BelEve, a girls’ social mobility charity founded by three sisters following the death of their mother, has now supported more than 30,000 girls and young women, as its founders call for greater investment in the next generation of female leaders.
Built on the belief that every girl has the potential to shape her own future, BelEve is working to ensure that a girl’s circumstances, background or access to opportunity do not determine how far she can go.
At the heart of its mission is a simple but powerful message: girls are not problems to be fixed, but potential to be invested in.
Sisters Marsha, Chyloe and Rochelle Powell founded BelEve in 2012 after losing their mother, Delores Diana Hay, to a rare form of cancer the previous year.
Having experienced first-hand the transformative power of a strong female role model who taught them courage, self-belief and the importance of using their voices, the sisters created BelEve to give other girls access to the same encouragement, guidance and support.
Fourteen years later, BelEve has supported more than 30,000 girls and young women, delivered 18,758 workshops and sessions and provided 1,320 girls with mentoring and guidance. Across its work, 91% of girls report feeling positive about their future.
BelEve Co-Founder and CEO Marsha Powell said: “When our mother died, we had to decide what to do with the love, courage and belief she had poured into us. BelEve was our answer. It began as a way to make sure other girls could experience positive female role models and the confidence to use their voice.
“Fourteen years later, that mission has grown into a movement. We want girls not only to dream about opportunity, but to have the tools, networks and support to step into it.”
Based in Brockley and working across London – including Lewisham, Bromley, Greenwich and Southwark, BelEve supports girls and young women aged 8 to 22 through mentoring, school programmes, leadership development, career insight, work experience and access to positive role models.
The charity recognises that while talent and ambition exist everywhere, access to opportunity, support and professional networks is far from equal.
From navigating friendships and identity during adolescence to making GCSE choices, moving into further education and considering future careers, girls face important transitions that can shape their confidence, aspirations and sense of what is possible.
BelEve believes that investment must begin before these defining moments arrive, helping girls build the skills, relationships and opportunities they need to navigate change and make informed decisions about their futures.
Rather than telling girls who they should become, the charity creates the spaces, experiences and support networks that allow them to discover their own potential.
Its ambition is not simply to inspire confidence, but to equip girls with the agency to advocate for themselves, build healthy relationships, recognise opportunities and take an active role in shaping their own lives.
The charity is now calling on businesses, schools and funders to think differently about when investment in girls should begin.
BelEve argues that organisations concerned about future female leadership cannot wait until young women reach higher education or enter the workplace before addressing inequalities in access to opportunity, networks and positive role models.
Instead, it is championing earlier, sustained support that grows alongside girls, from their primary school years through adolescence and into adulthood.
BelEve Co-Founder and CFO Chyloe Powell said: “Girls need more than a moment of inspiration. They need guidance, exposure, mentoring, real-world experiences and people who believe in them before the world asks them to prove themselves.
“Today, our focus is on long-term investment and making sure girls have the support and opportunities they need to shape their own futures.”
Through its workshops, mentoring, leadership programmes and career experiences, BelEve is building a pathway of support designed to respond to girls’ changing needs at different stages of their lives.
Its approach also extends beyond the individual girl, working with schools, communities, employers and partners to address the environments and barriers that influence young women’s opportunities.
The charity believes that lasting change cannot depend solely on encouraging girls to become more resilient. It also requires investment in the systems, relationships and opportunities surrounding them.
BelEve has worked with organisations including: Artemis Investment Management, Kerv, Meta, Untold Studios and the Fast Stream Gender Equality Network to give girls access to workplaces, professional role models, mentoring and career insight.
These experiences can be particularly important for young women who may otherwise have limited exposure to senior professionals, industries or career paths outside their immediate networks.
Marsha Powell added: “If businesses are serious about future leadership, social mobility and gender equity, they cannot wait until girls reach the workplace. The foundations are built much earlier.
“BelEve is inviting partners to help girls become ready for the opportunities ahead of them. That means investing in their voice, confidence, skills, networks and ability to navigate the world they are growing into.”
BelEve’s work also includes specialist school workshops addressing challenges faced by young people, alongside its established mentoring, leadership and workplace programmes.
The charity is now inviting more businesses, schools, funders, mentors, volunteers and community partners to help expand access to these opportunities and invest in the next generation of female leaders.
Fourteen years after three sisters turned personal loss into a mission to support other girls, BelEve has grown into an organisation championing a future in which young women are not simply prepared to participate in the world around them, but empowered to shape it.
Its ambition is simple but significant: all girls and young women empowered to become leaders of their world.
BelEve’s Impact At A Glance
- Founded in 2012
- 30,000+ girls and young women supported
- 18,758 workshops and sessions delivered
- 1,320 girls provided with mentoring and guidance
- 91% of girls report feeling positive about their future
- Supports girls and young women aged 8–22
- Works across schools, communities, mentoring, leadership development and career
