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Author: Lynne Haigh

Meet The Team: Ryan Cross

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

Name: Ryan Cross

Job Title: Lead Anchor Coordinator

Date joined YCC: November 2020

Tell us a little about yourself:  I have 2 daughters and I am an actor and a musician… so I keep myself busy.

Your role in a nutshell: The community anchor work is about identifying gaps and supporting all manner of groups and proactive individuals in Batley and Spen to create varied and sustainable activities. We do this by offering peer support, helping with applications, finding volunteers, facilitating collaboration and managing a huge network of incredible local providers.

Why do you like working for YCC? I like knowing that the work that I am doing makes an impact on the local community. This is the greatest benefit of my work!

What’s one of your favourite work memories?  It’s hard to pick one – every time I see one of the groups I’ve been supporting it feels incredible. I guess I have a collection of favourites.

And finally, what advice would you give to people considering working at YCC?  Be prepared to work hard, but feel extremely rewarded for it

If you would like to learn more about YCC, click HERE.

Service Spotlight: Accident Prevention eLearning

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

This free training course is designed to raise the awareness of parents, carers, and practitioners of the causes of childhood accidents, by teaching adults how to reduce risks and keep children safe.

Unintentional childhood injury results in over 2 million visits to A&E in the UK and over half of these injuries occur in the home. On average 62 children under the age of five died as a result of an accident and over 76,000 under the age of 14 are admitted for treatment, of which over 40% are under 5 years of age.

This e-learning course enables parents, carers and practitioners to:

  • Identify risks in the home and elsewhere that are the common causes of childhood accidents
  • Describe steps you are able to take in order to reduce the risk and prevent childhood accidents
  • To be confident in making changes or supporting families to make changes, to keep children safer.

The training takes approximately 30 – 40 minutes to complete. On completion you will receive a certificate.

If you are a parent or carer of a young child or children or a professional working with/supporting young children, we strongly advise you to complete this training to develop your knowledge on child accident prevention. This will enable you to go on to make a difference in reducing childhood accidents in Kirklees.

Anyone with an interest in developing their knowledge on child accident prevention. There is no eligibility criteria for accessing this training.

Thank You So Much: Hopeful Families Celebration Event

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

At the end of January YCCs Hopeful Families team attended the Pluss and Hopeful Families Celebration Event at St John Smith’s Stadium. Six participants on Fresh Futures programme were presented with ‘Achievement Awards’ by the bestselling author and motivational speaker Richard McCann.

Hopeful Families Participants receiving their awards alongside Richard McCann

Individuals from three other delivery partners, Groundwork, Halifax Opportunities Trust, and Dominion Training also received awards. The event was well attended and a great way to celebrate the hard work of so many participants, whilst also enjoying a motivational speech delivered by Richard.  

Attendees at the celebration event

Katie Tierney, Family Mentor at Fresh Futures said, “It was a great day celebrating the achievements of the participants in Kirklees. One of our participants came on to the programme with no confidence and has gone on gone on to receive a Community Learning Award for commitment and engagement. Seeing how she has flourished and is now working towards her Maths and English qualifications has been amazing.”

Thank you to everyone that attended and for all the participants who have worked so hard during their time on the Hopeful Families programme.

Volunteer of the Month: February

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

We love this time of the month: when we get to shout about our amazing volunteers and the, quite literally, life changing work they do to help Fresh Futures run smoothly and effectively.

This month we are giving a very special THANK YOU to Sarah Marsden, who has not only been volunteering as a befriender for over a year, but has joined the Community Connections team covering maternity leave.

We caught up with Sarah to hear about her Fresh Futures Volunteering journey so far…

  1. Name: Sarah Marsden
  2. Tell us a little about yourself? I am a qualified General & Mental Health Nurse, retired Police Officer, I volunteer at wildlife sanctuaries around the world and I am currently the Matcher for Community Connections for Community Friends. I also volunteer as a school governor, help out at The Welcome Centre food bank and if there is any spare time I assist in the hospital at my local Wildlife Rescue.
  3. How long have you been volunteering for the charity? I have been volunteering for Fresh Futures for 13 months now. I initially befriended two lonely people in the community and help with the young onset dementia support group which is a lifeline for many of these clients in their difficult journey.
  4. Please explain your volunteering role in a nutshell: I spend an hour a week with a lovely centenarian lady and and I love learning about the various clients who attend dementia support group.
  5. What made you want to start volunteering with YCC? My volunteering started when I walked through the door of Fresh Futures and spoke to Lucy and the rest is history.
  6. And finally, what advice would you give to people considering volunteering with YCC? I not only have the privilege of volunteering at Fresh Futures who are extremely supportive, forward thinking and creative in the diversity of roles that they offer, but also I find volunteering very rewarding and beneficial to my own mental health.

