BelEve: The charity empowering young girls to lead

Following the sudden death of their mother, three sisters – Marsha, Chyloe and Rochelle Powell – felt inspired to start BelEve, a charity that empowers young Black girls to dream, fulfil their potential and become leaders. Since its launch in 2012, BelEve has grown into a charity that runs numerous programmes, has generated over £1million and has, over the years, supported 30,000 young girls. Keep The Faith spoke with Marsha Powell about BelEve’s origins, its impact on young girls’ lives and her hopes for the future.

KEEP THE FAITH (KTF): Your mother’s passing was the catalyst for creating BelEve UK. Can you share how that personal loss inspired the vision for the charity and transformed your grief into purpose?
MARSHA POWELL (MP): Losing our mum was the most devastating experience of our lives. She was only 52 when she passed away, and suddenly my sisters and I found ourselves navigating adulthood without the person who had always been our greatest source of love, guidance and belief.

In the midst of that grief, we kept returning to one question: What happens to girls who don’t have someone in their corner? Our mum believed fiercely in us. She taught us to dream bigger than our circumstances, and to never allow anyone to define our potential. We realised that not every girl has that voice of encouragement in her life.

BelEve was born from that realisation. What started as a way to honour our mother’s legacy became a movement dedicated to ensuring girls have access to the support, opportunities and role models they need to thrive.

KTF: You speak about the importance of having a positive female role model. What were some of the most important lessons your mother instilled in you that helped shape BelEve’s mission today?
MP: Our mum taught us that who you are matters more than what you have. She raised us to be resilient, compassionate and ambitious. She believed education was a pathway to opportunity and constantly reminded us that our circumstances should never determine our future.

Perhaps the greatest lesson she taught us was the power of service. That philosophy sits at the heart of BelEve today. She also taught us to lead with integrity. At BelEve, we don’t simply want girls to achieve success; we want them to become confident, emotionally healthy leaders who lift others as they climb. Everything we do is rooted in the values she modelled every day.

KTF: BelEve UK supports girls and teens through mentoring, leadership programmes, clubs and workshops. What are some of the success stories you’ve witnessed over the years?
MP: There are so many stories that stay with me. I’ve seen girls who arrived, unable to make eye contact, go on to become youth ambassadors, university students, and leaders in their communities. I’ve watched young women, who doubted their abilities, secure internships at major organisations, gain employment, and develop careers they once thought were out of reach. One of the most powerful transformations is often invisible. It’s the girl who learns to use her voice. The girl who begins to believe she belongs in the room. The girl who starts making decisions based on her own aspirations rather than other people’s expectations.
Over the years, we’ve supported more than 30,000 girls and young women. While the statistics matter, it’s those individual journeys of confidence, identity and self-belief that remind me why this work is so important.

KTF: Young girls today are navigating pressures from social media, identity, mental health challenges and peer influence. In your view, what are the greatest challenges facing girls today, and how does BelEve help them overcome those obstacles?
MP: Social media has created opportunities for connection, but it has also intensified comparison, anxiety and unrealistic expectations. Many girls are struggling with confidence, belonging, emotional well-being and a sense of identity.

At BelEve, we focus on what we call readiness. We help girls develop the emotional, social and leadership skills they need to navigate life’s transitions with confidence. We create safe spaces where girls can explore who they are, build healthy relationships, learn to advocate for themselves, and develop a strong sense of purpose. Our goal isn’t simply to help girls cope with challenges. It’s to equip them to thrive despite them.

KTF: Your charity has grown into a major organisation with a turnover approaching £1 million. What were some of the key decisions, sacrifices or breakthroughs that helped you scale BelEve from an idea into a nationally recognised charity?
MP: One of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt is that passion alone is not enough. To create lasting impact, you need systems, strategy and sustainability.

We made a conscious decision to move beyond delivering programmes and focus on building an organisation that could create long-term change. That meant investing in governance, strengthening our team, improving our impact measurement, and developing strategic partnerships. The biggest breakthrough came when we stopped thinking about how many girls we could reach and started thinking about how we could transform the systems around them. That shift has helped position BelEve as a trusted voice in conversations about girls, leadership, education and readiness for the future.

KTF: How do you maintain your sisterly bond while also managing the demands of leadership and decision-making together?
MP: Working with my sisters is one of the greatest privileges of my life. We share a common purpose, a deep trust and a commitment to honouring our mother’s legacy. Like any leadership team, we don’t always agree. Healthy challenge is part of effective leadership. What helps us is having clear roles, mutual respect and a shared understanding that we’re all working towards the same outcome.

We’ve learnt that family and business require different conversations. Sometimes, we need to put our leadership hats on, and sometimes, we simply need to be sisters. At the heart of it all is love, trust and a shared belief in the mission.

KTF: What role has faith played in your personal journey and in sustaining the work of BelEve UK?
MP: Faith has been an important anchor throughout my life. It has helped me navigate loss, uncertainty and some of the most challenging moments of my leadership journey. For me, faith is not simply about belief; it’s about purpose, hope and service. It reminds me that leadership is about stewardship and that the work we do should ultimately be in service of others.

There have been many moments when the challenges felt bigger than the resources available, yet doors continued to open and opportunities continued to emerge. Faith has given me the resilience to keep going and the perspective to remember that impact is often built one life at a time.

KTF: Mentorship is central to your programmes. Why is it so important for young girls to have access to women who can guide, encourage and champion them?
MP: You cannot aspire to what you cannot see. Mentors provide something incredibly powerful: possibility. They help young people see a future version of themselves that may not yet feel achievable.

For many girls, particularly those who may face barriers linked to race, gender or socioeconomic background, access to strong female role models can be transformational. Mentorship helps bridge the gap between potential and opportunity.


KTF: For readers who may be raising daughters, mentoring young people, or working in communities, what practical advice would you give about helping girls build confidence, self-worth and leadership skills?
MP: First, focus on who girls are becoming – not simply what they achieve. Second, create opportunities for them to make decisions, solve problems and learn from mistakes. Confidence is built through experience, not praise alone. Third, expose them to diverse role models and experiences that expand their sense of what’s possible. Finally, listen. Many young people don’t need adults to have all the answers. They need adults who are willing to hear them, value their perspective and walk alongside them. Confidence grows when girls feel seen, heard and believed in.

KTF: What are your hopes for BelEve UK in the next five to ten years, and what legacy do you hope the charity will leave for the next generation of girls and young women?
MP: My hope is that BelEve becomes recognised not only for empowering girls but for fundamentally changing how we support them. I want BelEve to help shape national conversations about what girls need to thrive in school, work, and life.

In five to ten years, I hope we have influenced systems, strengthened communities, and supported many more thousands of girls and young women. The legacy I hope we leave is simple: a generation of girls who know their worth, understand their power, and have the confidence, skills and opportunities to lead their worlds.

If BelEve helps create that future, then we will have honoured both our mother’s legacy and the potential of every girl we serve.

Visit www.beleveuk.org