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 | 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!
by faithyoung | Apr 12, 2024 | 2024, Blog, Charity
Our learners planned their own trip to Hull!
For our clients who are making their first tentative steps into the big wide world, there are many aspects of life that we can take for granted.
Reading a train timetable; buying the right ticket; planning a trip; enjoying a social occasion; even ordering a delicious meal!
For our clients, these tasks can often spark anxiety coupled with an overall lack of confidence in social or public situations.
Causes for these challenging emotions include social isolation, a lack of ‘real life’ experience and a reliance upon social media rather than human interaction.
Our work at Futureworks NY is multi-faceted, so one of the best ways to deal with numerous challenges is to host a social excursion to one of the North’s largest cities for a day trip which included a multitude of task that, as adults, we might have to deal with every day.
Railway Travel
If you think about making a railway journey, there are many decisions that need to made.
Deciding the destination; the time of departure and the return trip; the cost of the tickets (and purchasing them); getting to the railway station on time; ensuring you alight at the correct station; finding your reserved seat; and knowing what time the train arrives at the chosen destination.
For our clients, this was, for some, their first railway trip.
Even for experienced railway passengers, travelling by rail can be a challenge if trains are cancelled or are running late.
So, for our day trip to Hull, we boarded a Northern Rail train from Scarborough to Hull. Luckily, for this route, Scarborough is the terminus so it was easy to find the right platform and board the train.
Hull’s Paragon Street station is much larger and with lots more platforms, trains and more.
Our clients had to be sure they knew their return journey time (and plan their day so they could catch the train home); which platform it would depart from; and know what time they would get back to Scarborough so they could get home safely.
As well as printed timetables, there is also the screens at railway stations, showing the latest information.
This element of the day trip encouraged planning, responsibility and helping each other get things right!
Escape Rooms
This popular pastime is on trend!
If you’re not sure what it’s about, participants are given a mission at the escape room venue, usually starting off in a themed room which includes hints and clues as to how to gain your freedom.
It can include codes, locks, and hidden items.
It’s an immersive experience and it relies upon teamwork as well as healthy competition between participants.
The experience can often mean using parts of your brain in a different way, learning how to look at things differently.
You’ll be glad to know our team did indeed ‘escape’!
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Nando’s
Part of enjoying a day out is having great food to eat!
We’re not talking about a packed lunch here: we wanted our young clients to understand how to make a decision about eating out (affordability); exercising restaurant etiquette (patience; courtesy; turn-taking); and being thankful for the food itself.
Of course, eating out with friends is a great way to bond with each other; to discover more about each other; and generally having fun in a responsible way and without disturbing others.
For our trip to the well-known food chain Nando’s, this also meant finding the location, waiting to be taken to a table, reading the menu and deciding what to eat within budget.
When ordering food, our clients could see how to take turns in ordering and giving their food choices clearly, as well as being polite to the Nando’s staff.
It was then a case of waiting for the meal, enjoying it and yet also being grateful that food is so plentiful in the UK.
Other skills learned included being able to eat food in a polite way, and ask for the bill from staff.
As we needed to check who’d ordered what, it was also a test of memory!
We also enjoyed delicious donuts during the day trip!
While this was just a snack, the rules of food ordering applied: taking turns, making choices and more.
Our learners also enjoyed a tasty snack by having a treat: some Krispy Kreme doughnuts! Again this called upon different skills such as budgeting and food choices.
Of course couldn’t have done this without our dedicated team, including Dave an Gin, who chaperoned, guided and was there as a helping hand in Hull.
With all our trips we encourage our learners to have fun, make friends and be thankful for what they have.
A great day out for everyone!
by faithyoung | Mar 21, 2024 | 2024, Funding Projects
On April 6th, Tom and Sarah Thornton will be skydiving to raise money for Futureworks NY!
Futureworks NY provides support and guidance for people of all ages as well as volunteer opportunities within the local community.
Futureworks NY was founded in 2012 and provides personalised support and guidance for those looking to improve their lives.
You can donate to Just Giving here!
Our mission is to work within our community, provide support and guidance and encourage all ages to fulfil their potential through engagements, motivation and support.
Our work includes helping school age individuals includingyoung adults aged 15 years upwards; we offer Adult Training and offer qualifications for some of our clients. We also have our retail space at Furniture Works in St Thomas Street, Scarborough, along with a workshop in the town.
The projects we carry out are varied, ranging from activities to outdoor challenges to furniture restoration.
All donations welcome to help Futureworks NY continue to carry out the amazing work they do with people of all ages throughout our local communities.
