Creative courses to build confidence, gain new skills and improve well-being for young people aged 10-16
As part of the"HeadStart" project, we are happy to offer the following weekly after school sessions :
Tuesdays: Creative writing-Focus on writing for screen and theatre -
4pm to 6pm @The Well Centre
6.30pm to 8.30pm @The Froud centre
Wednesdays: Film, animation + Digital arts - Focus on Documentary making 4-6 @The Froud Centre
Thursdays: Film, animation + Digital arts - Focus on Documentary making 4-6 @The Well Centre
Saturdays: Specialist Arts + Crafts - Focus on Screen Printing
1pm to 3pm @The Froud Centre
4.30pm to 6.30pm @The Well Centre
Here's what HeadStart looks like!
HeadStart with Aston-Mansfield from Aston-Mansfield on Vimeo.
Get in touch if you would like to find out more or to join in:
Email [email protected] Call/text: 07788 214 019
Who we work with
SALMAGUNDI FILMS: www.salmagundifilms.co.uk. Digital Arts, Film and Animation: @SalmagundiFilms
Salmagundi Films is a not for profit arts organisation founded in 2004 by Zoe Flynn and Bo Chapman and based in Stratford, East London. They work across the community, using film, digital arts and stop frame animation as a platform for creative expression - to give people a voice.
MAXWELL GOLDEN: www.maxwellgolden.com. Creative writing, Lyrics and Spoken Word: @MaxwellGolden
One of UK’s finest examples of the breadth of Hip Hop artistry. An accomplished theatre writer, director and dramaturg (supported by the likes of National Theatre and Soho Theatre). A charismatic actor and a Slam Poet champion with abundant freestyle rap skills.
JENNIFER DUTTON: Specialist Arts and Craft @thelittlestudio1
Jennifer studied Graphic Design BA (Hons) at Camberwell College Arts and discovered her passion for printmaking and 'Book Arts'. She’s been an Artist / Printmaker at Skylark Galleries for seven years and works from her studio in Essex; she runs 'The Little Studio' offering workshops and private Tuition.
Funded by: 
The CIU provides handy fact sheets for new voluntary and community groups, they are free to download and can be accessed here.
Resources for Management Committees
Induction procedure for management committee
Planning a Project or Activity
What is Independent Examination
Roles and Responsibilities of the Management Committee
December 2024 - We had a brilliant time at our Christmas Meal on Wednesday. It was a great opportunity for the whole team come together and celebrate the year.Read more
How well do you know Newham? Put your knowledge to the test with this fun Newham Quiz. Watch the video or download the free quiz sheet.Read more
December/January - Our closure dates for the Christmas period at Aston-Mansfield Community Centre.Read more
Thursday 21st November 2024 - Young people and local professionals join Aston-Mansfield to hear the thoughts of over 500 young people.Read more
November 2024 - We celebrated and said goodbye to many of our dedicated and valued volunteers and thanked them for all their hard work.Read more
After ten years, Claire Helman, our CEO will be leaving Aston-Mansfield just before Christmas.Read more
October 2024 - October is Black History Month in the UK. This year’s theme is Reclaiming Narratives – a focus on listening to the stories and voices of Black individuals and communities.Read more
Welcome to our Impact Report – your chance to see how we supported children, young people and families in Newham between 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024.Read more
October 2024 - With both sadness and hope, the Durning Hall site is being sold to developers. The sale of the site will secure the future of Aston-Mansfield in NewhamRead more
We've been having a brilliant time over July and August continuing our activities with MOTIV, our programme for young people, by young people.Read more
We had such a brilliant time with our children's work this summer - enjoying exciting activities and special trips, including to the seaside and Lambourne End Centre. Read more
Monday 26th August 2024 - Durning Hall, Aston-Mansfield Community Centre and our Charity Shop will be closed for the Bank HolidayRead more
Wednesday 17th July 2024 - Charities, community organizations and local services came together to support health and well-being at the Newham Community Health Fair.Read more
We have been having a brilliant time in May and June at MOTIV - our new programme aiming to provide meaningful, fun and positive activities for young people, by young people.Read more
6th & 27th May - Our Community Centres, Durning Hall and Aston-Mansfield Community Centre will be closed for the May Bank holiday.Read more
Saturday 30th March 2024 - our youth team invited friends, family and the local community to join them in breaking their fast at our Community Iftar.Read more
January to March 2024 - Over January, February and March 2024, we ran a Warm Haven at our community centre in Manor Park.Read more
March/April 2024 - Come and celebrate Ramadan with us! Host your Iftar & Eid parties at our community centres!Read more
March 2024 - Get out of the cold and come along to our Warm Haven at our Community Centre in Manor Park.Read more
November/December 2023 - Young people develop project management skills as part of Aston-Mansfield’s Project Management MasterclassRead more
November 2023 - Maintaining positive mental health in the face of distressing news and gloomy weather is crucial for overall well-beingRead more
