Our History


1999 – 2001

  • Jennifer Ogole created BANG following the death of her sister, Eunice, with a group of local young people in Brent.
  • BANG’s launches first project VINYLOGY DJ at Lisson Green estate and the Stonebridge Annex Youth Club.

2001 – 2002

  • Life FM (later to be called BANG Radio and now The Beat London) starts as a community, media and training platform for local people.

2002 – 2004

  • 3 short-term 28-day broadcasts are run on Life FM by volunteers and local DJ’s.
  • BANG is run in the Stowe Club in Paddington.

2004 – 2005

  • BANG trained 50 young people from Alperton School.
  • BANG is the media partner for Not Another Drop campaign against gun crime.
  • 98 young people and adults engaged in radio broadcasting.

2005 – 2006

  • SW1 Radio is established in Victoria in partnership with Life FM and then handed to
    the community after they received training in media production and management.
  • 60 female prisoners from Bullwood Hall HMP are trained by BANG and 11 received accreditation.

2006 – 2007

  • 91 young people achieved accreditation in radio production at BANG.
  • BANG delivered the “New Life” Award funded by Paddington Development Trust – 33 young people participated.

2007 – 2008

  • 132 young people achieved accreditation in a range of radio programmes.
  • Life FM is awarded a community radio licence by Ofcom.
  • Full-time broadcasting begins at the Stonebridge Precinct.

2009 – 2010

  • Drop-In sessions are introduced and 145 young people are engaged.
  • 11 NEET young people were retained in education.
  • 8 young people engaged in BANG Radio internships and 4 progressed on further employment.

2010 – 2011

  • 62 NEET young people progressed into education.
  • 28 NEET young people were retained in education.
  • 15 young people engaged on the Tutor Training Project
  • 216 young people engaged in drop-in session training activities.

2011 – 2012

  • 25 – 30 young people engaged in event management training.
  • 59 NEET young people remained in education after being considered at-risk or re- entered education.
  • My NW10 was launched, and 15 young people engaged in radio production
  • 15 young people created a video documentary on the importance of employment and training.

2013 – 2014

  • Making Men Programme, funded by the Mayor’s Office, is officially launched.
  • BANG trained 77 mentors and matched 52 young men with a mentor.
  • 30 young people take part in BANG's radio production programme.
  • Strength 2 Strength is set up as an early intervention programme that supports 8 –
    13-year-olds at risk of exclusion, antisocial behaviour and youth offending.

2015

  • Big Lottery Funding is granted to fund Strength 2 Strength.
  • 76 beneficiaries, mainly male and of Afro-Caribbean heritage, took part in the Strength 2 Strength programme.
  • 52% improved their peer relationships throughout the programme.
  • Strength 2 Strength is renamed No Limitz.
  • 94% of parents reported there had been an improvement in the emotional wellbeing of their child.
  • 56% of young people experienced reduced anxiety after taking part in the programme.

BANG HAS HELPED OVER 5000 BENEFICIARIES SINCE 1999.


2016

  • The HUB project is created as a component of No Limitz.

2017

  • 53 children benefit from the HUB project and 47 of the children came from disadvantaged backgrounds.
  • Healthy Starts engaged 34 young people and 80% of participants reported feeling more confident.
  • 42 young people engaged in the No Limitz programme.

2018

  • BANG partners with Brunel University, University of Hertfordshire, and Westminster University to provide 14 students with internships.

2019

  • 85 young people engaged in Health Is Wealth programme.
  • 17 young people engaged in No Limitz programme.
  • Parent HUB delivered to families in the local community of Brent.
  • BANG partners with Brunel University to provide psychology, anthropology, and criminology students with internships at the organisation.

2020

  • BANGIN’ Art delivered to 15 young people.
  • 250 beneficiaries of No Limitz.
  • 62 young people engaged in No Limitz.
  • 62 young people engaged in Health Is Wealth.
  • Step UP, an employability skills programme, is delivered to young people from Brent.
  • Participants of Step UP developed Drip Punch – a tropical drink sold at Notting Hill Carnival and Caribbean shops in Brent.

2021

  • Create Change is established as a community-centred therapy service.
  • BANG interviewed 50 families to support them during Covid-19.
  • 51 young people accessed Create Change and 33 young people received therapy.
  • BANG Evolution is established as a mentoring and coaching programme.

2022

  • 48 young people complete the BANG Evolution programme.
  • 28 young people received life coaching with BANG.
  • 20 young people received mentoring with BANG.
  • 41 young people engaged in BANG workshop and steering group sessions.
  • 742 mentoring and coaching sessions delivered to young people.
  • RiseUP is established a leadership and entrepreneurship programme.
  • Stacks is established as a financial literacy and money management programme.
  • BANG Incubator is created to support the development of black-led civil society organisations.
  • Cornerstone is established to tackle youth homelessness.
  • Vital is established to bring members of the Rastafari community together for mutual support and nurture social cohesion.

2023

  • RiseUP is delivered to over 200 young people across Brent.
  •  Stacks is delivered to 26 young people across Brent.
  • Create Change is delivered to over 25 young people in Brent
  •  BANG develops a partnership with Roundwood School and Community Centre.
  • BANGIN’ Youth Club created and organised by 3 young people.