Summer HAF Highlights
Fun, Friendship & Growth
This summer, Success Club was delighted to host two vibrant HAF programmes at St Michael’s and Suffolks Primary School. It was wonderful to partner with St Michael’s for a new HAF adventure and welcome such an enthusiastic group of children to our activities as well as seeing familiar faces at Suffolks.
From steel pans to boxing; dance to bouncy castles; crocheting to gardening: there truly was something for everyone. Each session was designed to inspire creativity, build friendships and nurture confidence.
The theme that shone through? Little things make a big difference. Whether it was holding a door open, helping someone tie a knot or choosing to sit next to someone new at lunch, these small acts of kindness created big ripples of positivity.
Summer HAF wasn’t just about fun activities – it was about learning, growing and building a sense of community that lasts long after the summer ends.
Remembering Rob Challis
It is with great sorrow that I am writing this goodbye to Rob Challis, our chair and an integral part of who we have become as a charity. He is also instrumental in who I have become as a CEO. Rob championed the Success Club cause without apology and did not suffer ‘fools’ gladly or lightly. He believed that every child should be allowed to learn and thrive and that poverty or political circumstances should never get in the way of that. They, whoever they are, say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone, and that is so true in Rob’s case. I sadly cannot ask him for guidance in the way I used to or share the wins. I often refer to the fact that I never told Rob that I’d been invited to Buckingham Palace; Ironically, I was waiting until the last newsletter came out to tell him, unfortunately it did so on the day of his passing. As someone said to me afterwards, ‘You have to seize the moment.’ Each one of us will have a memory of Rob, whether we knew him for years or just a little while. He was unapologetically ‘old-school,’ but his heart and conviction to the cause were always front and centre. I miss him greatly and will always be thankful that he appeared in my life to help Success Club reach where it is now. His legacy will continue to motivate us as we strive to change the landscape of education in the future.
RIP My friend.
Tony Dallas
There is a tree on my golf course that reminds me of Rob and the truth be told, on occasion, I will have a little conversation with him as I pass by.
Building Resilience with CAMHS Partnership
Success Club is proud to partner with the North Central East London CAMHS Provider Collaborative and Compass Wellbeing on initiatives supporting Year 5 and 6 pupils during the often-challenging transition to secondary school.
Working across Enfield, Islington and Hackney, our programmes are designed for children most at risk of academic and social underachievement, especially those facing barriers to traditional mental health services.
With funding to support two Enfield primary schools, we have been able to deliver “Mindful Mentors” and “Moment of Calm” to over 250 pupils. These initiatives foster emotional resilience, mental health literacy and peer support. Pupils gain leadership skills, confidence and practical tools to manage emotions helping to create a whole-school culture of wellbeing.
Our mentors are stepping up as role models and agents of change, spreading awareness and positivity far beyond the classroom.
Thinking Into Results with Year 6
Our Thinking into Results programme helps pupils explore big ideas about mindset, confidence and self-belief. Over the past year we have run this programme with various age groups across KS2, KS3 and KS4. We work with both primary and secondary. Through activities, discussion and reflection, young people learn how to set goals, build resilience and believe in their own potential.
Every child in the group receives a mindfulness journal – a space for notes, affirmations and creative expression. It’s amazing to see how these journals capture their journey of growth over the weeks.
Some of our Year 6 pupils were so proud of their work that they wanted to share it with us and we’d love to share it with you too!
Our Commitment to Training
At Success Club we are passionate about up-skilling all our Trustees, Facilitators, Volunteers and Office Team. As well as offering courses and away days, we plan termly training for all contact staff. As the new school year begins, our dedicated Success Club facilitators were back in the office this week for intensive training. Objectives were to reflect on a successful academic year, to individually recommit ourselves to the mission of Success Club and decide how we can be better in the next term than we were in the last.
We engaged in team workshops sharpening our preparation for every session. We collaborated on strategies to foster a more engaging and inclusive learning environment. Our facilitators left feeling energized and prepared to help every student achieve their full potential this academic year.
Team Away Day 2025
This year’s Success Club Away Day was a chance to celebrate everything we’ve achieved together and what a celebration it was!
The day brought together our facilitators, volunteers, managers and trustees; united by our mission to empower young people. It was a space for reflection, connection and sharing ideas for the exciting year ahead.
To those who couldn’t be with us: you were very much missed. To those who joined us, thank you for your energy, your commitment and your belief in the power of what we do.
This is what a team looks like when it is united by a vision for change.
Mindful Moment: A New School Year
The start of a new school year is like opening a fresh notebook full of blank pages waiting to be filled. It can feel exciting, but sometimes, a little overwhelming for not just the pupils but the parents and teachers too.
Take a moment today to pause, breathe and set a small intention for how you’d like to begin. It might be as simple as being kind to yourself, trying something new or welcoming someone into your friendship circle.
New beginnings are not about being perfect, they’re about showing up with openness, curiosity and courage.
