Raising Aspirations in Portsmouth, Gosport, Havant & Fareham: Why Role Models Matter More Than Ever
In Portsmouth and the surrounding areas, young people grow up surrounded by contrast. A city rich in history, culture and community spirit also faces real challenges around inequality, opportunity and expectation. For too many young people, aspirations are shaped not by what is possible, but by what feels immediately visible. When horizons feel narrow, ambition can quietly shrink. At Politely Rebellious Next Gen CIC, we exist to challenge that narrative and to remind young people that their future does not have to be limited by their postcode, their background or the assumptions placed upon them.
Raising aspirations is not about telling young people to “dream bigger” without understanding the realities they face. It is about creating spaces where young people feel seen, heard and believed in, and where they can connect with people who show them that different paths are possible. This is where role models and lived experience sit at the heart of our work. Reflecting on this as our 3rd cohort for VOYCE commences on Thursday is paramount in ensuring we stay on track and committed to our initial business plan and goals.
Politely Rebellious Next Gen was founded on the belief that young people respond best to authenticity. Our directors and role models are not distant professionals delivering lectures; they are people with real stories, real setbacks and real journeys. Many have faced barriers similar to those experienced by the young people we work with. Some have navigated education systems that did not work for them, struggled with confidence or identity, or grown up without seeing people like themselves in positions of leadership. What makes them powerful role models is not perfection, but honesty. As one role model explains, “I didn’t grow up thinking people like me became leaders. I grew up thinking success was for other people. Being able to stand in front of young people now and say that honestly really matters.”
In our work across Hampshire schools and alternative provisions, we see first-hand how transformative representation can be. When young people meet adults who speak openly about challenge, failure and resilience, it disrupts the idea that success follows a single, narrow and linear route. It opens up conversations about choices, values and self-belief. Aspiration becomes something rooted in reality, not fantasy. One role model reflected, “Young people don’t need someone pretending they’ve got it all figured out. They need to know that it’s okay to struggle and still move forward.”
Our directors, and non-executive directors, play a key role in this process. As leaders of a community interest company, they model what it means to build something purposeful, ethical and rooted in community need. They demonstrate that leadership does not have to look a certain way, sound a certain way or come from a certain background. For young people, particularly those who feel disconnected from traditional institutions, seeing leadership that feels accessible can be a powerful catalyst for change. As one director shared, “If I had seen someone like me running an organisation when I was younger, it would have changed how early I believed in myself. That’s what we’re trying to offer now.”
Equally important are our role models who work directly with young people in assemblies, workshops and mentoring spaces. These individuals bring lived experience into the room in a way
that is safe, supported and age-appropriate. They do not position themselves as “experts” talking down to young people, but as people walking alongside them. This creates trust. Trust creates engagement. Engagement creates the conditions where aspiration can grow. One role model described it simply: “The moment a young person realises you’re not judging them, that’s when they start listening and that’s when they start believing in themselves.”
Raising aspirations is also about challenging harmful norms that young people absorb from the world around them. In Portsmouth, as elsewhere, young people are navigating a digital environment filled with pressure, comparison and mixed messages about success. Quick wins, risky behaviours and unrealistic lifestyles are often presented as the norm. Through our work, we encourage young people to think critically about these messages, to question who benefits from them and to consider what success actually means for them as individuals. As one role model noted, “We talk a lot about what success actually looks like day to day, not just what social media tells you it should be.”
Politely Rebellious Next Gen takes a non-judgemental approach to these conversations. We are not here to tell young people what to be or how to live. Instead, we create space for reflection, discussion and exploration. Our role models share their own experiences of decision-making, influence and consequence, helping young people understand that choices matter, but also that mistakes do not define them. This approach builds confidence and agency, which are essential foundations for aspiration.
Portsmouth’s young people are not lacking in potential. What they often lack is consistent access to people who believe in them and reflect back their strengths. By embedding role models and directors into our delivery, we ensure that aspiration is not treated as an abstract concept, but as something that can be nurtured through relationships, representation and relevance.
As a CIC, our commitment to Portsmouth and the surrounding areas goes beyond individual projects. We are invested in long-term change, in building capacity within communities and in supporting young people to see themselves as active participants in shaping their futures. Raising aspirations is not a one-off intervention; it is an ongoing process that requires patience, humility and trust. We are proud to be part of that process. Through our role models, our directors and our work with young people, we are quietly, consistently challenging low expectations and opening doors to possibility.
Not by telling young people who they should be, but by showing them who they could be.
Keshia Stewart
Founder & Managing Director