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Category: Business Updates

New Patrons scheme launched by Fresh Futures secures early support!

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

Fresh Futures is celebrating its 50th birthday year by launching a new Patrons scheme to enable companies from across Kirklees to support our work. Companies are being encouraged to donate £500 to the charity and every penny generated by the campaign will be spent supporting our work with disadvantaged children and young people.

The charity is thrilled to have secured early support for the campaign with two new Patrons announced this month: Brewfitt and Zest for Print.

James Paxman, Operations Director, at Brewfitt says: “We’re delighted to become one of Fresh Futures first ever Patrons. As a local company, the cause is very close to our hearts, and I’m personally committed to supporting Fresh Futures. I’m hoping to take part in a wing walk over the summer and I am hopeful I will secure sponsorship to support the charity’s life-changing work.”

Chris Woodhead, Director at Zest for Print, says: “Fresh Futures runs so many vital projects supporting children and families and we know that the money we’re donating will make a significant difference to the charity and the local community. We’re proud to become one of their Patrons to help them celebrate their 50th birthday year.”

Fresh Futures was launched in 1974 by education visionary Brian Jackson, and has become an established way for disadvantaged children, young people, and their families from across Kirklees to access support. We run several services including child contact centres, domestic abuse perpetrator programmes, young adult employability services and alternative education provision for young people aged 13 – 16.

Katie Shephard, Head of Income and Partnerships at Fresh Futures, says: “We’re delighted to welcome both Brewfitt and Zest for Print on board as our first ever Patrons. This year, we’re seeking 50 Patrons to come on board – this support would make a significant and lasting impact on the services we can deliver across Kirklees. We’d urge all local companies to get in touch today to find out more about how to support us and build a lasting partnership making a difference to children and young people.”

For anyone interested in finding out more about the Patrons scheme, email [email protected] and one of the friendly Income and Partnerships team will get in touch with more information.

Fresh Futures and Edshift awarded £39,990.56 from the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

We are delighted to announce that our Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme (DAPP) at Fresh Futures have been awarded £39,990.56 from the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund.

This was part of a joint bid with EdShift, a community group who provides a space of safety, belonging and community, using the arts to transform the lives of children affected by domestic abuse and violence.
The Safer Communities Fund is part of an initiative by the Mayor of West Yorkshire, and has seen £1 million awarded to support victims of serious violence, hate crime and trauma and help promote community safety and steer young people away from criminality.

‘Little Nests’ will a rolling programme running over 12 weeks, supporting six children who are victims of domestic abuse. The sessions, run by Edshift will provide a safe and creative environment for them to reconnect with peers, encourage them to socialise through play and creativity and improve their resilience.

A key priority of this initiative is to hear and empower the child’s voice through the art program in order to achieve behaviour change in the perpetrators. The learnings from the Little Nest programme will be included within Fresh Futures’ domestic abuse perpetrator programme – their feelings and experiences will be fed directly into sessions with male perpetrators to help them understand the impact of their behaviour.

“This funding is key and will further build on Fresh Futures’ goal of challenging beliefs around abuse. Children are often the ‘forgotten victim’ in domestic abuse cases and this programme puts children at the heart of the intervention and also supports children to disclose the impact their home life has had on them.

The support EdShift offers will create a safe space to develop safety plans and confidence in children. This work, which incorporates art, drama and music therapy, is then presented back to the abusive parent within the programme to hopefully give them the message that their behaviour has been impactful. “

Jonathan Fell, the Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme (DAPP) Service Manager.

The programme launched last month and will be running until October 2024 thanks to the funding secured through this vital initiative.

Find out more about DAPP here.

To celebrate our 50th Birthday we are launching “50 Faces of Fresh Futures”

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

This year is Fresh Futures 50th Birthday and to celebrate, we’re launching our 50 Faces of Fresh Futures campaign. Over the course of the year we’ll be focusing on 50 people who have impacted on Fresh Futures over the past 50 years – showcasing their incredible involvement in the charity, which has helped us grow and develop over the years. 

To kick off the campaign we spoke to Mark Farmer, CE at Fresh Futures…

  • Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work at Fresh Futures.

