by faithyoung | Jul 14, 2023 | 2023, Blog, Charity
We are so delighted! After lots and lots of hard work, we’ve now become a charity.
We are based in Victoria Road, Scarborough, which is where our charity is registered to.
Our team, led by Michelle Padron-Kitching and Sarah Thornton, want to thank everyone involved
Michelle says: “This is excellent news and is the next chapter in the Futureworks NY journey.
“Becoming a charitable company helps consolidate our ability to help young people and adults in Scarborough. This milestone means we can apply for additional funding for projects that will continue to help people in the area.”
Sarah says: “Our objectives remain in line with the help we offer to our cohort, which includes finding employment through the provision of employability skills.
“Our hardworking team will be able to increase the support they already offer, which includes helping people achieve City & Guilds qualifications, vocational training, and assistance with acquiring life skills.”
Their first fundraising activity was the successful completion of the Cleveland Way National Trail, a long-distance walk stretching 109 miles. Part of the trail includes Scarborough and Filey.
Sarah completed the gruelling trek along with fundraisers Rachel Philliskirk and Emma Wilson.
Sarah says: “Our aim was to raise £500 for Futureworks NY and we smashed this target thanks to everyone who donated. We managed to raise £830 in total, so we’re delighted.”
We are in the process of planning their fundraising activities and we also have our retail premises Furniture Works, in St Thomas Street, Scarborough.
Futureworks NY, 40 Victoria Road, Scarborough YO11 2SD
Registered Charity Number 1203922, registered office is 40 Victoria Road, Scarborough, YO11 2SD
by faithyoung | Jun 1, 2023 | 2023, Blog
We are proud to announce we’ve received funding from BBC Children in Need!
This funding is for £90k for three years for core funding towards our work with young people aged 15 to 18 years.
We will provide more information very soon about this exciting announcement!
by faithyoung | May 22, 2023 | 2023, Blog
Lucy – Thriving at Work – A Success Story
Lucy recently started a new job at George Pindar School near Scarborough as a teaching assistant and loves it!
Lucy already has her sights on gaining a Level 3 Teaching Assistant Qualification.
However, Lucy knew she needed her Maths and English qualifications to get there.
Futureworks NY Steps In
Through the Thriving at Work programme, Lucy accessed support through her keyworker Leanne at Humankind who referred her to us here at Futureworks NY for her Maths and English support.
Lucy quickly gained momentum with her Functional Skills and then initially focused on her English as she felt this was her strongest subject.
She quickly worked her way through her English and gained a Level 2 qualification.
On commencing her Maths, Lucy didn’t have the same confidence as she had with her English.
Yet, she worked her way through all the work set for her, with support along the way.
Determination to Succeed
Lucy sat for her Maths Level 1 exam but unfortunately did not pass; however, Lucy was undeterred: she went over the areas she struggled with and rebooked the test.
The second attempt was not a charm for Lucy as she missed out on a pass by only a couple of marks.
Disappointed as Lucy was, she did not give up and again hit the books to revise her weak areas.
Third time lucky, Lucy was very nervous as she was so keen that she achieved a pass mark, and this time she did it!
Lucy passed with a grade well over the pass mark. Well done, Lucy!
And the next stage …
Lucy’s shear determination to achieve her Maths did not fade throughout her journey with us.
She now has her sights on a Level 2 Maths qualification.
Again, with the same fortitude, Lucy is working her way through the Level 2 work with support as and when she needs it.
It has been an absolute pleasure watching Lucy get to grips with a subject she had no confidence with at the start of this journey.
We have no doubt that she will achieve her goals.
by faithyoung | Feb 22, 2023 | 2023, Blog
Grace started with us at Futureworks NY as a Year 10 student.
As she was home educated, Grace was referred via the home education officer for North Yorkshire County Council.
Grace attended a very informal chat with us accompanied by her mum and although she was very nervous about starting, she agreed a start date.
As Grace suffered with high anxiety, she started with the support of her mum, who would wait in the building while Grace attended session. Grace always needed to be sure that her mum was nearby due to her high anxiety.
Some days were definitely harder for Grace, when her anxiety be too much for her to even walk through our doors.
However, with support from us and her mum, she was given the opportunity to walk in via the back doors to avoid others in session and this helped build her confidence and reduce her anxiety.
Grace then enrolled in our weekly art sessions, supported by a local artist Richard, who volunteers some of his time.
These sessions were an opportunity to get creative whilst engaging in discussions with other young people who feel the same as Grace.
As time went by we could see Grace start to become more and more confident within these sessions and mum no longer waited in the building for her.
Grace has been with us now for over a year and in that time she has flourished.
She has produced some incredible art pieces and even joined a group to a trip to York and Newcastle.
When she was first asked about group excursions, she was a definite ‘no’ as she did not want to be away from family and the comfort that brought her.
For her to engage in these trips was a huge step forward in her self confidence and helped reduce her anxieties.
Grace has plans now to go to Scarborough TEC to study art and we are of course supporting her with this. We are so proud of Grace and we are using her as a peer mentor to other young people who are feeling anxious when they start with us.
“Wow! Just wow! The difference in Grace is amazing, we’re even now talking about applying for college. I can’t thank you enough for what you have done for her,” says Grace’s dad.
Grace says: “The team have helped me through my journey at Futureworks NY and I couldn’t be more grateful. They have encouraged me to try new things and come out of my comfort zone. I have become a more confident person because of Futureworks”.
