Barnet Young People’s Festival 2026

I had the absolute pleasure of co-organising and hosting the Barnet Careers Festival on Wednesday 18 March along with my colleagues from BELS and partner organisations BOOST and Middlesex university.

It was a spectacular event with around 30 employers including Shaw Trust, DWP, Barnet Mencap, Protocol and Prospero Teaching organisations and Barnet library to name but a few and a visit from Cllr Anne Hutton. The feedback from the attending organisations were positive and many of them enjoyed the Middlesex venue which was particularly idyllic with open space and cosy atmosphere. Cllr Anne Hutton said ‘I thought the mix of stalls with different information was very good…’

The turnout was excellent with over 300 young people, including parents, carers and teachers and there was a steady flow throughout and managed well by BELS, BOOST and Middlesex university. The system of scanning QR codes upon entry helped us to capture data of trends and demographics to help us to record ages, personal contact and help us plan for future events.

The event included live music by Sound Hub, who were Barnet Mencap volunteers which offered a relaxing and ambient atmosphere. There was CV scoring offered by BOOST.

Thanks to BELS staff who offered careers/ employment advice by qualified advisers Kwon Pang and Herbert Mcleod, Jules Dunlop Manager of Supported Internships from BELS had a stand and offered tailored advice on this.  Thanks to Claudette Adomako for your support on the day and ensuring things ran smoothly. Thanks to our newly appointed project officers, Eitan Cantor and Hassan Karim, with support from Steffi Armor from BELS who had the grand task of signposting employers for refreshments and directing the young people to organisations.

I would like to say a huge thank you to Jasmine West for her efforts in preparing for the event, offering sound advice and tips and support on the day with preparation and clearing away at the end. Jasmine also captured the event with amazing photos of which I am including.

Thanks to all involved who helped to make this event a truly spectacular and successful event.

Eugenia Mmireku

Senior Employment Adviser, Mentor Barnet Education and Learning Service Co-organiser of the Barnet Careers Festival March 2026