I joined Fresh Futures as CEO in November 2020 – and we went into lockdown on my third day!  I’ve been a charity leader for over 30 years, at national and regional charities, and the great thing about my role at Fresh Futures is that I can, with the Trustees and Leadership Team, steer the charity strategically whilst still being close to service delivery and see the impact we make.

  • Why do you think Fresh Futures is so important in Kirklees?

The communities across Kirklees face wide range of challenges  – it is a very diverse area with significant deprivation and inequalities,  and we need to play a part in addressing the challenges of today and raising aspirations for tomorrow   –  and our vision that all young people have opportunities for a better life, now and in the future is at the heart of all we do to enable Kirklees communities to realise their potential.

  • The charity has been established for 50 years, this year. What are the most significant events in the history of Fresh Futures from your perspective.

Top of the list would be the inspiration and vision of Brian Jackson,  that education should be the route to addressing inequalities,  and the services that have been developed to realise that vision over the past 50 years continues to drive what we do.  I grew up in the 1970’s and  Britain was very different then to the 2020’s Britain, but the inequalities and challenges in society in many respects have got worse over that time  – and demand for our services continues to grow.   I would also highlight the lease then purchase of Brian Jackson House  – to give the charity a central base and a key part of our financial sustainability;  and the opening of Brian Jackson College as an Ofsted registered independent special school.

  • How do you see the charity growing over the next 5 years?  

We will expand our school provision,  providing alternative education for pupils with additional needs from age 13 -18,  and will open new schools in other areas of West Yorkshire.  Our unique holistic offer of vocational, functional and life skills is recognised by Ofsted, local authorities and schools as delivering for pupils for whom mainstream schools are not equipped to provide for.  We are also investing in research and development of new services  –  very much going back to our beginnings of leading thinking in addressing needs and challenges of our communities faced by some children, young people and families.

  • If you were asked to describe the charity in one word, what would you say?

Passionate (to support and help our service users)

How Fresh Futures aims to ‘erase’ old record from the history books

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

Fresh Futures are aiming to break a world record and thousands of children across Kirklees are being urged to get involved by simply donating a rubber and 50p. The World Record attempt is part of our 50th birthday celebrations running throughout 2024.

We want to break the World Record for the largest collection of erasers and it will need a massive community effort to achieve it. The existing record is currently over 17,000 and Fresh Futures wants to beat that figure by collecting over 18,000 rubbers.

The campaign, in partnership with by TRU West Alliance and sponsored by Ecofficiency, begins on Monday, April 15, which is National Rubber Eraser Day. Children and families from across Kirklees are being encouraged to visit Brian Jackson House in central Huddersfield to donate their rubbers and 50ps. The collection of rubbers will also be on show for people to view.

Mark Farmer, Chief Executive, says: “The project is a great opportunity for any youth organisation to get involved to support the charity. All you need to do is bring an eraser to Brian Jackson House and you’ll be part of a World Record attempt and play a key role in helping us put our Eraser Collection on the map! The project is being run as a fundraising campaign for Fresh Futures and every penny received will be used to support our work with disadvantaged children, young people, and their families from across Kirklees.”

Schools, nurseries, sports clubs, and other youth organisations can take part in the project. Any organisation signing up will receive a free bumper pack of resources including stickers for children, a participation certificate and activity sheets.

For more information on Fresh Futures please contact Lynne at [email protected]

Pass It On charity shop news!

Posted on by Katie Shephard

For many years, Yorkshire Children’s Centre have run a charity shop called ‘Pass It On’ in Heckmondwike. 

‘Pass It On’ is currently based on the same site as one of Fresh Futures colleges which provides alternative education provision to young people who have been or are at risk of being excluded from mainstream education.  The provision is unique because alongside offering traditional curriculum lessons such as Maths and English, it provides the opportunity for young people to gain hands-on vocational experience and skills in sectors such as hospitality, beauty, and the trades.

Currently, the college based in Heckmondwike supports 50 young people aged 14 to 16.  However, demand for places is far higher than the current available provision.

Fresh Futures recognises that 2023 is a very challenging time to be a young person. The Covid pandemic has meant that young people have lost almost two years within a traditional education setting, years that are crucial to the development of their core life skills.

