As the local elections approach a London charity is inspiring young people to engage with grass roots politics.

The Patchwork Foundation was set up in 2011 by a group of people including chief executive Imran Sanaullah.

Working with 18 to 30-year olds, it is a non-partisan charity and runs activities for young people who have never been engaged in politics including door knocking and leafleting.

Mr Sanaullah said: “The unique thing about the programme is it’s a way to get people to engage with all political parties.

“It’s not about people finding one politician they can engage with but getting them to engage in the whole political process.”

Three particular people who have been inspired to interact with politics at a grass roots level after working with the Patchwork Foundation are Muhammed Ravat, Hannah Angel and Jack McAteer.

Mr Ravat, 24, grew up in Zambia and now studies politics and international relations as well as working for the Office of National Statistics.

He became more politically active in 2015 in the run-up to the 2016 London Mayoral elections and met members of the Patchwork Foundation at a Labour campaigning session.

After becoming involved with the charity he was accepted onto its Masterclass programme in 2017.

This gives young people from under-represented, deprived and minority communities of all backgrounds the chance to engage dynamically with experts in the political field.

He said that politics affects society on so many levels, adding: “People think about it in terms of all the big politicians but so many people do politics at a grass roots level.

“Young people really need to get involved, they need to speak up for themselves, nobody can do it for them.

“If you’re not on the table you can’t expect people to voice your concerns.”

In January 2018 the Labour campaigner joined the Patchwork Executive team which runs the programme and oversees the charity’s work.

The charity uses online platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to attract young people and said that since last year’s general election 800 people have signed up to work with the charity.

It was when Mr McAteer, 19, was scrolling through his Facebook newsfeed that he discovered the Patchwork foundation and decided it was something he wanted to get involved with.

He said: “Now I have joined Patchwork I know I want to work closely with the Liberal Democrats.”

Mr McAteer has done activities such as campaigning with Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat London Assembly member and is hoping to study politics at Birmingham University.

He added: “Politics works better for young people when they can see themselves being engaged in it, not just see politics through people on the television.”

Ms Angel was inspired to work with the Patchwork Foundation after her brother had been involved with the group.

She has always been a Conservative Party supporter but after campaigning with Justine Greening before last year’s General Election in her Putney constituency with the Patchwork Foundation she loved having the opportunity to engage with residents.

She said: “It was like seeing a world I had never seen before.”

The Conservative campaigner is now a project manager with Patchwork and aspires to work in politics in the future.

Ms Angel said: “If young people get involved in politics they can start making a change.

“Regardless of the party you are following there are some great candidates out there that need your vote.”