by faithyoung | Sep 17, 2024 | 2024, New season
We are very excited to welcome Shaun, Angela and Lee as we continue to grow the team at Futureworks.
This will have a direct impact on bringing our waiting list down and helping those in our community who need our support.
Continuous funding and financial donations are also vital in helping us to provide support and guidance to vulnerable and disengaged individuals; and young people aged 15+, as we provide holistic support, as well as opportunities to develop experience, life skills and accredited qualifications.
by faithyoung | Aug 19, 2024 | 2024, Home Education
Here at Futureworks NY we have expanded our portfolio as demand continues to increase.
Home schooling is one of our most in-demand services.
We’re seeking support from local businesses for this critical work in our community.
Michelle Padron Kitching, co-founder and CEO of Futureworks NY said: “Our home schooling programme, which is fully funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, provides an alternative format for students in Years 10 and 11 for those who have elected to have home education.”
The specially developed programme, which is led by team member Daniella Jordan, includes functional skills, confidence building, social skills assistance, holistic support and more.
Sarah Thornton, co-founder and CEO of Futureworks NY said: “As we continue to help, support and hopefully guide young people in our local community, this programme is a lifeline for students that find they don’t always reach their potential within conventional educational settings.
“We currently have an increasing waiting list and as our aim is to help as many within our local community as possible; we are seeking to expand this service if we can so we can meet demand.
“This can be achieved through support from local businesses who can become sponsors of this important aspect of alternative education.”
Michelle added: “Our dedicated, talented team and our student cohort work together and great things are possible. We know the demand is completely outstripping supply at the moment: all it takes is for one or two local businesses or companies to give us a call and find out how they can help.
“Investing in future generations is essential for the future health, wellbeing and prosperity of not only the students, but to the local economy, too.”
Get in touch if your company can help – 01723 449616
by faithyoung | Jul 11, 2024 | 2024, Blog, Funding Projects
All the Fs … Futureworks NY and Freedom Funding!
Here at Futureworks, we are very lucky in that we have applied for funding and we’ve been successful with the likes of Children In Need and other organisations.
These much-needed pots of ‘cash’ are more often than not ring fenced for particular projects.
This is completely correct and commendable, and various monies have helped fund our Adult Training, Youth Development, workshops and more.
Yet one of our aims is to become more self-sufficient with our fundraising.
In other words, by May 2025, we are hoping to generate £50,000 so we have the freedom to be flexible for our learners’ needs and requirements with ‘freedom funding’.
This will mean we are less reliant on ‘tied’ funding, enabling us to be readily responsive to those who need support, help and encouragement.
In 2027, we will celebrate our 15th anniversary and while this is some time away, we know there is ever-increasing demand in the local Scarborough area.
Therefore, by 2027, with the help of freedom funding, we are hoping to increase the number of learners we support by 40%.
We currently have a waiting list so there is definitely the need.
While this is ambitious, with help, it is entirely possible.
Freedom funding comes in many forms.
It could be corporate sponsorship by a local business.
It could be charitable ventures (we list some that we’ve already achieved below).
It could be a donation, however small (or large!).
Donate here!
It could be that your workplace nominates Futureworks NY as your charity of the year.
And of course, freedom funding also comes about from sales at Furniture Works, St Thomas Street, Scarborough.
This is our retail space in the heart of our seaside town and is part of the Futureworks NY family.
Monies made from Furniture Works sales are ploughed back into Futureworks NY, helping ‘freedom fund’ the work we do.
So, it might be easy to imagine, if we had additional freedom funding, how many people we could help!
It would mean more learners gaining employment, a place at college or entering an apprenticeship.
It goes without saying that it means we can potentially expand our team as we grow.
We have already started the freedom funding ball rolling with our Coffee Works initiative.
Pop into our Furniture Works store, grab a fresh coffee and when you pay, you know those pennies and pounds will help someone who needs that helping hand.
Our team, including CEOs Michelle Padron-Kitching and Sarah Thornton, have also put their money where their mouth is.
Charitable events include walking the entire Cleveland Way National Trail; dropping out of a plane (yes, with a parachute!), tackling a couple of half marathons including the demanding Ravenscar Half (anyone who’s tackled this knows it’s a lung buster).
It has even been said it’s tougher than the London Marathon!
We have lots more up our sleeves.
So as we become funded more freely, what elements would we be able to fund?
We would be able offer an even more rounded service, so our clients could access support for mental health, financial issues and housing.
It would mean we could develop our provision of care on an entirely bespoke basis, so the individual’s learning needs are recognised, with earlier intervention meaning that person moves on and their strengths are recognised.
