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!