December & January 2023/4 - Check out below our community centres and charity shop closures for the Christmas and New Year's period 2023/4.Read more
November 2023 - We're developing a range of workshops to support small charities, community groups & non-profit organisations. And we want to hear from you!Read more
October is Black History Month in the UK and this year’s theme is Saluting Our Sisters – a theme which pays homage to black women who had their contributions ignored, ideas appropriated, and voices silenced.Read more
22nd September 2023 - We sat down with Kate to learn more about her volunteering journey, what she likes about volunteering, why she does it, and what she would say to those considering volunteering for the first time.Read more
4th September 2023 - Aston-Mansfield is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion throughout the organisation and all of the work that we do. Read more
August 2023 - We are excited to announce that the Fitter Finance Programme (FFP) has been successfully funded by City Bridge Trust for four more years.Read more
Welcome to our Impact Report – your chance to see everything we have been up to last year from 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023.Read more
18th July 2023 - Sonal is a dedicated member of our volunteer team who is celebrating 5 years of volunteering at Aston-Mansfield. We sat down to chat with her to learn more about how and why she started volunteering, the difference it has made to her life, and what she hopes to do next.Read more
July 2023 - We want to give a massive congratulations to the children’s team who met all requirements with no recommendations at their unannounced Ofsted Inspection in June.Read more
July 2023 - We are looking for a host person or family in east London, who can rent a room to our international volunteer whilst they volunteer with us.Read more
June 2023 - In June, our youth team took a group of young people on a trip to Cambridge, to enjoying punting on the River Cam and to visit the Cambridge Central Mosque, Europe’s first eco-friendly mosque.Read more
19th June 2023 - Aston-Mansfield continues to support local families by converting the Little Manor Supermarket into a new Food Club.Read more
7th June 2023 - We sat down with our dedicated volunteer Marlene, to hear about her experiences volunteering, how she got involved, why she does it and what she has gotten out of it.Read more
In 2022, AMCT awarded a grant to Saint Matthias Church to support a new community music project for children and young people.Read more
15th-21st May 2023 is Mental Health Awareness Week! It’s a chance to talk, share and learn more about how everyone can work towards good mental health.Read more
20th April 2023 - We want to say a massive thank you to the London Marathon Foundation under the Active Spaces grant they have awarded us a grant of £50,000 to ensure we keep at least 70 Newham children and young people fit and active whilst participating in our play offer.Read more
On the 1st, 8th, and 29th May, Durning Hall, Aston-Mansfield Community Centre and our Charity Shop will be closed for the Bank Holidays.Read more
4th March 2023 - We are delighted to be able to award a local Charity and a Community Interest Company almost £2000 as seed grants towards their work.Read more
31st March 2023 - Today the Fitter Finance Programme (FFP) comes to its natural close, celebrating five years of supporting many small grass roots groups in Newham.Read more
On Tuesday 21st March 2023, at Stratford Youth Zone, the youth team hosted the Elevate Networking Event.Read more
Thursday 16th February - our youth team ran the Elevate Development Day, an interactive day for young people focused on helping them learn essential interview and assessment centre skills.Read more
Tuesday 20th December 2022 - We had a fantastic time at our Christmas Party, with staff, volunteers and trustees joining together to celebrate the end of the year. It was a great time to catch up, get to know each other better and enjoy delicious food.Read more
22nd November 2022 - We had a great time at our staff and volunteer away day. It was a great chance to team-build and catch up with one another.Read more
7th-11th November was Trustees Week - a time to come together to celebrate the achievements of nearly 1 million trustees across the UK.Read more
Impact Report - Over 2021-22, Aston-Mansfield delivered services to 400 young people and140 children. Find out more in our 2021-22 Impact Report.Read more
24th September 2022 - Over 200 people came together from all ages and cultures, to enjoy Culture Fest - a youth-led social action event!Read more
Through Community Connector intervention LBN reviewed the case and were able to rehouse the family into a more suitable accommodation conducive enough for the whole familyRead more
23rd September 2022 - We were so excited to be able to award two small BAME community interest companies (CIC) almost £2000 as seed grants towards their work.Read more
15th September 2022 - We are so proud to have signed-up to Newham’s Young People’s Charter as part of our continued commitment to children and young people. Read more
5th September 2022 - Aston-Mansfield celebrates continued commitment to Real Living Wage by becoming accredited as a Living Wage Employer.Read more
2nd July 2022 - We had an excellent time at the Forest Gate Festival – a community celebration of Forest Gate and beyond.Read more
