At Skills 4 All, we’ve always believed in the power of creativity to ignite confidence, amplify young voices, and pave the way for meaningful community change. And this month, we proudly celebrated the culmination of our year-long filmmaking project, Girls in the Lead — a joyful, moving event that brought together the young girls involved, their families, and our wider community.
The celebration event was a powerful showcase of the films created by over 20 incredible young girls from across three local schools. With lights dimmed and anticipation high, their stories played out on screen — raw, honest, and beautifully made. From themes of mental health, the harms of gossiping, to corporate marketing each film revealed a powerful perspective and the passion of young voices who are ready to lead the way.
As a meaningful part of the project, each girl achieved an AQA Unit Award in Filmmaking, recognising their commitment, creativity, and the valuable skills they developed throughout the year. This formal accreditation marks an important milestone for the girls — many of whom had never seen themselves as “academic” — and is a reminder of the different ways success can be defined, nurtured, and celebrated.
This project was made possible thanks to funding from The National Lottery Community Fund. The support enabled us not only to teach industry-level filmmaking skills, but also to introduce the girls to guest speakers and changemakers with lived experience — inspiring women who have used creativity as a catalyst for impact. These sessions proved invaluable, giving the girls both representation and aspiration.
As part of the programme, one of the groups had the chance to visit The Sharp Project, Manchester’s hub for digital creativity. During their exclusive tour, the girls saw behind the scenes of a working media facility and took part in a personalised storytelling workshop. This experience opened doors to new ambitions and showed the girls that their stories truly belong in the creative industries.
Since 2019, Skills 4 All — co-founded by Rubbi Bhogal-Wood and Reddy Lenge — has been providing underserved young people with the space and support to explore their curiosity and step into their potential. We were honoured to receive this National Lottery funding and are deeply grateful to the players who made it possible.
As Reddy and Rubbi shared on the night:
“We’re delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work in this way. Now, thanks to National Lottery players, we’ve been able to work alongside these young girls to provide them with high-quality skills and a platform to have their voices heard on the social changes that matter most to them.”
This project might have wrapped, but the journey for these girls is just beginning. They leave with not only filmmaking skills and an accredited award — but also the confidence to tell their stories and change the world around them.
To everyone who supported this project — our schools, families, funders, and especially our talented young filmmakers — thank you. You are the change we’ve been waiting for.
