Anima Youth is a charity organisation that operates in Croydon and provides safe spaces, guidance, and life-changing opportunities for girls and young women at risk of exploitation and violence.
They have 2 main services.
The first is the Anima Youth Safe Spaces & Girls Club. This is a place where girls aged 11-18 can come to socialise, study, get mentoring from support workers and join group sessions about confidence, self-care & well-being. There’s also a dedicated space for young mums (aged 16-24) to receive practical support, mentorship, and a sense of community. They provide a play area, one-to-one & group support, empowerment workshops and informal spaces to have coffee and connect with other mums and build confidence.
The second service is Zintarah Haven Supported Accomodation (16+). This is a supported accommodation (housing options that provide support services to individuals with specific needs) for black girls, aged 16 and above, who are leaving care. Systemic barriers, like adultification, racial bias, and a lack of culturally relevant support, mean that black girls are more likely to become isolated, unsupported, and at risk of exploitation or homelessness. They currently have 2 spaces, with a capacity of 4 girls each, based in Croydon and Sutton. They provide daily staff presence as well as sessions to support life skills development & preparation for independence, the “This Girl Can” Mentorship Programme and monthly access to horse riding, tennis, golf, and more plus organised trips across the UK to encourage new perspectives.
In addition to the main services, they have additional projects including sheCEO, a 9-week programme which takes girls from business idea to launch with entrepreneurial skills workshops, mentoring, networking opportunities and a £150 startup budget. There’s also the BigSis mentorship scheme. This is where each girl is matched with a mentor with a similar background, to create real, relatable, and lasting connections. The support includes virtual check ins and face-to-face meetups.
The organization was founded by Eloise Ofori, a Croydon local, who at 12 years old, was primary carer of her sick mother and younger sister, due to her father’s immigration issues. She wasn’t supported much at school and was exploited by gang members. Despite this, she was able to persevere to gain upper second bachelor’s degree in Law from Anglia Ruskin University and was honoured with the Vice Chancellor’s Graduate of the Year Award for mentoring marginalised girls, which ignited my passion for supporting young women. It receives funding from government bodies including Croydon and Southwark Council and other organizations such as the Neighbourly Community Fund. They are based on Croydon High Street.
As of March 2025, Anima Youth has directly supported over 4,300 young people through direct work and has reached 6,000 young people through both direct work and online support.
Contact them here: info@animayouth.co.uk +44 7490 847590
