That Peckham Boy: Growing Up, Getting Out and Giving Back

’Kenny’s story shows us that we all have the potential to achieve extraordinary things. What a hero.’ Bear Grylls

’If you are compelled by a hero’s journey, then Kenny Imafidon is a hero for this generation.’ Simon Sinek

For fans of Poverty Safari and Skint Estate, That Peckham Boy is a real-life manifesto calling for positive change for those on the fringes of society.

’When you’re writing the story of your life, make sure you’re holding the pen. In this life you can be whoever you want to be.’

Two days after his eighteenth birthday, Kenny Imafidon was charged with the murder of a seventeen-year-old boy in south-east London. The middle child of a single mother with ambitions for her children, Kenny grew up near an estate in Peckham where deprivation and hopelessness were rife, and gang culture flourished in his community. Kenny faced a minimum of thirty years behind bars - longer than the life he had lived.

When the case against Kenny collapsed, he quickly realised that his name was still inextricably linked with a horrific crime he hadn’t committed. He decided to rewrite his story. It began with The Kenny Report, which he delivered to the House of Commons and which detailed the experiences of marginalised young people who drift into gangs, and has led to extensive work with charities, communities and policy-makers that is helping to change the narratives of other young people just like Kenny.

A candid and unfiltered take on some of the most challenging topics that define our times, That Peckham Boy is a personal manifesto exploring what it means to be young, Black and poor in the city. It is shaped by Kenny’s difficult childhood, his transformative time in prison, and the people and conversations that took him from being on trial for murder into the company of some of the most successful people in the world.

Kenny Imafidon is a social entrepreneur, political commentator and activist. He is the co-founder and managing director of ClearView Research, which specialises in research and engagement projects focused on diverse and underrepresented communities. Kenny has written influential and award-winning publications and has led innovative partnerships with global brands such as Uber, Tinder and Deliveroo on campaigns to get young people registered to vote and to turn out in elections. Kenny is a trustee of several charities, including BBC Children in Need. In 2022 he was featured in Forbes’ annual 30 under 30 list for Social Impact.