Our Story

The Prospering Place is founded and managed by Abena Akom, who is a Registered Nurse of 13 years with a huge passion for helping others.

Abena grew up in a household, where her mum who is a Registered Nurse, Midwife, Health Visitor and also an approved Teenage Foster Carer for Birmingham Children’s Trust. Her mum has been fostering for 26 years, alongside her nursing career and Abena helped with housing the young people in Foster care and Supported Lodgings. In 2016, Abena’s mum won a Recognition Award from the Birmingham Children’s Trust for going above and beyond, in caring for the young persons in her care. In 2019, she also won a long service Award. She has fostered over 60 teenagers from all ethnic backgrounds.

Abena has worked as a Nurse manager within the NHS and she has also worked as a Safeguarding Lead and Clinical Nurse specialist for services which provide sexual health services specifically to young people who are at risk of Child Sexual exploitation (CSE). She has also worked in criminal justice settings with offenders, including those with drug, alcohol and mental health issues.

Abena is passionate about helping others and volunteered in a children’s home in St Louis, United States of America, for six months on her gap year before going to University. She has also done several mission trips to different parts of Africa between 2015 and 2019 including Swaziland, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, where she has volunteered her skills to render help to people including orphans in some of the poorest communities. She has also been involved in creating health promotion programs for young people and adults. Abena has volunteered with charities that provide semi-independent provision in the UK.

The Prospering Place was created with a vision for young people to prosper and progress. We believe that young people should be given a chance to reach their full potential regardless of their backgrounds and to be given opportunities to learn and be inspired.