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Author: Lynne Haigh

Meet The Team: Lucy Martin

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

Name: Lucy Martin

Job Title: Volunteering Development Officer

Date joined YCC: October 2021

Tell us a little about yourself: I love travelling and previously lived and worked in Indonesia and Spain before moving to Huddersfield. When I’m not working, you’ll probably either find me with a good book, watching super Leeds United or jumping in some cold water!

Your role in a nutshell: All things volunteering! I have the lovely job of recruiting and working with our wonderful volunteering community across all Fresh Futures services.

Why do you like working for YCC? I love creating opportunities for people and helping them work towards their goals. It’s amazing to work with people who are donating their time to improve the lives of others.

What’s one of your favourite work memories? There’s a few! I absolutely love our annual Summer & Winter events for volunteers and service users, and it’s been really lovely to work with some of our volunteers to transform the garden space at the Brian Jackson House in time for Summer. It’s also been great to watch volunteers progress and become members of staff with Fresh Futures and smash their goals!

And finally, what advice would you give to people considering working at YCC? Give it a go… If you’d like to work with people who try and improve lives & inspire change within the community, Fresh Futures might be for you!

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

Volunteer of the Month: April

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 Abbie Simpson who has been volunteering as a befriender at Fresh Futures for 8 months.

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

  1. Name: Abbie Simpson
  2. Tell us a little about yourself? I am a mum of 4 and live in the Holme Valley. I have worked most of my life in the education system, working with hearing impaired children. Then 3 years ago I decided to retrain as a counsellor, which I am still in the process of doing. Once qualified, I would like to specialise in working with children again and possibly train as a play therapist. Outside of work, and training, I love to be outside – I love to hike, wild swim and be with my family.  I love to explore new places and collect a fridge magnet from every new place I visit, from Florida to Bath! 
  3. How long have you been volunteering for the charity? I have been volunteering with Fresh Futures for 8 months and have loved every minute. 
  4. Please explain your volunteering role in a nutshell: My role is to visit with my community friend and make him feel less lonely, to bring part of the outside world (which he doesn’t venture into) into his home. To listen to his amazing life and stories.
  5. What made you want to start volunteering with YCC? I wanted to give back to the community I live in. I don’t have grandparents and felt I was missing out. I wanted to be able to provide a listening ear, an empathic heart and unconditional friendship.
  6. Tell us a bit about your role: I see Walker every Monday morning; we both feel it is a lovely start to the week and we catch up on what has been happening over the weekend. Walker will tell me about his life and ask me about mine. I sometimes do little jobs for Walker, such as filling up his bird feeders and helping him with his mail. He has asked me in the past to visit his parents grave, who are buried next door to my grandparents. I have taken a photo as he has not been to the graveyard for 40 years. 
  7. And finally, what advice would you give to people considering volunteering with YCC? DO IT. It will be the most rewarding thing you ever do. So far, I have managed to get my mum to sign up and I’m working on the rest of my family. Age knows no bounds and a wonderful friendship can flourish. 

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

Service Spotlight: Room Hire

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

Within the Fresh Futures Charity’s buildings, right in the centre of Huddersfield and Batley, are fully equipped rooms and event spaces that are available for rent, whether you need it for an afternoon, or a year!

  • Meeting Rooms: Ideal for a one-off meeting or event, rent a room for a half or full day.
  • Offices: Perfect if you want your own private office space for you, your team, or a whole company, in the heart of town.
  • Event Space: We have several event spaces to cater to different sizes and event types, such as community clubs, parties, job fayres, training days, and much more! Catering and equipment available.
  • Our rates are very competitive, and 100% of the proceeds from all room rentals goes straight into the charity’s pot, to support even more members of the local community.

‘KYA loves being based in Brian Jackson House alongside other key VCS organisations. Our space is perfect and we are big fans of the new café on the ground floor. Our work sits nicely alongside the Vision and Aims of Yorkshire Children’s Centre, which makes them more of a friend than a landlord!’ KYA – Tenant at Brian Jackson House.

