Inside Our Hubs: Latest Community Programme News | Winter
Our community programmes are vital to fulfilling our charity's mission of supporting young people to build brighter futures. Here’s an update on our recent activities as we move into 2025!
In a Safe Space: The Vital Work of Our Counsellors
Through our community support programmes, we provide essential counselling for young people in Barrow and Bradford. These young people are often facing tough challenges, and our counsellors offer a safe space for young people to talk, reflect, and process emotions.
Every young person can experience struggles with their mental health, whether they are 5-years-old not sure about starting school or 18-years-old concerned about their future. If not helped, these worries can become worse and lead to issues such as disengagement with school, unemployment, isolation and potentially crime.
That’s why our counselling support is so important for communities. But as they happen in confidential spaces, we don’t often hear about them. So today, we're sharing some of the brilliant work our counsellors do in the local community.
In Barrow, our counsellor works on two key programmes: the DWP programme and the Furness 4 U. The DWP Programme aids those struggling with employment and financial stability, offering guidance to build resilience and confidence. Over the last few months we have seen young people gain employment and the relevant financial support their need to live independently. Furness 4 U supports young people experiencing loneliness, helping them develop confidence and social skills. Furness 4 U is a brilliant example of our blended approach consisting of group sessions, 1-to-1s with youth workers and counselling sessions.
In Bradford, we work with schools to support students facing anxiety and self-doubt. Our counselling provides a secure environment for them to express emotions and develop coping strategies, improving their self-awareness and confidence.
Our counsellors dedicate themselves to ensuring every young person feels supported and capable of growth. Please consider supporting our vital work. Together, we can make a difference—one conversation at a time.
Click to read Megan's Story, Remmy's Story and Lewis's Story to see the impact our Counselling services make.
All I really needed was support to understand that it was OK to be feeling the way I was feeling. Thank you Cat for teaching me the tools to cope with everything!”
Megan* MAGIC
*Names have been changed.
A Holiday Treat: Christmas HAF Supports Young People in Bradford
Christmas HAF (Holidays, Activities, and Food) is always a special time at the Bradford centre! This nationwide programme, funded by the Department for Education, provides fun activities and nutritious meals for young people in the local community.
This year, those who joined our two-day programme had an amazing time. They got into the festive spirit with Christmas crafts, a scavenger hunt, a trip to the local panto, a delicious Christmas dinner, and a surprise visit from Santa!
A huge well done to all the staff at our Bradford centre for always supporting the team — especially for putting together an incredible Christmas dinner!
Hits Radio Gift Bradford Families
Thank you to Hits Radio West Yorkshire and Cash For Kids and who generously donated toys to the young people we work with through HAF and our Supporting Families and Family Aide programmes. From LEGO® and Barbie sets to toy cars and dolls, these gifts made Christmas Day a little more special for families going through difficult times.
Youth Matters Fill Up On Christmas Lunch!
We had an exciting final session the Youth Matters group in Kendal. Busy in the kitchen, our project workers delivered a delicious Christmas dinner for 26 enthusiastic (and hungry) young people. The spread was so impressive that you could almost sing it to the tune of "12 Days Of Christmas!"
- 100 pig in blankets
- 26 crackers snapping
- 4 tubs of stuffing
- 2 big turkeys
- 2 veggie nut roasts
- Too many roast potatoes
- 1 lonely sprout
and, not single empty tummy in sight!
Shout out to our incredible project workers who not only cooked this feast but also arranged festive games. A great way for everyone to celebrate before we broke up for the Christmas and New Year.
Click the images below to enlarge.
You can get involved too! With your support, we can improve the life chances of thousands of young people who live across the UK.