Research by the Prince’s Trust, published last year, found that (23%) of young people asked in the UK agree they will never recover from the emotional impact of the Covid pandemic. The report reveals the happiness and confidence of 16 to 25 year olds has hit the lowest point in its thirteen-year history. More than a third (36%) reveal that the pandemic has caused a long-term negative impact on their stress levels. Also, almost half (48%) report experiencing a mental health problem, 46% say the pandemic has made their mental health worse, and 44% agree they are more anxious now.

Yorkshire Children’s Charity recognises that now is the time to act to support young people who are at risk of being not able to see positive futures for themselves.  We are excited to announce that moving forward we will be using the space currently occupied by ‘Pass It On’ to expand the college with additional classrooms.  In addition to creating new spaces, it will also enable us to provide provision for over 16-year-olds.  The move into post 16 provision is vital – young people are now required to be in education or training until they are 18, however many colleges do not provide suitable support for our young people.  By providing this new service, Fresh Futures hopes to move a step closer to our vision of all young people having opportunities for a better life, now and in the future.

Mark Farmer, CEO at Yorkshire Children’s Centre, says: “This is an exciting time for Fresh Futures and we’re pleased to be able to move forward with this expansion.  We know that there is a significant need in the local area and this increased provision will make an important difference to local families and young people.  Young people are at risk of becoming a lost generation due to Covid and other significant world events, such as the cost of living crisis and the Ukraine war, which are impacting on all areas of society. By growing our provision, we are helping to meet the urgent need of young people in Kirklees.”

This expansion does mean that from 7th October, Fresh Futures will no longer be running our Pass It On shop.  However, this isn’t the end for Pass It On!  There’s new exciting developments coming soon that will be announced over the next few weeks – watch this space!

In the meantime, we’d like to thank anyone who has kindly supported the charity shop previously, we remain incredibly grateful for all of the support from the local community!

Fresh Futures team up with Pilotlight

Posted on by Katie Shephard

Fresh Futures was established in Kirklees almost 50 years ago, and we are here to ensure children and families are given opportunities for a better life when being faced with challenges. We want to still be here in the next 50 years, making a positive impact to even more families.

To future proof YCC, we are delighted to announce that we have teamed up with Pilotlight, a charity that connects senior leaders (also known as ‘Pilotlighters’) from businesses to support and coach charities, such as YCC, through their strategic choices and decision.

Recently, we invited our Pilotlighters to our Trustee and Management meeting where they coached us through a review of our name and brand. Their expert advice is already making a big difference in helping us shape the charity’s future and to sustain longevity.

Fresh Futures are looking forward to continuing to work with Pilotlight and seeing their support come into fruition to enable us to continue improving lives and inspiring change to those living in Kirklees and surrounding areas.

Fresh Futures Chief Executive Officer, Mark Farmer, said “We have already worked with a team of ‘Pilotlighters’ from KPMG to look at our name and brand, and have taken some of that work forwards with our Trustees.  We look forward to joining the Pilotlight 360 programme in the coming months.”

#WeAreYCC

News Update: Brian Jackson College celebrates ‘Good’ Ofsted rating!

Posted on by Katie Shephard

Fresh Futures Brian Jackson College are proud to announce that they have once again achieved a rating of GOOD during their recent Ofsted inspection!

At Brian Jackson College, we pride ourselves on the quality of work we deliver, and the outcomes we achieve to improve the lives of young people and inspire positive change to encourage better opportunities for their futures.

In June we welcomed Ofsted inspectors into Brian Jackson College, where they carried out a two-day inspection of our education settings across Huddersfield and Heckmondwike. We were delighted that the inspectors recognised the invaluable support, ongoing improvements, and dedication we provide to our young people on a daily basis.

Throughout their visit, inspectors spent time talking to staff and students, and discussing their views around various topics such as safeguarding, bullying and equality and diversity. The staff and students gave glowing feedback and spoke highly of the unique family-feel at the college. The inspectors agreed with the comments and observations made, so much so, they have awarded us, for the third time, a GOOD Ofsted rating.

The team at Brian Jackson College couldn’t be prouder of maintaining this achievement throughout the years.