If you feel inspired to become a volunteer like Sarah, or if you would like to volunteer in any way for our charity, please contact Lucy on 01484 519988 or email [email protected]

News Update: Fresh Futures Sees Supporter Win £25,000 Lottery Jackpot… TWICE!

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

We are excited to announce that Fresh Futures has been able to share the good news with one of our Unity Lottery players that he won the £25,000 jackpot, not once, but TWICE over just a few months!

With the odds of winning a prize being 1 in 63, Unity has some of the best odds of all society lotteries. This was the case for our first lucky winner who, just two weeks after signing up, was called by Sara Eltman, Head of Income and Partnerships at Fresh Futures to let him know he had won the jackpot!

We caught up with him and he said “I was amazed to win the Jackpot on my second draw. It made my daughter’s Christmas more magical than I could have imagined. But to win a second jackpot is the most amazing part of it. This lottery is for an amazing cause, and wins do happen. This will help me out with clearing my debts and getting through this hard time.”

Unity’s fundraising lottery platform is designed to give good causes the chance to raise money through their own weekly lottery and for every person that joins up, at least 50p of every £1 spent goes towards their chosen cause.

Here are some amazing reasons to play:

  • Tickets are only £1
  • You can buy a gift voucher for a loved one to join up
  • Unique lottery numbers mean only one person can win the jackpot
  • Individual odds of winning a prize are better than winning the National Lottery
  • In 2021 the £25,000 jackpot was won 8 times
  • Unity has seen the jackpot won twice in two weeks, it’s all in the luck of the draw!

To be in for a chance of winning the Fresh Futures lottery or to buy a gift voucher for a loved one to join up click here https://buff.ly/38R3mCz

Meet The Team: Jonathan Fell

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

Name: Jonathan Fell

Job Title: Service Manager

Date joined YCC: October 2016

Tell us a little about yourself: I like Rugby League , football , eclectic music, travelling, walking and craft beer.

Your role in a nutshell: I am Service Manager for the Domestic Abuse service working with perpetrators and victims of abuse.

Why do you like working for YCC? Fresh Futures are caring towards the people who require support whatever the circumstances and offer a flexible work life balance for employees.

What’s one of your favourite work memories? Being interviewed on Look North promoting the work we do.

And finally, what advice would you give to people considering working at YCC? Think about the positive experiences of helping others less fortunate that you will achieve here at Fresh Futures.

If you would like to learn more about YCC, click HERE.

Volunteer of the Month: January

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

We love this time of the month: when we get to shout about our amazing volunteers and the quite literally life changing work that they do to help Fresh Futures run smoothly and effectively.

This month we are giving a very special THANK YOU to Caty Illingworth, who has been volunteering as a befriender for 4 years.

We caught up with Caty to hear about her Fresh Futures Volunteering Journey so far…

  1. Name: Caty Illingworth
  2. Tell us a little about yourself? I am self employed and my business is all about developing high performance in people and teams – my background is learning and development. I have a 6 year old son who keeps me entertained and is named after my favourite place in Italy (Lucca) – I love all things Italian, running and cooking. 
  3. How long have you been volunteering for the charity?  I have been volunteering for 4 years now
  4. Please explain your volunteering role in a nutshell: My role is to befriend people in our community who may otherwise be lonely or isolated.
  5. What made you want to start volunteering with YCC? When my son was very small I watched ‘Nursing home for 4 year olds’ and thought it would benefit older people in the community and my son to connect the older and younger generations. I also know that in her later years my Nan really would have appreciated the company of a volunteer. 
  6. Sum up a typical day of volunteering for you: I mainly listen to and chat with my friend, and sometimes help her with basic jobs around the home, shopping, making calls (she’s hard of hearing) and occasionally take her for a trip to a cafe.  
  7. And finally, what advice would you give to people considering volunteering with YCC? Give it a try – it’s good for the soul and very rewarding. I also always think that I never know whether I might need a befriended when I’m older. It can take as much or little time as you want it to, but makes a huge difference, just by you being there. 

