StoryNova is the work of writer and mentor Oluchi Madu
Oluchi Madu set up StoryNova Community Interest Company with the aim to support young people, families, and underrepresented communities.(Image: Oluchi Madu)
A community interest company is launching in Hull in a bid to help young people, families and people from underrepresented communities. Oluchi Madu, 45, says she wants to help people “tell their story” having set up StoryNova CIC, which will open on Saturday.
The initiative, which currently has six volunteers, will initially operate from St Stephen Community Hall on Greatfield Estate, but intends to branch out into schools and into The Freedom Centre off Preston Road. It will offer a programme of activities and workshops covering youth development and leadership, confidence building and personal development and creative expression, among other topic areas.
Storytelling will be a key theme in StoryNova’s work as it encourages participants to realise their potential through mentoring. Oluchi, who also runs an online personal development academy, explained: “StoryNova CICI was created because I know that every human being has a story. But not everybody has a platform or an opportunity to tell their story.
“These stories come in different ways. It can come as an experience, as an expression of talent, and through gifts but many do not have the opportunity to tell their stories. So, we decided to create a platform here where people can express their stories confidently, without any judgement and in the process discover their gifts.
“Understanding their gift is important for their future and for being a valuable asset in their community.”
The programmes – which also cover family and community engagement, digital media and arts – will be open to whoever is interested. Oluchi added: “This is an inclusive programme that is open to everybody. If there’s a story you want to tell or a talent you want to explore – this is a platform on which to do all those things. It’s not restricted to a specific set of people.”
Oluchi says her efforts are inspired by a conversation with her dad who suggested some people were destined to be wealthy, while others were destined to be poor. Taking issue with the premise, the businesswoman and writer – who has penned a number of books – set out to prove it wrong and help others to tap into their own talents.
She added: “It dawned on me that my inner talent is a gate, a seed of wealth creation. I know that everybody is blessed with talent, and everybody can tap into that to become exactly who they want to be.
“That’s my story, and what I want to sell to the world. I want everybody to understand that whatever they have inside, they can develop it, create wealth and be great with it.”
A launch event for StoryNova CIC is taking place on from 10am on Saturday, August 8 at St Stephen Community Hall, 96 Annandale Road, Greatfield Estate. The event will bring together community leaders, educators, councillors, families, young people, and local organisations.
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