Headteacher, Jacqui Green, was over-joyed to share the exciting news with parents, carers, students and colleagues. Jacqui said: “This is an excellent report, particularly at a time when the benchmark for ‘Good’ is at the highest level it has ever been. I am particularly pleased that Ofsted recognised the journey of improvements made at Brian Jackson College over the past four years and I would like to thank the parents/carers who have supported the school during this time. Once again, may I thank all those involved in the inspection itself, especially the staff, Brian Jackson College, governors, and the pupils who shone during the inspection process and continue to make a positive contribution to school life.”

Mark Farmer, Chief Executive Officer at Yorkshire Children’s Centre, added: “I am delighted that the great work our team do to develop our students continues to be recognised by Ofsted. Our model of blending academic and vocational learning, in a nurturing, supportive and safe environment, provides a fresh start for young people for whom mainstream schooling has not worked. Brian Jackson College is a shining example of good alternative education provision, and I am proud of the difference we make.”

Brian Jackson College is an alternative provision school, run across two sites in Heckmondwike and Huddersfield, teaching core and vocational subjects to around 60 pupils in years 9-11.

To find out more about Brian Jackson College, please visit: www.brianjacksoncollege.co.uk

#BrianJacksonCollege #WeAreYCC

29th June 2023 is National Work From Home Day

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

National Work From Home Day offers a chance for us to recognise the technological and cultural evolutions that have changed our work culture and has allowed for many roles that were once considered ‘office based’ to now be carried out just as effectively from home as in the office. 

At YCC, we are proud to have perfected a positive hybrid working culture for our charity’s administrators, coordinators, officers, managers and beyond, who were once ‘office-based’ and have seen plenty of benefits stem from this. We were able to do this by listening to employees’ suggestions, and ensuring that our hardware and software was current and secure, to allow individuals to pick up work from home (and beyond!).

We believe that a positive hybrid working culture allows for more efficient use of time, boosts morale, reduces sick days and parental leave days, promotes well-being and has enhanced productivity, amongst many other things.

Of course, hybrid working means time in our Fresh Futures buildings too. And we also have many staff at the charity who don’t have the opportunity to work from home (such as our incredible cohort of alternative provision teachers and mentors, and building services team members). So, for the times when staff are on-site – we have also developed our working spaces to ensure they remain comfortable, secure, and pleasant. This includes work with our Employee Forum representatives, a recent office refurbishment, and a new staff room for down time.

Not only does our commitment to hybrid working show the trust we have in our employees, but it allows people to take charge of their own work loads and work environments, be flexible whenever they need to be, and facilitates a positive work-life balance.

And if that wasn’t enough… it also has great sustainability benefits! For instance, moving from 5 to 4 days in the office per week can reduce that individual’s carbon emissions (and travel costs!) by a significant 20% – and that’s just ONE day of home working!

So tomorrow (and every other day!) Fresh Futures will continue to support a hybrid working culture as much as possible.

Find out about job opportunities at YCC, at https://freshfutures.org.uk/work-with-us/

News Update: £444,252 loss to low-income families in Kirklees via Healthy Start scheme

Posted on by Lynne Haigh

Within the Kirklees area there is an estimated loss of £444,252 to low-income families toward free fruit, vegetables, and milk via the Healthy Start scheme.

Analysis released in April 2023 by food charity Sustain shows that families across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will miss out on £68 million in payments this year if uptake rates don’t improve.

The Healthy Start scheme provides fruit, vegetables, vitamins, and milk for young families on low incomes, and could help now more than ever due to the current cost of living crisis.

Many families are not claiming, either because of complications in the application process, or simply because they are unaware they are eligible. Local authorities and food partnerships across the country have stepped up efforts to promote the Scheme but are facing difficulties associated with squeezed public health budgets and changing demographics. The Government had hoped to reach 75% of eligible families by the end of March, but only reached 366,000, or 64%.

Research shows that the number of households where children are experiencing food insecurity has nearly doubled in the past year and according to Food Foundation data, families with babies and young children are especially at risk, with 27.3% of households with children under 4 struggling to afford food.

Yorkshire Children’s Centre, a local charity based in Huddersfield that supports disadvantaged children, young people and their families in Kirklees and surrounding areas promotes the Healthy Start Scheme and are keen to encourage individuals and families that are eligible to sign up to the scheme.

