The work and its reach

Change starts with a conversation. Then comes action.

From speaking openly about mental health to creating opportunities in his community, Kofi Josephs has spent years asking a simple question: Why Not I? His work is about helping people see what is possible—and taking practical steps to make change happen.

See the community work Get in touch

Kofi Josephs speaking with people at a community event in an auditorium

Community conversation

Three ways the work takes shape

Speaking and advocacy

Honest conversations informed by lived experience, reaching audiences across education, sport, healthcare, workplaces and communities.

Community action

Initiatives Kofi organised or helped bring to life, using sport, connection and practical support to respond to needs around him.

National campaigns

Contributing his voice and experience to wider suicide prevention conversations through The Royal Foundation and NHS Greater Manchester.

Direct speaking reach

Rooms, not audiences.

50+

Speaking engagements across education, sport, healthcare, workplaces and communities.

Around20,000

People reached through Kofi’s talks, workshops and sessions over the years.

Speaking themes, formats and testimonials

Community action

Taking the message into the community.

Why Not I has also meant organising, showing up and creating opportunities beyond the speaking stage.

Kofi Josephs standing on the repainted Summerfield Park court, seen from above through the hoop — Summerfield Park, Birmingham

The community basketball court

A tired basketball court in Summerfield Park, Birmingham, was refurbished with a street art design by Kofi and Zuke, which Kofi hand-painted himself. The repaint marked the launch of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games West Midlands ticket ballot in July 2021.

The court was officially opened with Great Britain captain Myles Hesson, Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, Leader of Birmingham City Council Ian Ward and Birmingham-born athletics figure Mark Lewis-Francis in attendance. It remains open for everyone to use, as a landmark in the park and a legacy of the Games in the heart of the community.

Read the Hoopsfix report

The finished court in blue, yellow and purple street art design, viewed from the baseline — The repainted playing surface and backboard.

The yellow half of the court design with purple and white geometric shapes — The design runs across the full surface.

Close-up of the court's hoop and hand-painted Birmingham 2022 backboard — The Birmingham 2022 backboard artwork.

BBC News segment on the court renovation.

Why Not I Workout

Why Not I Workouts brings mental health education to life by using activities people are passionate about. Whether through sport, creativity, or other shared interests, the approach is simple: by teaching mental health in meaningful, relevant ways, it sparks real understanding and personal growth.

In 2025, Kofi hosted some of England and Great Britain’s brightest junior and senior basketball talents — both boys and girls — for a powerful day of elite training and mental resilience. Supported by partners including Nike, Optima Performance, Rezzil, Macclesfield Performance, Carbon Theory, GymSpin, and Jerk Junction, the activation combined physical challenge with emotional insight.

Why Not I Workouts is about more than performance — it’s about building stronger minds, healthier lives, and empowering the next generation through what they love most.

Why Not I Workout 2025 — elite training and mental resilience.

Kofi Josephs sharing a meal and conversation with people at the Coffee 4 Craig soup kitchen event — Coffee 4 Craig

Homeless soup kitchen event

The Wings of Hope activation in partnership with Coffee 4 Craig brought together donations from brands and individuals to provide food, clothing, hair cuts and mental health support to people experiencing homelessness.

Kofi was there throughout, sharing meals and conversation rather than simply handing out provisions. The event was a practical response to an immediate need, grounded in the idea that dignity and connection matter as much as the items being given.

100+People served at this event.

Wings of Hope at Coffee 4 Craig — food, clothing, hair cuts and mental health support.

Manchester Royal Children’s Hospital Christmas event

Kofi and the Why Not I team brought the Wings of Hope activation to Manchester Royal Children’s Hospital during the festive season. With generous donations from brands and individuals, they provided food, toys, clothes, hair and makeup, and uplifting conversations about mental health.

The highlight was seeing children feel special, supported and cared for. The activation reflects Kofi’s mission to bring hope and inspiration to those who need it most, ensuring every child experiences joy and connection, especially during the holidays.

200+Presents distributed to kids, staff and parents.

Kofi Josephs giving a Christmas present to a child at Manchester Royal Children’s Hospital — Manchester Royal Children’s Hospital

Selected speaking work in practice

A few rooms, in detail.

Read the full accounts

Westholme School

Two visits, with approximately 800 students attending the main amphitheatre talk on each visit, alongside other student and teacher sessions across the days.

HMP Buckley Hall

Kofi shared his story and led a basketball session. Mike Mulligan reported that Kofi’s background helped establish trust, and that participants and staff gave outstanding feedback.

NHS work with children and young people

Tamika Steadman described how Kofi’s talk helped children see hope and the value of the right support.

Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue

Niall Grosvenor described Kofi spending time building trust with the young people before the session began.

National campaigns

Taking the conversation further.

Campaign and broadcast audiences are separate from the direct speaking reach above and are not combined with it.

The Royal Foundation

On Your Side

Kofi is one of a number of contributors to The Royal Foundation’s “On Your Side” suicide prevention campaign, drawing on his experience as an athlete and mental health advocate. The campaign encourages people to recognise when someone may be struggling and to begin a conversation.

View the campaign source

NHS Greater Manchester

Shining a Light on Suicide

Kofi shared his personal experience in NHS Greater Manchester’s Shining a Light on Suicide campaign, speaking openly about the challenges that can sit behind outward success and the importance of reaching out for support.

Watch Kofi’s Story of Hope Watch the ITV News Granada report

What connects the work

A question he asks of himself, too.

Kofi Josephs speaking on stage at a global corporate health conference

The through-line is straightforward: honest conversations, visible role models, spaces where people feel they belong, and practical action when something needs doing.

Kofi still competes as a professional basketball player, and the same question sits behind both halves of his work. Why Not I is not only something he puts to an audience — it is the question he has had to answer himself, repeatedly.

None of this is offered as proof that everyone who hears him takes action, or that a soup kitchen event solves homelessness. Short-term engagement does not evidence long-term change. What it does show is a consistent choice to turn up, speak plainly and build something where he can.

Get involved

Be part of what happens next.

Enquiries are welcome about speaking, community collaborations and relevant campaign contributions. Tell Kofi what you have in mind and he will come back to you directly.

Contact Kofi Explore speaking

Direct enquiry

Kofi@whynoti.co.uk