Alex Lumsden spent years embedded in academy-level youth football training — and got tired of the pressures that particular route can place on kids. Knowing there’s so much more to the self-development and life skills that football can offer, he wanted to move into community-centric football.

Andy Hoang has a background in science teaching and learning technologies — and a lifelong love of LEGO. “The plan had always been to open up some sort of LEGO Robotics kids’ activity, but I had a stable job, kids and a mortgage to pay, so it had never come to fruition,” Andy shares. Then, during the Covid pandemic, he ended up working back in a school. “The only part of it I enjoyed was running my LEGO Robotics club. And I saw how bad computing education has got in schools. I thought: Wait a minute, I can make a living out of this. I really enjoy it. And I can make a difference in schools by taking in my knowledge and my kit.” That was 3.5 years ago, and Andy’s business Beyond Blocks has grown quickly since. From just two kids in their first term, they were running four full classes within a year. Fast forward to now, and Beyond Blocks has a team of four teachers, runs after-school clubs in London schools and other venues, and runs daytime sessions for schools as part of the curriculum. They do events, too: full-day sessions during schools’ coding weeks across the UK, plus corporate events. All getting kids — and adults — involved in programming, engineering and design through LEGO.

Maree Waller runs Musical Bumps Croydon, offering music sessions for babies, toddlers and preschoolers across her London neighbourhood. In her local church hall, nurseries, children’s centres and preschools, her sessions support language development through song and musical play. As children engage and happily sing along, their social and emotional development is supported, too.