When Louise Dizo-Turay joined a creative workshop with Mango LDN, she didn’t expect it would lead to a job she loves. Thanks to Islington Council’s Full Potential programme, she’s now building a career that reflects her passions.

“I was briefly in local authority care when I was younger but returned to live with my family a few years ago. After finishing college, I went to university and then decided to take a gap year to explore my interests in content creation and creativity. 

I wanted to develop my skills beyond retail work and build a career that reflects my passions and potential. 

That’s when I found a flyer for a three-week content creation workshop with Mango LDN. We covered sound design, filmmaking, podcasting, photography and video editing. It was a great chance to network with others from similar backgrounds, make new friends, and build a strong relationship with Mango LDN’s founders, Chantelle and Nathan. 

One day, Femi from Islington Council’s Virtual School visited and told me about the Full Potential programme. It came at the perfect time – Mango LDN had an opening for a marketing and administration executive. Now, I work four days a week. 

It doesn’t feel like work – I love what I do! I’m the first point of contact, so my day-to-day includes organising bookings, replying to emails, posting content for Mango Studios, and writing blogs for the website. I’ve met so many amazing people from different backgrounds. I really enjoy this and plan to keep going!” 

Care-experienced young people often face greater barriers to getting on in life. As their corporate parent, Islington Council created the Full Potential programme to support them with paid internships, bespoke work-readiness training, and opportunities to gain functional or vocational skills – helping them prepare for jobs and careers. 

Want to get involved?

• If you’re an Islington young person aged 17–25 with care experience, email YouthEmploymentTeam@islington.gov.uk to find out more. 

• If you’re an inclusive employer who can offer entry-level work placements for young people in Islington, contact Jo Greenhouse in the council’s Inclusive Economy team at Jo.Greenhouse@islington.gov.uk.