For more information on YCC’s room hire please click here, email [email protected] or call 01484 519988.

Thank You So Much: Bail Me Out

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

In March we ran the first ever Fresh Futures Bail Me Out event and it was a great success!

The aim of the day was to raise both awareness and funds for Fresh Futures by ‘locking up’ local businessmen and women who had to raise their bail money of £999 to be released from Harvey’s Bar/Kitchen, Huddersfield. Those involved raised an amazing £2,424 which will go directly towards supporting disadvantaged children, young people, and their families across Kirklees.

Our seven ‘criminals’ really got into the spirit of the event, which along with raising funds, was a great way for them to network with other local individuals.

THANK YOU, Christine Rhodes, Lucy Jackson, Helen Athey, Michelle Smith, Gareth Ewing, Sam Duffy, and Mark Duffy.

YCC’s Bail Me Out participants L-R: Michelle Smith, Helen Athey, Christine Rhodes, Lucy Jackson, Gareth Ewing, Mark Duffy and Sam Duffy

Lucy Jackson, who was ‘locked up’ on the day said “It was wonderful to support Fresh Futures with their Bail Me Out event. It’s almost 40 years since my dad, who set up YCC, died running in a fun run in Huddersfield to also raise money for the centre. It was great to see so much commitment from local people to keep all the great work Fresh Futures does going. Thank you again to everyone involved – even West Yorkshire police for arresting us!”

Th event was supported by several local businesses. Thank you Aura Print for supplying props, Harvey’s Bar/Kitchen for letting us take over their Westgate venue, Sam Teale Productions for filming on the day (video to follow) and PCSO Jordan Booth, from West Yorkshire Police, who came to Brian Jackson House to ‘arrest’ and transport our criminals to Harvey’s.

PCSO Jordan Booth of WYP
Lucy and Helen being ‘detained’

If you would like to donate towards this event you can visit our active Just Giving page HERE.

For more information on how to become a corporate supporter for Fresh Futures or if you would like to carry out a similar event to raise funds for Fresh Futures please contact [email protected].

Volunteer of the Month: March

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 Freya Askwith-Martin who has been volunteering at YCC’s Stay and Play sessions since November 2022 whilst studying for her degree at Huddersfield University.

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

  1. Name: Freya Askwith-Martin
  2. Tell us a little about yourself? I am in my second year at Huddersfield University studying a joint honours degree in Sociology and Psychology.
  3. How long have you been volunteering for the charity? I have been volunteering at Fresh Futures since November 2022.
  4. Please explain your volunteering role in a nutshell: On a Tuesday morning I help set up the Stay and Play room ready for when parents and children arrive. I then stay during the session and play with the children and catch up with the parents. On a Thursday afternoon I help out with the Early Onset Dementia Support Group where we play games and catch up.
  5. What made you want to start volunteering with YCC? I needed to carry out work experience for one of my assignments and when I was reading the information on the Fresh Futures website I knew I wanted to do it there. The services are amazing and I wanted to work with children and young families. I enjoy volunteering at Fresh Futures so much, I often forget I am there to work towards my assignment.
  6. Tell us a bit about your role: My two days at Fresh Futures are very different as one involves helping with the set up of the Stay and Play session, and the other is socialising with the DSG members. I enjoy working with both adults and children.
  7. And finally, what advice would you give to people considering volunteering with YCC? To anyone considering volunteering with Fresh Futures I would recommend doing so without hesitation. They offer so many different services and the staff are lovely and helpful. I’m so grateful to Fresh Futures for letting me volunteer with them and giving me the opportunities they have.

If you feel inspired to become a volunteer like Freya, 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 Sustainability Progress

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

It’s unbelievable to think that it was only 7 months ago that we set out on our mission to become more sustainable – in such a small space of time we are proud to have achieved so much!!

