King's Trust Award for teens after incredible gesture - 'people were struggling'
After the loneliness of lockdown, two 14-year-olds pledged to bring people together. The result is a King's Trust Awards-winning hub that has become the heart of their community
When Nathan Campbell and Ronnie Walters entered Year 7 at their high school, Dixons Unity Academy in Leeds, secondary education was very different to how they pictured it. It was 2020 and as the country was placed on lockdown they, and the rest of the school, were sent home where they were stuck trying to continue their education, make new friends and adjust to their new environment.
The experience was so unnerving and isolating that when they were challenged to devise an ethical business as part of their business studies BTEC in Year 9, when they were 14, the pair knew what to do: they needed to create a place that brings people together.
Unity Community was born, initially in their school's unused woodworking room, and as it outgrew that space, in the old library. Two years on, it's a thriving hub that opens its doors every Friday to people in the community, mothers and babies, fellow students, and anyone who's looking for some company.
Tea and coffee are on offer, along with free food donated by nearby supermarkets Aldi and Morrisons, while Greggs also contributes pastries. There are toys for little ones to play with and a uniform and clothes swap. In short, it's the kind of place that every community needs, and it was conceived by two young men with a sense of empathy and awareness that is far beyond their, now, 16 years.
'One of the main issues after Covid was isolation,' says Ronnie. 'People were struggling - they were at home, by themselves and separate. The community needed something that could bring them back together but somewhere they could also get what they needed.'
Their memories of lockdown are still fresh. 'The transition from Year 6 to 7 was non-existent,' says Nathan. 'We were thrown in the deep end. It was chaos - separate classrooms, bubbles and isolation.'
With two parents working on the NHS frontline who then had to self-isolate at home to reduce the risk of infection, Nathan felt the loneliness of Covid keenly. 'I was so desperate because I was stuck doing homeschooling and wondering, 'why can't I see my mum and dad? Why do they have to be in their rooms for a solid two hours?' I thought that if I'm feeling like that, other people will be feeling it too.'
Meanwhile, Ronnie's lockdown started earlier than his peers. 'I have asthma so I had to be off school for longer. I was sent home three or four weeks before everyone else.'
The friends took part in the 2023 inter-school competition, the King's Trust Enterprise Challenge, and although they didn't win, they continued on with the hub and have seen it grow into a weekly fixture, largely thanks to word of mouth.
'We started out being part of the then Princes' Trust Enterprise Challenge,' Nathan says. 'We had to set up a sustainable business and it had to be ethical at the same time. We came up with this idea for a community place, so people could come together and support each other.'
The result is that they have won the 2025 The King's Trust JD Foundation Community Impact Award, which has partnered with the Mirror this year. The duo attended an awards ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall which was attended by stars including George Clooney, his wife Amal Clooney, Kate Garraway, Tasha Ghouri, Sam Thompson and Jamie Laing.
A teacher at the Unity Academy, Angie Germain, takes care of the day-to-day running of the hub since Nathan and Ronnie are in lessons, but they still take whatever time they can to attend.
Open to the community, a representative from the DWP is there every week to help people with form filling; recently 50 Hub-goers joined a litter pick, and there's now a timetable of events including one of the regulars, who's a sushi chef, giving a sushi masterclass.
Ronnie got his first taste of business negotiation when he sat in meetings with Greggs and Morrisons, who donate fruit and veg to reduce the impact of food waste in Leeds. While Nathan, who was inspired by a Second World War poster with the phrase, 'Make do and mend', brought the school's old sewing machines out of storage and put them to good use.
'People can bring any sort of damaged clothing in for repairs. People do bag repairs too, so if your school bag is torn they'll help mend it,' he says. 'I thought, why waste something perfectly useful when it will cost something when it's bought completely new?'
They've enjoyed their partnership. Ronnie says: 'We were looking at the overarching problems and we built on each other's ideas. We always get along and don't seem to say anything that goes against each other.'
What's next for Unity Community? 'A big push is getting a kitchen area to try and teach cooking skills,' says Ronnie, who hopes to become a teacher. And even though the youngsters are coming to the end of their time at the high school, they still pledge to remain involved in the Hub.
Ronnie, who will be doing teaching work experience at his old school and lives close by, says, 'I'll stay as connected as possible. Nathan, who sees a future career in history or politics, adds: 'I want to be a part of it for as long as possible, for the long term. I couldn't predict that it would go as far as it has already. It could keep growing and growing.'
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If you're on a low income and a parent, you may be able to get up to £442 a year in Healthy Start vouchers to use at the supermarket too. Plus, many councils offer supermarket vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund.
