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We were proud to welcome our Brian Jackson College parents and carers for a morning of College Post-16 Open Day, and it was wonderful to see so many families attending and engaging with the day.

Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the day a success. We look forward to continuing these conversations and welcoming families to future events!

Fresh Futures is proud to launch Friends of Fresh Futures, a new membership scheme designed to bring local businesses together in support of vulnerable and disadvantaged children, young people and families across Kirklees.

Launching today, the scheme invites businesses to make a monthly contribution of £10, £25 or £50, with every penny going directly into Fresh Futures’ frontline work. These contributions help the charity continue providing vital early help, emotional wellbeing services, education support and practical assistance for families facing disadvantage.

Why Your Support Matters

Across Kirklees, child poverty remains a significant concern. According to the latest ONS local indicators, 33.7% of children in Kirklees are living in relative poverty, a figure far higher than the national average. Poverty affects children’s health, education and long‑term life chances, and the need for early support has never been more urgent.

Fresh Futures has been supporting local families for more than 50 years, and in 2025 alone the charity:

• Supported 11,446 families,
• Reached 7,675 children, young people and families directly, and
• Helped 147 young people access new opportunities, including education, training and employment pathways.

These figures highlight both the scale of local need and the impact Fresh Futures’ services have across the community.

Introducing the Friends of Fresh Futures Scheme

The Friends of Fresh Futures scheme offers three membership levels, each designed to make corporate charitable giving easy, meaningful and rewarding.

Level 1 – £10 per month

• Use of the Friends of Fresh Futures logo & marketing toolkit
• Recognition on our Friends of Fresh Futures webpage
• Social media acknowledgment
• Access to our business offers platform
• Group volunteering opportunities
• Invitation to our Supporter Appreciation Event

Level 2 – £25 per month

All Level 1 benefits, plus:

• Free entry for two colleagues to our bi‑monthly Networking for Good events
• 50% discount on room hire at Brian Jackson House (HD1 5JP) — including meeting rooms, cinema room and large event spaces
• Invitation to our Supporter Appreciation Event

Level 3 – £50 per month

All Level 1 and 2 benefits, plus:

• A personalised bauble as part of our Gift a Fresh Future seasonal campaign
• Tailored sponsorship opportunities (up to £200 value)
• A guaranteed place for a team member in a Fresh Futures fundraising event

A Message from Fresh Futures

Katie Shephard, Head of Income and Engagement at Fresh Futures, said:

“We’re thrilled to introduce the Friends of Fresh Futures scheme. This initiative gives local businesses a simple but powerful way to support vulnerable and disadvantaged families right here in Kirklees. Every contribution helps us continue delivering the vital services that families rely on. We are incredibly grateful to every business that joins us in making a difference.”

Join Us in Creating Brighter Futures

Becoming a Friend of Fresh Futures is an opportunity for businesses to:

• Make a real difference to families in need
• Strengthen their corporate social responsibility
• Connect with like‑minded organisations
• Enhance staff wellbeing through volunteering
• Support a long‑standing local charity making proven impact

Find out more and become a Friend today:
https://freshfutures.org.uk/friends-of-fresh-futures/

Together, we can build stronger communities and brighter futures for children, young people and their families across Kirklees.

Last week we had the pleasure of welcoming the team from Yorkshire Building Society to our charity headquarters for a special visit centred around community support and financial wellbeing.

The team spent time speaking with our staff and community members, answering questions, offering practical money‑management tips, and sharing information about the helpful services they provide.

Many of the people we support may feel overwhelmed by financial decisions, so having a friendly team take the time to explain things clearly made a real difference. It wasn’t about formal financial advice — it was about guidance, reassurance, and empowering people with knowledge.

Their visit is a reminder of what’s possible when organisations come together with a shared purpose. By combining the YBS team’s financial insight with our mission to support the community, we’re helping build stronger, more informed, and more confident futures for the people we serve.

We’re incredibly grateful for their time, their energy, and their genuine commitment to making a positive impact, and we look forward to seeing what our collaboration will look like in the future. 💚🌱

Last week, we gathered a small group of our Out of School Club members and asked them a simple question:

“What’s the best part of Holiday Club?”

We expected a mix of fun answers — and we got them.
Football. Basketball. Dodgeball. Arts and crafts.
The classic favourites.

But then, something lovely happened.

As each child took their turn, their words reminded us of something far bigger than activities. They talked about meeting new friends, feeling safe, being creative, and having a place where they can just be themselves.

In their own natural, honest way, they captured exactly why our team shows up every day.

These moments — the laughter, the friendships forming, the shy confidence growing, the creativity spilling out of them — are the heartbeat of what we do. They’re the reason we put so much care into creating an environment that feels welcoming, inspiring and secure.

This short video is more than a fun holiday project.
It’s a reminder that for many children, the holidays are about belonging — and we’re incredibly proud to provide a space where that belonging thrives.

This is why we do what we do.
This is what drives us.

🎥 Fun fact: every child nailed their part in one take — the kids were absolute stars! The authenticity and excitement carried it all⭐😄

It was lovely to see Carolyn representing Mindful Maker CIC at last week’s SEND event. She welcomed around 18 participants — parents included, for a fun painting activity.

The activity itself went really well, with some many brilliant masterpieces made! While some children found the sensory aspect of paint a little challenging, many others fully embraced it and seemed to really enjoy the process. Seeing such a range of experiences is always a reminder of the importance of creating accessible, flexible creative spaces.

a 10‑year‑old girl who adores painting and crafting spent a long time working at the table. She created four painted stones and even sketched a character. She told Carolyn that crafting helped her feel relaxed and happy — exactly the kind of positive impact we hope for.

