About YOUNQ
You Never Quit CIC: Building leaders. Breaking limits.
Get to know YOUNQ
Our vision is rooted in practical empowerment, mentorship and discipline. We help young people take control of their future by teaching them the mindset and life skills needed to thrive.
From school classrooms in South East London to outdoor challenges and fitness camps, we meet young people where they are and unlock the leaders within them.
Why YOUNQ exists
Too many young people grow up without access to the guidance, opportunities and positive influences that help them reach their potential.
Limited positive male role models
A shortage of visible, grounded, supportive mentors to guide boys and young men through critical formative choices.
Negative environmental influences
Street dynamics, peer pressure and social pressures pulling young talent toward destructive pathways.
Low confidence and self-belief
Internalised doubt and past failures masking natural abilities and holding young leaders back from striving.
Limited financial education
Little to no early schooling on money management, credit, saving, investing or sustainable business habits.
Lack of direction and purpose
Unclear pathways into meaningful careers, enterprise or purposeful adulthood without actionable roadmaps.
Limited access to constructive activities
Underfunded community spaces and lack of accessible sports, challenges and creative outlets outside school hours.
These challenges are connected, so we address the root causes, not just the consequences.
Mission
"To empower young people, particularly boys and young men from disadvantaged communities, with the mindset, resilience, discipline, practical life skills and positive role models they need to overcome adversity and build fulfilling lives."
Vision
"A future where every young person, regardless of background or circumstances, has the confidence, knowledge, support and opportunity to reach their full potential."
Our values
Seven foundational principles that guide every session, partnership and interaction.
Resilience
The inner strength to recover from setbacks, adapt and keep stepping forward.
Discipline
Doing what needs to be done with consistency, focus and self-respect.
Responsibility
Taking full ownership of our words, decisions, outcomes and community.
Leadership
Leading by positive example, uplifting peers and serving those around us.
Courage
Stepping into the unknown, facing difficult truths and refusing to surrender.
Community
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder, building safe networks and leaving nobody behind.
Growth
Continuous mental, physical and moral evolution each and every day.
What makes us different
Not just a sports programme. Fitness is a tool for discipline and confidence.
Not just financial education. Money is connected to responsibility and independence.
Not just mentoring. Mentors are backed by challenges and real-world skills.
Never about fixing young people. Always about unlocking their potential.
Michael Akinfisoye
Michael grew up around Lewisham and Southwark, where he saw first-hand how limited opportunities, negative influences and a lack of positive role models can shape a young person's path. Fitness, entrepreneurship and personal development changed his own direction.
After building businesses and working in coaching and mentoring, he founded YOUNQ to give the next generation the guidance, discipline and belief that made the difference for him.
Growing up, he saw how easily a young man's energy could be channelled in the wrong direction when there was no one to guide it. Training, discipline and the people who believed in him changed that. He built businesses, learned the value of financial independence, and spent years coaching and mentoring young people through fitness and personal development.
YOUNQ brings all of that together. It is the programme he wishes had been there for him, built around the belief that every young person already has what they need inside them. The work is simply to help them see it, harness it and use it.
"Every young boy has a fire burning inside him, and just like as we see in life, fire steal, kill and destroy but when harnessed in the right way as with the sun, it can light up the whole world. Our mission is to help every young boy harness that fire and turn it into light."
Michael Akinfisoye • Founder, YOUNQ (You Never Quit CIC)
Governance and Safeguarding
YOUNQ is registered as You Never Quit CIC, a Community Interest Company limited by guarantee. As a CIC we exist for community benefit, and an asset lock governs how our assets are used.
Want to be part of it?
Whether you are a young person ready to break your limits, a school seeking transformative workshops, or a partner who believes in early intervention, there is a place for you.