Why Directional CIC’s ambassadors matter beyond their names

When your child is struggling with school, attendance, confidence or behaviour, it is natural to look closely at the adults and role models around the organisation offering support.

A list of ambassador names can sound impressive, but most parents and carers want something more grounded than that. They want to know whether those people are active, credible, and likely to bring something meaningful to young people’s lives.

Directional CIC’s work centres on alternative provision, school outreach and community programmes for young people, alongside a referral process for those who may need support.

In this update, we have focused on ambassadors where there is a clear recent public example worth sharing. The point is not simply to celebrate individual success. It is to show the different kinds of example young people can learn from.

Aaron Fontaine: using creativity to strengthen safeguarding

Aaron Fontaine is currently directing Trenches, a County Lines educational VR film being created with Bedfordshire VERU and RiVR for local schools. The project is designed to help vulnerable young people understand the risks and signs of exploitation.

That matters because many families know safeguarding messages are important, but they also know young people do not always respond to formal warnings or classroom talk in the same way. Creative work can sometimes reach a child more clearly. It can help difficult subjects feel real, understandable and harder to ignore.

For Directional CIC, that kind of ambassador support matters because it connects creativity with protection, awareness and real-life decision making. It shows young people that the arts are not separate from serious support. Sometimes they are part of how serious support actually works.

Cole DaSilva: showing the value of staying ready

At the start of March, Cole DaSilva scored the winning goal for Bishop’s Stortford in a 1-0 result against Halesowen Town. Match reports described him as the player who made the difference in a tight game.

For a young person who has had a difficult time in school, that kind of example can be powerful. Progress does not always look dramatic. Sometimes it is about continuing to show up, staying sharp, and being ready when the moment comes.

That is one reason sporting ambassadors can matter around Directional. They do not just represent talent. They represent discipline, patience and the idea that one difficult period does not define everything that comes next.

Jordan Thomas: proving that growth does not stop after success

Jordan Thomas was named as the main event headline for Total Kombat 2, broadcast live on ITVX from London in September 2025. ITV’s press release positioned him as the lead athlete on a major card.

That matters for young people because it shows something deeper than achievement on its own. It shows continued growth. Even when someone has already built a name for themselves, they still have to keep developing, adapting and handling pressure.

For young people who have lost confidence, become disengaged, or started to believe they are stuck, that example can matter. It reminds them that progress is not always about getting everything right early. Sometimes it is about what happens when you keep building.

Daniel Olan: turning personality into something constructive

In February 2026, Daniel ‘Olan’ Olaniran was announced as one of the hosts of the 2025 AiMCO Awards in Sydney, with coverage highlighting both his content work and the success of the What’s The Go podcast.

That may seem very different from school support on the surface, but it speaks to something many young people need to hear. Communication, humour, confidence and presence are not throwaway qualities. When they are shaped properly, they can become real strengths.

A lot of young people struggle partly because their abilities do not always fit neatly into narrow academic boxes. Daniel’s example widens that picture. It shows that personality still needs discipline and purpose, but it can absolutely become something valuable.

Daisy Souster: showing the importance of thoughtful communication

In September 2025, Daisy Souster was named as one of the mentees in the Women in PR and PR Week mentoring programme for 2025 to 2026, listed there as a Public Relations Specialist at Daisy Craydon PR.

That may be a quieter example than a public performance or a sporting result, but it still matters. Good organisations need people who know how to communicate clearly, represent others responsibly, and keep developing professionally.

For parents and carers, that kind of example is worth noticing. Trust is shaped not only by what support is offered, but by how an organisation communicates, how carefully it presents its work, and whether it takes its responsibilities seriously.

Why this matters for families

What stands out across these examples is not fame for its own sake. It is substance.

There is safeguarding work. There is discipline under pressure. There is communication, creativity, resilience and professional growth.

For many young people, seeing adults use their strengths well can be more powerful than being told to simply work harder or behave better. It can help them picture a future version of themselves that feels more possible and more real.

How Directional CIC may be able to help

If you are reading this because your child is struggling, the main point is not simply that Directional CIC has ambassadors. It is that the organisation offers practical support around alternative provision, school outreach, mentoring-led engagement and referrals for young people who may need a different kind of help.

That support will not look the same for every young person. For some, the need may be around engagement with learning. For others, it may be around behaviour, attendance, confidence, safeguarding concerns or finding a more suitable pathway.

What often matters most at the start is having the right conversation with people who understand that young people are rarely helped by judgement alone.

A gentle next step

If your child is becoming harder to reach, more anxious about school, less engaged, or caught in patterns that are starting to worry you, it may help to look more closely at Directional CIC’s work and get in touch.

You do not need to have everything worked out before making contact. Sometimes the first useful step is simply asking what support might look like from here.