Since the Sustainability pledges were made in August 2022, our charity has taken huge strides in our sustainability initiatives. We have dramatically reduced the amount of paper and ink that is used, fully enhanced our recycling procedures, adapted lighting across all of our buildings, created a sustainability forum, set up the cycle to work scheme, started shopping locally, created a sustainability eBook for EVERYONE to access, AND MUCH MORE!!

We’ve been keeping you up to date along the way, ensuring full transparency in everything we do. And since our last newsletter in January, we have done EVEN MORE! Here’s a glimpse…

1. Glass recycling (Phase 1): As we aren’t able to recycle glass using our recycling bins just yet, we have set up a system at Brian Jackson House to bring in glass to reception, who have arranged for them to be taken to a nearby bottle bank – avoiding them unnecessarily going to landfill.
2. International Book Swap Day: We took part in book swap day by promoting the benefits of book sharing rather than buying new. Plenty of staff and tenants brought in books and took home different ones, with lots of left-over books from the event going straight to our charity shop and a permanent book swap shelf now in place.
3. Recycling: Our recycling initiatives have been so successful that we have had to invest in bigger recycling bins! This is fantastic to see, and we’ve also done a lot of work on learning about what can and cannot be out into the recycling bin.
4. Local engagement: We’ve been spreading our learnings far and wide through our social media & website, to help everyone understand the massive benefits (health, financial, wellbeing….) of taking sustainable actions. With the cost-of-living crisis affecting all of us right now, one small sustainable step can go a very long way!
5. Save water! We’re in the process of assessing the water quality at all of our sites, so that we can start to remove some of the water coolers (made up of lots of plastic) and move towards using tap water and refillable bottles.

YCC’s Book Swap
YCC’s Sustainability Pledge
Recycling at YCC

What’s next?
We’ve got big plans and a big strategy so here’s what you can expect to see us doing over the next few weeks:
1. Soft plastic recycling – frustratingly we can’t put this into our recycling bins so we will be setting up a separate recycling process to make sure our soft plastics don’t go to landfill.
2. Plant swap! It’s Earth Day on 22nd April and we want to mark it by doing lots and lots of gardening, on our sites and at home! Keep an eye on our socials for updates coming soon!
3. Save more water! We’ll be completing our research on our water quality and making some small changes around the buildings.

A huge thank you to everyone who has made our progress possible, from volunteers transforming our outdoor space, to the sustainability forum engaging in important topics, employees embracing small changes such as reduced printing and bigger recycling. If you would like to participate in the Sustainability Forum, or get involved in any way, we would be delighted to hear from you – just get in touch!


Samantha Latchayya, Sustainability Champion [email protected]

News Update: Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

In 2021 Fresh Futures were awarded a grant of £9,750 from the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation to support the Nurture with Nutrition Project at our alternative education provisions in Huddersfield and Heckmondwike.

This funding has meant that we have been able to provide up to 50 young people aged 13-16 with nutritious breakfasts, helping them to engage with others, keep their brains active and setting them up for a day of learning. This has also been a good opportunity to teach young people how to look after their physical health, the importance of nutrition, and how to prepare their own breakfasts.

The Sodexo team meeting staff from Brian Jackson College

The partnership with the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation team has enabled us to work together to find solutions to support the young people that access our services. The Sodexo team have also generously volunteered their time at our colleges, spending time with the students and providing advice about employment opportunities in the catering industry. These volunteer activities led to a student at our Huddersfield college being offered a place on an apprenticeship programme.

The partnership has grown from strength to strength, with Sodexo CEO Sean Haley pledging to provide new kitchen facilities which will allow the students to attain their GCSE Food & Nutrition qualifications and provide even more support reaching higher education or employment.

To see a video showcasing Sodexo’s partnership with Fresh Futures and the amazing work they have done CLICK HERE.

For a full list of YCC’s corporate partners, or to find out how you can support the charity by becoming a corporate partner click here or email [email protected].

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.