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Thank You So Much: Companies Donate Unclaimed Client Funds

Posted on by Samantha Latchayya

Did you know that companies can donate their unclaimed client funds?

Unclaimed client funds are sums of money which lie dormant in client accounts of many solicitors and accountants, for years. It’s often the case that the rightful owner cannot be traced, a company has closed or they have failed to provide instructions on how the funds should be dealt with.

Unclaimed client account balances cannot be used for any other purpose, so they can be a burden on annual audited accounts. If your business holds funds in dormant accounts, then we would be delighted to receive them to help us support the children, young people and their families that need us – and we can provide a suitable indemnity for individual client amounts exceeding £500.

In April 2022, two incredible companies did just that.

Ramsdens Solicitors donated £484.13 in unclaimed client funds.

Holden Smith Law donated £374.32 in unclaimed client funds.

Fresh Futures would like to take this opportunity to thank both Ramsdens Solicitors and Holden Smith Law for their very generous donations – and for considering our charity to receive the funds. These donations will play a significant role in allowing us to broaden our reach and deliver a positive impact to even more families in need over the coming months.

Learn more about how YOU can donate your unclaimed client funds HERE.

Meet the Team: Matt Lumb

Posted on by Samantha Latchayya

It’s #MeetTheTeam time!

Name: Matt Lumb

Job Title: Food Tech Teacher

Time in the role: Almost 6 years!

What’s something people don’t know about you? I love cycling and gaming

Your role in a nutshell: I deliver practical food tech sessions, encouraging all pupils to understand cooking on a budget and also exploring foods from around the world. Pupils work towards completing a number of AQA unit award qualifications which develop their future independence and life skills, building confidence and self esteem.

Why do you like working for YCC? I enjoy working with a great team and helping vulnerable and disadvantaged young people.

What’s one of your favourite work memories? Cooking Christmas dinner for everyone at Brian Jackson College (Heckmondwike) and just seeing the appreciation and enjoyment from all the kids and staff.

And finally, what advice would you give to people considering working at YCC? Be ready to think on your feet and ALWAYS have a backup plan.

Contact details: [email protected]

#WeAreYCC

Meet the Team: Rebecca Whitehead

Posted on by Samantha Latchayya

It’s #MeetTheTeam time.

Name: Rebecca Whitehead

Job Title: Financial Education Teacher

Time in the role: 2 years.

What’s something people don’t know about you? I used to be a tv/film extra!

Your role in a nutshell: I teach financial education to years 10 and 11 at BJC in Heckmondwike- this course gives them education on financial matters and how to be a successful adult once they leave school which includes politics, paying bills etc, I also teach finance, life skills and employability to year 9.

Why do you like working for YCC? I came to work at BJC for 3 months on supply and was lucky enough to never leave after gaining the permanent role in September 2020. It’s an amazing place to work, the college is like a family and every day is different, there’s always something going on to make you smile.

What’s one of your favourite work memories? When I returned in Sept 2020 after being on furlough since March 2020 (through supply agency) and I got a round of applause and a cheer from the students that I was back. It was wonderful.

And finally, what advice would you give to people considering working at YCC? You have to be prepared to go above and beyond every day, it’s never easy but it’s always different. I love teaching anyway but it’s so rewarding to teach at the college as the students need us and what we offer, so much more than in mainstream.

Contact details: [email protected]

#WeAreYCC

Please vote Fresh Futures as Covid Hero

Posted on by Samantha Latchayya

We are delighted to have been nominated for this award that shines a light on organisations that have continued to go above and beyond to help people in their communities during the pandemic.

We would like to thank all of the amazing Fresh Futures team of staff and volunteers whose dedication and hard work ensures that we are always here for the children, young people and families that need us.

We’d appreciate your vote – it only takes a few clicks & every vote really does count

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Service Spotlight: The Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme (DAPP)

Posted on by Samantha Latchayya

What is the DAPP?

DAPP stands for Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme. It is a 17 week programme that seeks to increase the safety of women and children, and the quality of life of everyone in the family, by working with men who recognise that they have been abusive towards an intimate female partner and who want to stop that behaviour.  Domestic abuse includes physical violence, emotional abuse, or any other form of coercive control. The programme runs alongside one-to-one support sessions to ensure men are offered a robust intervention.

Fresh Futures is fully accredited by RESPECT, the National Association for Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programmes and Associated Support. The DAPP is open to men aged 18 and over from any ethnicity or religious background.