Katie Lockwood, Fresh Futures Service Manager said “Thriving Kirklees are working hard to reach as many eligible people as possible through a targeted partnership approach, anti-natal fayres and Fresh Futures Community Champions. Although we have seen a slight increase in uptake there is still a long way to go, and we know that now more than ever, this additional help is needed.”  

Here’s more about the scheme:

The Healthy Start scheme is open to children under the age of 4, and women who are at least 10 weeks pregnant. In order to qualify, you must be receiving any of the following:

  • You, your partner, or your carer get Working Tax Credit run-on only after you have reported you’re working 16 hours or less per week
  • Child Tax Credit (only if your family’s annual income is £16,190 or less)
  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Pension Credit (which includes the child addition)
  • Universal Credit (only if your family’s take-home pay is £408 or less per month from employment)

You will also be eligible for Healthy Start if:

  • You’re under 18 and pregnant, even if you are not claiming any benefits
  • You claim income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and are over 10 weeks pregnant

You can find more information and get advice on how to apply on Fresh Futures website https://freshfutures.org.uk/national-healthy-start/

News Update: Fresh Futures Charity Loses Parking After 35 Years Due To Railway Redevelopment

Posted on by Katie Shephard

Yorkshire Children’s Centre (YCC), which has its headquarters at Brian Jackson House, Huddersfield has recently been impacted as a result of the redevelopment of Huddersfield train station.

The changes come from the Transpennine Route Upgrade plan. In the plan, Network Rail plans to invest in the railway that runs through Huddersfield to Leeds and beyond, to improve connectivity and help support economic growth in the North of England.

To achieve this expansion, Network Rail have acquired the land next to the station, which was owned by company HD1 and has been used, in part, by Fresh Futures for 35 years!

After a long period of planning and consultation, Network Rail officially commenced the redevelopment of the station on 8th May 2023. In doing so, Fresh Futures – situated next door to the station – has with immediate effect, lost all access to the rear of their building.

This move means that Fresh Futures have zero rights to access the back of their building which was used for deliveries, staff parking, and an entrance for service users amongst many other things. Fresh Futures ultimately only own and have a legal right to access the land which the building sits upon – and not an inch more.

The instant effects of this to the charity are huge. Financially, employees, trustees and volunteers have lost access to free parking in the town when delivering services – an extra cost of around £4 per day per individual, which must now be burdened by the charity itself, which is working tirelessly to Improve Lives and Inspire Change throughout the community.

CEO Mark Farmer, said, “Whilst we are in support of improving the local area for communities, by way of both the Huddersfield Blueprint and the Transpennine Route Upgrade, it does seem that the needs of the charity – a huge part of the community – have been overlooked. We now face additional financial and holistic impacts when delivering some services – all whilst in the middle of a cost of living crisis. These billion-pound projects have failed to consider this and to date, we have been unable to reach any level of agreements with the organisations involved to reduce the impact to the charity”.

The goal of both Network Rail and Kirklees Council in these projects is to enhance connectivity. One of Kirklees Council’s 5-pronged approach to the Blueprint is ‘Better Access’. This in part is to be achieved by Huddersfield Rail Station Connections, a project which aims to ‘make it easier for everyone to make their way between the railway station and the places where they live, learn, work or visit in Huddersfield town centre’[1]. Although in doing so, it does seem that YCC, a local employer of over 100 staff, established in Huddersfield for almost 50 years, and operating from Brian Jackson House since 1988, has not been considered.

Fresh Futures Head of Children and Family Services, Catherine McKenzie, explained, “in terms of service delivery, we have already been impacted by simple things such as access into the building which has affected delivery of our much-needed child safety equipment. This has resulted in precious staff time being utilised to make alterative arrangements rather than spending time supporting families.”

Fresh Futures continues to operate within Brian Jackson House including delivering services such as Stay and Play, Child Contact and Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme work.

Fresh Futures are appealing for any individuals or local organisations who may know of any free parking opportunities/may have a few parking spaces to spare close to the Brian Jackson House building, to please get in touch with Fresh Futures to support the delivery of the charity.

To learn more about Fresh Futures and the impact it delivers across communities to young people and their families, CLICK HERE

#WeAreFresh Futures #ImprovingLivesInspiringChange

[1] https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/transport-roads-and-parking/transpennine-route-upgrade.aspx