graduate our programme can become Circle Ambassadors and remain a part of our network. Every year we have a graduation event to celebrate the stories and achievements of the amazing young people who have taken a step forwards in their own development. 

Why it Works

Circle Collective is a friendly, inclusive environment where young people feel like they matter. Every time they arrive at our site, they are greeted by coaches and peers who care about finding them a job and supporting their overall wellbeing. Circle is a fresh start – a very different experience than the loneliness, humiliation and fear so many young people encounter during unemployment.

In our shop, young people learn what it means to be a reliable employee – showing up on time, dressing for the job, communicating, taking responsibility. They see what good looks like and start to role model this themselves.

In our job club, young people build confidence as they increase their transferrable skills. They create CVs, practice mock interviews, and start to see their own narratives as compelling. They identify interests and passions that could lead to employment.

We create an environment of mutual accountability. Trainees leave Circle Collective with experience, confidence and a sense of identity as they go forward into the world.

Our Goals & Future Vision 

• • By 2026, we aim to have had 2500 young people in engage in our programme with a placement rate of 70% of those completing into employment, education or training.  
  • We aim to expand our reach in the community to include support for young people in additional London boroughs and delivering our customer service training as an accredited course. 
  • In 2026 we hope to begin trialling delivery of a coffee offer in our space in Jubilee Place, Canary Wharf