Born from community. Built for men.
Mindful Mavericks CIC was registered in September 2024 to fill a gap that existing services weren't filling — men from marginalised communities falling through the cracks, unseen and unsupported. Not a reaction. A response built from years of seeing the need.
Faiz
Mohamud
Mindful Mavericks wasn't built from a business plan. It was built from lived experience — over 12 years working at the front line of education, employment, and community development, and repeatedly watching men fall through gaps in provision that was never designed with them in mind.
Faiz brings a rare combination of deep community roots and institutional credibility. He spent 8 years teaching internationally, building cross-cultural expertise that informs everything we do. At Waltham Forest Council he led community engagement work that delivered real impact — including overseeing the launch of the highly successful Online Community Directory, managing a network of over 100 borough stakeholders.
He also ran his own Career Coaching practice, supporting students, clients, and job seekers to build the skills and confidence to enter fulfilling careers. He now works at Multiverse — one of the UK's leading EdTech organisations — coaching high-level clients in AI and data-driven approaches to professional development.
Mindful Mavericks is not a passion project. It is a deliberate response to a systemic gap — built on professional expertise, community trust, and a conviction that every man deserves a fair shot.
"I saw the gap. I'd seen it for years. Men from our communities — talented, resilient, determined — with nowhere to go that truly understood them. Mindful Mavericks is the answer I wished existed."
From idea
to impact.
CIC Registered
Mindful Mavericks Community Interest Company formally registered in England & Wales. A CIC structure chosen deliberately — community purpose locked into the legal constitution, not bolted on as an afterthought. The mission is the model.
Registered · England & WalesFirst Sessions, Waltham Forest
Our first community sessions launched in Waltham Forest — bringing together men from across East London for employability workshops, peer conversation, and the beginning of something real. No pilot mindset. Full commitment from day one.
Waltham Forest · Active5K Steps & Snapshots — Pilot
Our walking and photography project piloted across Lambeth and Waltham Forest — combining physical activity with creative expression and the simple power of men walking together, talking, and documenting their world on their own terms.
Lambeth & Waltham Forest · PilotMastering AI: Practical Skills for Modern Life
A six-week online workshop series equipping participants with practical AI skills for everyday life and work. Accessible, jargon-free, and designed to close the digital confidence gap for men facing barriers to employment.
Online · 6-Week ProgrammeThe Football Catch-Up
Our most consistent online offering — a weekly Monday evening space for men to connect, share, and support one another. Football as a conversation starter. Community as the real result. Running continuously since August 2025.
Online · Every Monday EveningStep Forward Saturdays
A weekly community initiative at Leytonstone Library combining structured career development workshops, peer support, and open access to resources. Held every Saturday — low barrier, high impact.
Leytonstone Library · Weekly5K Steps & Snapshots — Official Project
The official funded project — supported by Groundwork London and Waltham Forest Giving — bringing together men from across the borough for weekly 5K walks combined with photography workshops, peer conversation, and community celebration.
Grant Funded · Waltham ForestFour values.
Non-negotiable.
These aren't words on a wall. They're the decisions we make when no one is watching.
Community First
Every decision — every programme, every partnership, every allocation of resource — starts with one question: does this serve the men in our community? Not the funder. Not the report. The community.
Integrity Over Performance
We report what's true, not what looks good. If a programme isn't working, we say so and change it. Our credibility is built on honesty — especially when honesty is uncomfortable.
Practical Over Theoretical
We design for the real world — for men who need a job, not a framework. Every session and outcome measure is grounded in what actually changes lives, not what looks impressive in a theory of change document.
No Man Left Behind
We don't triage. The man who is hardest to reach is the one we work hardest to find. Outreach is not a box to tick — it is the foundation of everything we build.
Theory of
Change
Three stages. One unbroken chain from contact to transformation.
Reach
We go where marginalised men already are — community spaces, mosques, job centres, local groups. No waiting for referrals. Active, culturally competent outreach that meets men in their world, on their terms.
Engage
Trust is built through consistent presence, honest conversation, and programmes that deliver real value — not tick-box interventions. Men engage because it is worth their time, not because they have been referred.
Transform
Skills, confidence, community, and employment outcomes — measurable change that lasts. Men become advocates, peer supporters, and the next generation of community leaders who reach others.
Recognised &
Supported By
Partnership & funding enquiries: info@mindfulmavericks.org.uk
Want to support
our work?
Whether you are a funder, a volunteer, or someone who simply believes in what we are building — there is a place for you here. Let's talk.