Celebrating 20 Years of NASSA

Tate & Lyle Sugars attends the 20th anniversary celebration of NASSA

At Tate & Lyle Sugars, we’re proud to support local organisations that make a tangible and lasting difference in our community. One such partner is NASSA (National All Star Skills Academy), which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary at a special event in Silvertown.

Held at the Brick Lane Music Hall – just a stone’s throw from our own Thames Refinery – the evening brought together 150 guests, including community leaders, business supporters, and local politicians, to reflect on NASSA’s two decades of dedication, growth and ongoing work with young people across London.

NASSA, which has supported over 100,000 young people since its founding, also used the evening to unveil its new name: National All Star Skills Academy. While the name has changed, the mission remains as powerful as ever — to mentor, support, and empower young people, while reducing crime and strengthening communities across London.

Speakers included NASSA Founder and CEO Natasha Hart MBE, Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms MP, Member of Parliament for East Ham, and Unmesh Desai, London Assembly Member for City and East. The event also featured stories from young people who have participated in NASSA programmes, offering insight into the organisation’s impact at a personal level.

“It is hard to believe that our journey is now 20 years old. In that time, NASSA has supported over 100,000 young people, which in turn has had a positive effect on their families, friends, and the communities in which they live.” Natasha Hart MBE, CEO of NASSA

We also enjoyed a delightful music hall performance — a nod to the venue’s vibrant past as a church, now transformed into a hub for performance and community.

As a long-time supporter of NASSA and a business deeply rooted in the East London community, we are immensely proud of the work Natasha and her team continue to do. Their focus on youth development aligns with our own values of opportunity, inclusion, and making a meaningful local impact.

We congratulate NASSA on reaching this 20-year milestone and look forward to seeing how the organisation continues to evolve to meet the needs of local communities.