As anyone who’s applied for funding knows, competition is fierce.
There are more applicants per pot of money, sometimes reducing the chances of a successful application.
And as we approach the first anniversary of becoming a registered charity, this milestone helps people see the value of our work.
Yet with recent successes such as our clients receiving their certificates, it’s clear to see how Futureworks NY and the work we do is essential.
Freedom funding means less reliance upon complex contracts and ringfenced pots of ‘spondoolies’.
Freedom funding also means we can help more learners achieve their own freedom; freedom from barriers such as mental health, lack of confidence, anxiety.
You can’t really put a price tag on that … so if you can help us and our team, we’d love to hear from you.
by faithyoung | Jun 17, 2024 | 2024, Funding Projects, Furniture Works
Furniture Works is our retail outlet in the heart of our seaside town.
This eclectic store offers a friendly, immersive shopping experience in St Thomas Street, Scarborough.
Furniture Works is part of the Furtureworks NY family; Futureworks NY is a registered charity, and the two work together to deliver support, training, workshops and more within the local community.
You will find Furniture Works is just seconds from local bus routes, a car park, and the bustling town centre of our favourite seaside resort.
And in June 2024, we celebrate our fourth anniversary ‘in business’ as it is four years since we acquired this popular, innovative and quirky retail space.
Four years ago, the world was a very different place.
We were in the midst of the Covid-19 global pandemic, which reached its height mid-2020.
Lockdowns, social distancing, caring bubbles … remember?
It was what we ourselves call, a crazy time.
And of course, we are still dealing with the virus and the fallout of this exceptional event.
Back in 2020, though, we had already begun the Furniture Works journey before the Government announced the various, ever-changing restrictions.
So, in true Futureworks NY fashion, we carried on, even though it was one of trickiest times we’ve ever known.
Furniture Works finally opened to the public in September 2020 and we were very proud, even though we say so ourselves.
We received lots of local media coverage in the local press, on regional radio and more.
Customers were intrigued as to what we were all about.
We were definitely something new, fresh and different on Scarborough’s high street.
It is worth knowing that we founded Furniture Works on the principles of proud independence, where customers could shop for bespoke furniture and cool accessories away from the big names on the high street.
Furniture items for sale in Furniture Works are the result of our wonderful clients and workshop team transforming pieces into something desirable, different and beautiful.
Every purchase helps our learners and clients get their lives into gear.
The monies raised are ploughed back into the Futureworks NY so we can help support and provide guidance; help young people aged 15 and over, develop experience opportunities and even help people acquire accredited qualifications.
In other words, if you buy that table, chair or accessory, you are helping someone reach their full potential by way of workshops, courses and more.
So, it’s a ‘triple whammy’ in that skills are taught; something is created, giving a sense of purpose; and items are ready for someone to purchase, take home and love.
Our business model also means we are helping make the business sustainable: items of furniture make their way to our store, and then to a forever home, rather than to landfill or just left to rot somewhere.
You can browse our website and social media channels at your leisure 24-7.
Pop into our shop at 39, St Thomas Street, Scarborough, 10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday.
Our helpful team is on hand to advise or simply be there if you need to ask any questions or you can phone us on 01723 447884.
We can collect donated items and also deliver purchased items for a small fee.
DID YOU KNOW …
Futureworks NY also works with economically inactive adults with the aim of moving them closer to employment, increasing social skills and reducing feelings of isolation for our local community in Scarborough.
The team strives to encourage all ages to fulfil their potential through engagement, motivation, and support via alternative learning structures.
We continue to work within our community, encouraging all our learners to fulfil their potential through engagement, motivation and support.
by faithyoung | May 6, 2024 | 2024, Blog
A group of our leaners went along to a Krav Maga self-defence session.
This provided an opportunity to help develop the ability to stay safe, while having fun at the same time!
Other positives included improving self-confidence and trying something new.Our learners were helped by Brian Armstrong, an instructor in Krav Maga Kapap, along with his team.
They encouraged our learners to have a go, even if it meant stepping out of their comfort zones!
As well as building self-confidence, it also gave the learners a glimpse of how physical fitness can help with an overall sense of wellbeing.
Personal fitness is always an individual’s choice, yet these sessions provided a fun way of exploring the possibilities!
The session took place at No Limits Martial Arts and Fitness, Scarborough.
Krav Maga is a self-defence system, used by professionals and for personal safety, too.
Krav Maga is based on our own instincts and is derived from the Hebrew word “krav” meaning struggle.
It has origins in the times of the Old Testament. Today’s version was finely tuned during the Second World War.
Thanks to No Limits Martial Arts, dedicated instructors put our learners through their paces!