23rd June 2022 - We had a great time at our Staff Away Day on Thursday 23rd June. Staff, Trustees and Volunteers got together to team build and socialise.Read more
8th June 2022 - Our SKY (Skills, Knowledge in Youth) project looked to strengthen young people’s employability skills and boost their confidence.Read more
8th June 2022 - Aston Mansfield is delighted to announce that the charity has achieved the London Youth Bronze Quality Mark Award for 2022 to 2025.Read more
Read more
Read more
Read more
Read more
Read more
Read more
Read more
Read more
The children and staff have thoroughly enjoyed their summer of fun, and we hope to see many of them in our afterschool programme that runs throughout the year.Read more
It’s great to see young people engaged in their activities while also making friends.Read more
On Saturday the 14th, we attended the annual Forest Gate Festival. At our very busy stall, we had arts and crafts, games, and more!Read more
Supporting young people is at the heart of everything we do, if you are experiencing any issues then please get in touch with one of the following helplines. Read more
In the wake of the youth murders that have happened in Forest Gate, a community meeting organised by local residents took place on May the 14th at Durning Hall.Read more
This Easter, we ran four extra sessions for the young people in our Transitional Youth Project.Read more
Aston-Mansfield alongside other local organisations have played a key role in establishing One Newham. The One Newham vision is to put the people of Newham at its heart. Read more
We had students attend from a range of different colleges such as Havering Sixth Form college and Newtec. They were passionate, intelligent and very enthusiastic! Read more
We celebrated the wonderful collaborative work UCL researchers and voluntary organisations have done over the past six months. Read more
A new and exciting programme we have created to support voluntary organisations in Newham. Read more
A delicious 3-course serving on keeping your heart healthy!Read more
The highlights of our NEW Transitional Youth Project, an exciting 2-day holiday programme looking at building successful young adults.Read more
With kind support form Lalit & City Harvest, Little Manor enjoyed a gourmet meal as part of their latest Big Sleepover!Read more
The Little Manor Loves Hearts project, funded by Heart Research UK, continues at a pace. There are several elements to the project – all delivering informal learning opportunities about different activities and behaviours that can keep our hearts healthy. These are formed of:Read more
At Aston-Mansfield, we believe in the power of partnership and creating community among organisations with whom we share some of the same aims and values. Read here about The Magpie Project, what they are doing to tackle homelessness in single mothers and how we've helped out. (written by Jayne Williams of The Magpie Project)Read more
Our first SupaPlay Saturday of the year went off with a ...SQUIDGE! Read more about our monthly free family events, designed to encourage community cohesion, adventure and a love of outside play!Read more
Back in October, the children at our After School Club kicked off the Little Manor Loves Hearts programme funded by Heart Research UK. The programme aims to educate and inform the children on how a healthy lifestyle can contribute to a healthy heart and the long-term benefits this yields. The activities are delivered in an exciting and fun way.Read more
During the Easter holidays, children from the Little Manor Play Project got to channel their inner interior designer and try their hands at DIY home décor by creating their own mosaic mirrors. A great big thank you to staff from Willis Towers Watson who gave their time to come and support this activity!Read more
A round up of a very Aston-Mansfield summer, including the action packed six week long youth and children's programme!Read more
July and August were all about raising money for our Young Achievers Group for young disabled people in Newham. With an online campaign and a star studded art auction, we have been able to raise lots of funds to support our group!Read more
A real community get together! Thank you Forest Gate for a wonderful day and for helping to raise funds for our hall!Read more
Strange things were going on in the Sports Hall at the Froud Centre on Monday 15th February.Read more
One of our main focuses across our work with Children is health and wellbeing, another is learning through play. Cycling is a brilliant way to combine the two!Read more
Voluntary action that benefits others – how can that not be powerful?Read more
Aston-Mansfield has been standing strong and helping to build stronger communities for over 130 years, we are looking to you to help us to do more. A few words from Claire Helman, our CEO.Read more
A new way to find English lessons and ESOL courses in the borough of Newham.Read more
A little insight to our action packed half term with our Little Manor group. Never a dull day with activities and fun filling every moment!Read more
Aston-Mansfield has been working with the Prince’s Trust to help spruce up Durning Hall. We are really grateful to the Prince’s Trust from Newham College for the amazing job they did painting around Durning Hall.Read more
We are delighted that our children's work recently had an inspection where we achieved the highest possible rating for a part inspection.Read more
