Love Not Hate Young Stars of London Unites Communities to Support Youth Mental Health

CROYDON April 29: The ‘Love Not Hate Young Stars of London’ fundraising event, organised by the Manju Shahul-Hameed Foundation for Mental Health, successfully took place on Saturday 28th March 2026 at Royal Russell School, Croydon, bringing together communities from across London in a powerful celebration of unity, youth talent and mental health awareness.

The event showcased the talents of nearly 150 young performers from across multiple London boroughs, supported by hundreds of volunteers and sponsors, and raised £4,260 to support mental health initiatives for young people. Building on previous years, this year’s event expanded to a London-wide platform, addressing the rise in knife crime and youth violence while promoting positivity and community cohesion.

Performances were delivered by organisations from across London, including 808 Dance, Bollybeat London Dance Academy, Chicaffians, Croydon Music & Arts, Duffus Community Foundation, KCWA Trust, Mr & Miss Teen Nigeria UK, Pantonic Steel Orchestra, Pushpalata Dance Company, Sherry Music Academy, Taylor’s Martial Arts, The Boury Academy, Ukrainian Social Club and UK China Performing Arts, showcasing the rich diversity and talent of the capital. Guests were welcomed by a beautiful harp performance, with young people also entertaining audiences through poetry and song as they arrived at the auditorium.

The evening opened with an interfaith prayer led by Father Andrew Dovey, Dr Andrew Brown, Aima Noor Adil, Mrs Kuldip Kaur Nandra, Nitin Mehta MBE and Mr Gurjant Singh. The special guest for the evening was Anisa Khan (BBC’s The Apprentice Finalist 2025). Distinguished speakers included Civic Mayor of Croydon Cllr Richard Chatterjee, Sarah Jones MP, Colonel Ray Wilkinson, Executive Mayor of Croydon Jason Perry, Professor Stella Vig, Marvin Francis, Anthony Williams, Karen Green Stewart, Daberechi Njoku, Cllr Cumar Sahathevan, Cllr Rowenna Davis, Cllr Stuart Collins and Cllr Dr Manju Shahul-Hameed. A special message was also received from the Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Office.

A key highlight of the event was the panel discussion on ‘Community-Led Solutions to Violence Affecting Young People’, chaired by Tyler Thompson, with contributions from Chris Mathew, Detective Inspector Donna Caesar, Rosemary Watt-Wyness, Dr Arokia Antonysamy and Lillian Campbell, who was accompanied by a young person.

The event was also attended by past Mayors Cllr Alisa Flemming, Cllr Sherwan Chowdhury and Cllr Humayun Kabir, alongside councillors including Cllr Karen Jewitt, Cllr Eunice O’Dame and Cllr Janet Campbell, reflecting strong civic and community support for the initiative.

“Events like Love Not Hate show the power of community in supporting our young people and breaking the stigma around mental health,” said Toni Letts OBE, Chair of Manju Shahul-Hameed Foundation for Mental Health. Speaking at the event, Cllr Dr Manju Shahul-Hameed highlighted the importance of unity, compassion and collective action in addressing youth violence and mental health challenges.

The event was made possible through the generous support of sponsors including Wates Family Enterprise Trust, Arke Capital, AR Media Ltd, London Flooring, Chai Kadai and The Phoenix Way. Through performances, discussions and community engagement, ‘Love Not Hate Young Stars of London’ once again demonstrated the strength of partnership working in building safer, stronger and more inclusive communities.