What happens on the programme?

17 group sessions are facilitated to provide participants with insight into how their behaviour is abusive and how to learn non-abusive behaviour strategies to use to enhance and reduce risk within families and relationships.

ISS Victim support is offered to all victims whilst men are on programme and up to 3 months post programme.

This support offers a robust risk management and safeguarding which is tailored to each individual’s needs.

During the programme, participants will cover:

  • The damaging effects of blaming others for their behaviour and how to stop doing it
  • The wide range of impacts of abusive and controlling behaviour in intimate relationships.
  • The (sometimes hidden) impact on children of a father’s abusive behaviour
  • How to be less reactive and prevent the actions of others affecting the choices they make
  • How arguments escalate and how to prevent escalation
  • How to recognise and stop abusive or controlling behaviour before it happens
  • How to avoid being trapped in destructive or repetitive patterns of negative thinking 
  • How to know themselves better so they can stay calm
  • How to take appropriate ‘time outs’
  • How to negotiate more effectively in a relationship

Outcomes: 

Research into RESPECT accredited programmes (like the DAPP) shows that most women and children feel significant improvements in their sense of safety after the man completed a programme of this type. This research also shows most women who had experienced sexual or physical violence from their partner stated that this violence had stopped after the programme.

Men who have engaged fully with the programme by attending all the sessions and participating with full honesty have told us they feel a great benefit from the practical skills and fresh perspective they have learned.

These skills and personal insights appear to improve their experience of life and can help them regain contact with their loved ones and build a safer environment for them.

Men also report they have experienced significant encouragement and support from meeting and talking with other men, helping them see they are not alone in their struggle and that progress and change is not only possible but is merely a matter of making better and more informed choices.

Other intervention services: 

The DAPP Service also facilitate other different types of intervention as and when funding is available to roll out different types of Programmes to fully encapsulate the broad spectrum of risk and types of Domestic Abuse.

We are currently facilitating a DAPP 17 Week RESPECT Accredited programme to the Urdu & Punjabi speaking community. This is delivered by dual speaking facilitators, which also captures the complex issues of domestic abuse attached to some cultural beliefs held by perpetrators within this community.

The additional services will be updated on the site when available with details on how to access these.

For full details on the DAPP, click here to visit our website.

Meet The Team: Tony Kirton

Posted on by Samantha Latchayya

It’s #MeetTheTeam time.

Full Name: Tony Kirton

Job Title: Maintenance Coordinator

Time in the role: 5 Months

What’s something people don’t know about you? Home is like a farm with all the dogs and cats!

Your role in a nutshell: Fix things (or ask other people to!)

Why do you like working for YCC? I’ve always enjoyed having a go at various projects at home – building, plumbing, etc. so it’s like a bigger house here with more varied (and stranger sometimes!) requests!

What’s one of your favourite work memories? Finally navigating the buildings and not getting lost!

And finally, what advice would you give to people considering working at YCC? Make sure you wear a Fitbit (alternative makes are available!) so you don’t waste walking up and down the stairs!

Contact Details: [email protected]

#WeAreYCC

YCC’s NEW Website

Posted on by Samantha Latchayya

On 15th March, Fresh Futures launched their new, modern website: www.freshfutures.org.uk

The website was a much needed modernisation to the old site, and allows Fresh Futures to not only reach out to supporters and volunteers, but also to act as a platform for potential service users to access important information that can really make a difference!

Our top 3 favourite things about the website are:

  1. The Our People page – where you can get to know our Trustees, Leadership Team and Managers, viewing their hobbies, and – the best bit… their old baby pictures

2. Our Superhero images – that show children as we see them… SUPER!

3. Our Volunteer With Us page, where you can find out about the MANY MANY ways that you can get involved with Fresh Futures and support a GREAT cause!

Fresh Futures would like to take this opportunity to thank supporters Martin Port, from Big Change, and Daniel Todd from Proactive Code, whose kindness and generosity has enabled the charity to create the new site.

We would like to send an extended thank you to Mark Crow and the rest of the team at Proactive Code, who worked with us almost every day over the last four months, to get the website completed over a short period of time and to an excellent standard.

Martin Port, from Big Change, left this message for the Fresh Futures team.

YCC’s Strategy Launch

Posted on by Samantha Latchayya

Over the past 6 months, Fresh Futures has been working with employees, volunteers and Trustees to agree the upcoming 3-year strategy that will cover the charity’s 50th year anniversary. This includes work on the charity’s mission, vision and core values.