On Wednesday we marked the 25th anniversary of the opening of our Froud Community Centre with a packed day of activities.Read more
SupaPlay Saturdays are a series of exciting and free drop-in play events for primary school aged children and their families.Read more
In Manor Park, Newham, we run The Froud Centre, a purpose built community centre which shares the building with St. Michael’s & All Angels Church.Read more
We are delighted to be celebrating the 25th Birthday of our Froud Centre next month, and to celebrate we will be throwing open our doors to the local community on a Wednesday afternoon!Read more
The latest SupaPlay Saturday reached new heights as children and parents made unique pieces of art by launching paint rockets high into the air resulting in a satisfying splurge of paint onto their canvasses below!Read more
We are grateful to the 99 people who backed our campaign for Paris and helped us exceed our target of £6,000! We couldn’t have done it without you.Read more
A whopping 70 people turned up last night at Stratford East Picture House for our community screening of the film, Pride.Read more
In case you’ve somehow missed it, we’re crowdfunding to raise funds for our LGBT youth group, Paris.Read more
Join us for a community screening of the Pride film to help raise money for ‘Paris‘, our LGBT Youth Group. We’re pleased to say our screening is now confirmed!Read more
Saturday saw the launch event for our Crowdfunding campaign. Clapton Ultras, the supporters group for Forest Gate football team Clapton FC, planned & ran a Football vs. Homophobia match against Basildon complete with rainbow flares, flags & awesome pies!Read more
We’ve launched a campaign for our ‘Paris’ group, the only group in Newham dedicated to the needs of LGBTQ (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender or Questioning) youth.Read more
February half term was full of a whole range of activities for the Little Manor Play scheme!Read more
An event for the whole voluntary and community sector in Newham. Run in partnership with The Forum for Health & Well-being we will be hosting an event for the voluntary and community sector in Newham.Read more
We have a funding surgery coming up on Wednesday in partnership with The Refugee Council’s ‘Supporting RCOs’ Project.Read more
On Wednesday 18th February, some of our young people from our Harold Road youth session volunteered at a community event held at Queens Road market in Green Street.Read more
Come to this free event organised by the Financial Conduct Authority on Tuesday.Read more
Last Saturday our Young Achievers Group (YAG) enjoyed a ‘Get up and Groove’ session from East London Dance at our Froud Centre.Read more
The CIU provides a whole range of services to voluntary and community groups in Newham.Read more
This Newham session is a practical training workshop for groups that want to or already work with young volunteers (under 18).Read more
Join us for our upcoming event at Durning Hall about highlighting the situation of new communities through recent research.Read more
As part of our SupaPlay Saturdays, we have a special event coming up this Saturday at our playground in Manor Park.Read more
Last Saturday we had our first SupaPlay Saturday at Toronto Avenue Playground in Manor Park. It kicked off with our “Sparkly Fun – smells like a bonfire” event.Read more
The children at Tendercubs Pre-School & Day Nursery, which is held in Durning Hall celebrated Diwali in style, dressing up in traditional costume for the event on October 24th.Read more
More than 500 organisations across East London are now using Echo to save money, increase capacity, build their profile and win commercial work.Read more
Aston-Mansfield, in partnership with Safe Network will be hosting an interactive training session for voluntary, community and faith organisations working within children and young people in Newham.Read more
We are entering an exciting new phase, with the appointment of a new Chief Executive, and the development of a new strategy. As part of our growth plans, we are looking for a number of new trustees.Read more
Always wanted to learn how to write creatively? Want to get some expert tips and inspiration from an award-winning author?Read more
We have just come to the end of another great summer programme for both our projects with young people and children.Read more
At Aston-Mansfield we have a Street Growing Project with our own community garden based at the Froud Community Centre.Read more
The BIGSleepover dilemma: How could we keep 50 children entertained for 20 hours, overnight, before being picked up by their grateful and refreshed parents and carers?!Read more
At Aston-Mansfield we love all our volunteers, but on Friday 2nd August we had a few more than normal!Read more
Here we celebrate some of our current volunteers and see what they have got up to during their time with Aston-Mansfield.Read more
Aston-Mansfield has launched a new crowd-funding initiative to try and raise £25,000 for or local children in the London Borough of Newham.Read more
Throughout the course of the Olympic period Aston-Mansfield and staff kept their doors open to the local community, celebrating our rich diversity and the games that were just on our doorstep.Read more
Research done by the CIU prior to 2010.Read more
In 2000, Aston-Mansfield was created by the merger of two organisations – Aston Charities Trust and The Mansfield Settlement – with long-standing links to Newham and east London.Read more