If you feel inspired to become a volunteer like Caty, or if you would like to volunteer in any way for our charity, please contact Lucy on 01484 519988 or email [email protected]

News Update: YCC’s Pass It On Shop

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

It’s a new year and we are ready for new challenges that running a large charity furniture store brings each day. We are very fortunate to receive good quality items to sell from our donors and we are grateful to all our loyal customers for the purchases they make, which help to support Fresh Futures with unrestricted funds which in turn assists all the good work that’s done for children, families, and the wider community.

All donated items are checked to ensure they reach quality and safety standards, from sofas and beds to fridge/freezers and kettles.  With the current cost of living increases, we believe that charity shops like ours will become even more important to people to help them get what they need and want.

This January, environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy is launching ‘Buy Nothing New Month’. We will be actively supporting this via our social media page Facebook Pass It On YCC – why not take a look and follow us?

Throughout January, Keep Britain Tidy will be sharing a host of tips and tricks on not buying new items and making the most of what you already have. They will be calling on the public to rethink what they want versus what they need, reconsidering if they can repair versus replace and think about whether they can rent, borrow or, of course, buy second-hand rather than new.

During February the Charity Retail Association, of which Fresh Futures are a member, are highlighting shops like ours with their campaign #CharityShopHome, celebrating the best in furniture and homewares found in charity shops and online charity retail. The campaign will run from 6th – 12th February and posts of members’ stylish room set-ups and expertly curated homewares will be promoted across their social media channels. Fresh Futures have sent in several photos which we hope will be shared far and wide!

Every day is different in Pass It On and we never know what’s in store. Why not call in and see us, one thing’s for certain, you will always receive a warm welcome.

Click here for more information on our Pass It On Shop and how you can support Fresh Futures.

Meet The Team: Jodie Kavanagh

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

Name: Jodie Kavanagh

Job Title: Thriving Kirklees Service Support Worker

Date joined YCC: 2016

Tell us a little about yourself: I spend a lot of time reading in cafes, at the cinema or the theatre – I like being out and about!

Your role in a nutshell: Lots of admin for the various TK services – and helping out the other services where I can.

Why do you like working for YCC? The variety and the people.

What’s one of your favourite work memories? The team building escape room pre-Covid was hilarious.

And finally, what advice would you give to people considering working at YCC? Be prepared to be flexible and you’ll develop all sorts of new skills.

If you would like to learn more about YCC, click HERE.

News Update: Christmas Gift Appeal 2022

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

Fresh Futures are so proud to have supported 781 children, across 263 families, from Kirklees this Christmas during our 2022 Gift Appeal.

We asked families living in Kirklees who were at risk of not being able to provide their children with a gift on Christmas Day to contact us and the response was overwhelming. 2022 was a particularly hard year due to the Cost-of-Living Crisis and for those already worried about Christmas, it was an even more stressful time of year.

We appealed to members of the public and businesses who donated 100s of brand-new toys and gifts for children aged between 0 – 18 years.

We were supported by an amazing number of local businesses including Fintel, Trust Ford, Arnold Clark, Turntable Vinyl Café, Barnardo’s, Tesco, Card Factory, Body Evolution, Kirklees Foster Carers Network, Linthwaite Clough Early Years Unit and members of the public through our Secret Santa campaign alongside JCI Secret Santa.

Trust Ford dropping off their gifts
The team from Tesco dropping off presents
The Arnold Clark team with their gift donation
Card Factory donating gift bags
Turntable Vinyl Cafés gifts under the tree at Brian Jackson House
The team from Fintel

Without the support from these companies and members of the public we would not have been able to support so many families and children.

Lynne Haigh, Fundraising and Communications Coordinator at YCC, who helped coordinate the Gift Appeal said “It has been overwhelming to receive so much support from companies and members of the public who have wanted to help Fresh Futures. We were expecting to help around 500 children and surpassed this, reaching almost 800. It was such a heart-warming campaign to be involved in and I can’t wait to do it again, bigger and better, in 2023!”

Presents donated by Steven Morris – Body Evolution

If you would like to support Fresh Futures in any way, then please contact [email protected] and find out how you or your organisation could get involved to Improve Lives and Inspire Change.