The girl also helped translate for her mother, who painted a stone depicting a traditional Ukrainian hut. At the end of the session, both of them kindly stayed behind to help with tidying up, which meant a lot. ❣️

Thank you to Carolyn for hosting such a great interactive session, we look forward to running more activities like these in the future.

As 2024 came to a close, Fresh Futures continued to make a meaningful impact across Kirklees, changing futures, one family at a time. December was not only a season of celebration but also a month defined by compassion, practical support, and community-driven change.

Through the Safety in the Home (SITH) service, Fresh Futures supported 88 families, providing essential child safety equipment alongside personalised risk reduction and home fire safety assessments.

Every household received tailored guidance and preventative resources through the Take Action Today campaign. The results were clear: 100% of parents and carers reported feeling safer after a SITH visit – a powerful reminder of the organisation’s commitment to protecting vulnerable children.

The Healthy Start programme helped strengthen the wellbeing of mothers, babies, and young children. In December, 408 packs of maternal vitamins and 252 children’s supplements were distributed to eligible families. Each pack represented care, stability, and the reassurance that good health should be accessible to all.

Last year’s Christmas Gift Appeal remained central to Fresh Futures’ festive support. Thanks to generous community contributions, more than 1,100 presents were distributed to disadvantaged children and young people across Kirklees.

Fresh Futures also launched its first on-site cinema screening of The Grinch, welcoming over 30 vulnerable children for a free festive experience – complete with snacks, entry, and a special gift to take home.

Education and opportunity continued to guide Fresh Futures’ work through December 2024. Across its alternative education provision, 825 lessons were delivered, offering young people a place to learn, reconnect, and rebuild confidence.

The organisation’s Elevate programme supported around 19 NEET young people as they took steps towards employment and independence, strengthening skills, resilience, and self-belief.

Fresh Futures’ commitment to families remained unwavering. Stay & Play sessions welcomed 18 adults and 27 children, providing inclusive spaces for learning, connection, and joy. Meanwhile, Family Time facilitated safe, supported contact for 14 families and 26 children, helping strengthen relationships during challenging times.

Each service, session, and conversation reflected the Fresh Futures mission: to empower, uplift, and support individuals across Kirklees. Behind every statistic is a story – a home made safer, a young person given hope, a child experiencing the magic of Christmas.

And this December, Fresh Futures is once again running its Christmas campaigns, the Gift a Fresh Future Bauble Appeal and the Toy Appeal, continuing the tradition of giving every family the chance to start the new year with support, dignity, and brighter futures.

Fresh Futures remains committed to changing futures, one family at a time.

On Monday 19th February, three young adults showcased the volunteering opportunities Fresh Futures’ young adults service has to offer at West Yorkshire’s first Youth Conference. Organised by the Youth Advisory Group and held at Greenhead College, the event was a triumphant call for organisations across the county to champion the voices of young people.

The Mayor for West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, gave a rousing welcome to the attendees, many of whom were young adults representing organisations intent on empowering youth voices. Also in attendance were colleagues from West Yorkshire Police, members of the councils and creatives, who all shared the common goal of valuing thoughts and ideas from young adults.

Guest speakers delivered a variety of engaging performances and speeches, evidencing how they value lived experience and encourage young people to flourish. Soundproof Box CIC gave a thought-provoking performance which aims to eliminate patterns of abuse through supporting survivors and reminding society to call-out unwanted behaviour. During the Red Flags Interactive Theatre monologue, the audience was encouraged to wave red flags whenever we felt like threatening behaviour was being displayed.

Activist Marvina Newton gave a powerful talk about the journey toward racial trauma informed care through utilising healing and empowerment. She raised awareness of the presence of social privileges through facilitating the Privilege Walk exercise. Participants were encouraged to take a step forwards or backwards depending on their reactions to statements, for example, Marvina said:

if you find it difficult to find make-up for your skin complexion or a hairdressers in your community, take one step back.

Three members of the audience participated in the Privilege Walk, including our very own Zay Alabi (pictured, centre)! Marvina gave Zay a platform to speak openly about their experiences of prejudice and Zay’s words were an impactful reminder of the need advocate for marginalised identities with empathy and compassion.

Samuel, Zay and Nathan (pictured, left to right) networked with members of the public, holding meaningful conversations about how the new service helps young people build their confidence and self-esteem. They also actively participated in workshop discussions across the themes of serious violence, drugs and alcohol, anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls.

Zay said:

It was a fascinating and eye-opening experience.

Nathan found the conference:

very useful in case I was ever to come across a dangerous situation.

Samuel said:

I found the youth conference interesting and informative. I learned how local administration is working with and for the people to make a positive change and how the police are trying to work in a friendly environment. I opted for the crime against women workshop session. I found that session eye opening and the measures that were being taken by the Mayor and team members were worth praising. I think it’s a positive thing that the mayor’s team were noting down the feedback from the session.

Alice Lowe OBE, the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime closed the evening by sharing her appreciation for the first West Yorkshire Youth Conference. She spoke of the importance of listening to young adults’ experiences s to understand how we can improve lives across the county.

Thank you so much to Samuel, Zay and Nathan for their contributions and for giving up their time to promote the young adults service. We are grateful to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority for including us in such a momentous occasion for the youth of West Yorkshire!