The charity was established in 1974 by Brian Jackson, and since then has grown from strength to strength, broadening its reach to children and families across South and West Yorkshire year upon year, continuing the legacy that Brian created, to Improve Lives and Inspire Change.

Over the last few years, and certainly since the start of the pandemic, the required scope of services and levels of people in need of support have increased significantly.

Whilst children and young people will forever be at the heart of everything that the charity does, we also recognise the importance of supporting families, to in turn give better support to the children. The need to provide more care for the mental health and wellbeing of children and parents has been highlighted, as has the need to provide opportunities for parents to enhance their employability skills.

Furthermore, the need to build stronger family relationships and support new family dynamics has remained critical over the last few years. Finally, our experience working with students in our alternative provision colleges has only further emphasised the huge positive impact that this has on young adults. We are therefore keen to continue expanding our college provisions, to support students into adulthood, providing them with key skills, qualifications, confidence and a greater opportunity to succeed in life.

The upcoming 3-year strategy takes all of these factors into consideration, whilst also introducing some exiting logistical plans.

At the core of the strategy, sits the child. Children and Young People are at the heart of everything that Fresh Futures does, and every service that Fresh Futures offers will link back to the child.

The four CORE STRANDS of the charity’s strategy, cover the following themes:

  • Education
  • Health and Wellbeing
  • Employment & Skills
  • Relationships

All of YCC’s services will seek to encompass these themes.

We look forward to working further on our strategy, and will communicate our final strategy and plans to all of our stakeholders, in the near future.

#WeAreYCC

Volunteer of the Month: March

Posted on by Samantha Latchayya

We love recognising our volunteers! This month, our volunteer of the month was nominated by YCC’s Thriving Kirklees team. Gareth started volunteering for the team when he heard they needed a helping hand with their admin. Gareth jumped to the rescue and donated dozens of hours to facilitate the delivery of Safety Rangers! THANK YOU GARETH!!

See what Gareth had to say when we interviewed him, below:

Name: Gareth Morris

Tell us a little about yourself? I found out about volunteering whilst on the Hopeful Families service and put myself forward as a volunteer, to feel useful.

How long have you been volunteering for the charity? Around 6 months.

Explain your volunteering role: When the TK team do their Safety Rangers event, they have around 300 gift bags to hand to the children that attend. I organised each and every gift bag to make sure every single child would receive one during the event.

What made you want to start volunteering with YCC? I wanted to build my confidence with others, feel useful and have something positive to do.

And finally, what advice would you give to people considering volunteering with YCC? If you’re looking for something do then why not volunteer? I was very happy after volunteering because it was really appreciated and made a big difference whilst saving a few hours out of the day for the staff members so they could do everything else they have to do.

If you would like to volunteer in our Charity Shop, or dedicate your time to another of our services, please contact Lucy, YCC’s Volunteering Development Officer, on 07849 398829 or email [email protected].

Fresh Futures is nominated for the COVID HERO award at the Yorkshire Choice Awards

Posted on by Samantha Latchayya

Please support Fresh Futures by placing your vote HERE

Dear Fresh Futures employees and volunteers,

This well-deserved award recognises the immense efforts of Fresh Futures employees and volunteers throughout the course of the pandemic.

The pandemic affected every one of us on a personal level, yet every single Fresh Futures employee and volunteer shone during this time, going above and beyond your roles to support those in difficult situations.

This award is a great way to recognise and celebrate what YOU achieved, and the differences your efforts made, since 2019. Congratulations to each of you!

The winner of this award will be announced on 06th May, and will be decided by an online public vote, which closes on 31st March.

Whether we win the award with the most votes, or not, this is an incredible celebration of everyone’s individual and team efforts. Acknowledging the sleepless nights, the extra hours and the selflessness that each of you showed to others whilst supporting Fresh Futures.

Of course, it would be a great honour to win the award, and would have a huge positive impact upon the charity and the awareness of our services. To that end, we would like to ask each of your to support this nomination, by placing your vote for Fresh Futures in the Yorkshire Choice Awards, Covid Hero category. If we all come together to collect votes, we will have a strong chance to win!

Here’s a glimpse of some of the things that we did to deserve this nomination…

Please don’t forget to vote, and SHARE, SHARE, SHARE this news with your friends, family and colleagues.