North London Food & Culture

Life Tips: Alison Naftalin, 33, Charity founder


1. If possible, take a year’s break from your job. In 2008 I set up my charity Lively Minds following a two-month volunteer placement in Ghana. I wanted to give children living in poverty some of the opportunities that we have here in the UK. I took 12 months off from my career as a Government Lawyer to return to Ghana, and then Uganda, to try to make these ideas a reality. For just £3000, I set up ten Play Centres, reaching over 1200 children and training 250 volunteers. There are now 37 Lively Minds Play Centres across Ghana & Uganda changing lives for over 6,500 children and volunteers per year.

2. Talk to everyone. I started chatting to a stranger whilst watching a football match on my first trip to Ghana. He was really enthusiastic and wanted to get involved. David’s now my Country Manager and runs all our projects as well as four others in Ghana.

3. Always seek out the best local. I love going to the Tuesday night Pub quiz at The Oxford in Kentish Town. It’s a great way for me to wind down with friends after a hectic day at the office. The first time I visited both Ghana and Uganda, I made sure to find an alternative local hangout there. And now every time I go back I have a place where I can feel at home.


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4. There are cheap solutions to many problems. Although the challenges are enormous, simple methods can dramatically improve the quality of life for children living in poverty. In the UK alone over £3.4 billion is spent on pre-school toys; resources unavailable in the villages where we work. So our local staff teach communities simple activities such as counting games made from bottle tops.

5. If you don’t ask you don’t get. I never thought my employers would allow me to go from working full time to 4 days a week, giving me a free day to volunteer and run Lively Minds from my flat on Oseney Crescent. Always ask!

6. Listen to children playing. I live opposite Cantelowes Gardens and love to hear kids in the park. We’re lucky to have fantastic green spaces in Kentish Town such as Talacre Gardens and of course the Heath so nearby – plenty of opportunities for our children to learn through play. I wanted to try and give these opportunities to those I work with in Africa too.

7. Buy local. I always favour the fantastic green grocers and independent shops all along Kentish Town Road. I ensure that the communities Lively Minds work with support their local trades in the same way, and source materials for our play centres from local carpenters and markets nearby.

Words: Julia Scodie. Julia is fundraising manager for Lively Minds.


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