2018 ANNUAL 2019 REPORT
Outcomes Aim of the programme Self awareness and self esteem
Independence & problem solving
Skills & knowledge to support your own health & well-being
Futures is a 6 month youth programme for 14-24 year olds focusing on personal development,
Relationships and working effectively with others
Leadership
Resilience & determination
good relations and citizenship. The project aims to work with approximately 200 marginalised or disadvantaged young people per
Understanding, respect and sensitivity for diversity
Understanding of their own identity
Respect for others from different backgrounds
year to help them form positive relationships with others of a different background and make a positive contribution to
Volunteering in communities of place and/or interest
Building better family and community relations
Participation in community structures, initiatives and democratic processes
building a cohesive society.
Who do we work with? Futures works with young people between the ages of 14-24 through two different interventions: 1. Schools programmes – 14-16 year olds who may be on reduced timetables or studying vocational subjects instead of mainstream curriculum. AIM: To cater for a range of learning styles and needs, hopefully preventing young people from leaving school early or leaving with little to no qualifications and becoming economically inactive. 2. Community programmes – 16-24 year olds, most of whom will be NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) AIM: To help young people figure out their future, develop soft skills which will enable them to achieve their goals and support them to transition into the next stage of their career journey.
42% Schools programme
58% Community programme
Futures at a glance...
143 Completers 110 Current participants
50% Male
48% Female
2% Other
31% Protestant 36% Catholic 33% Other
21%
4%
ethnic minority
26%
identify as having a disability
10% LGBTQ+
are young parents or carers
158 Level 2 qualifications were gained by 135 young people this year. 60 of those were GCSE equivalents.
Where do we work? “Futures gave me the confidence to know that I can finish a course. The best thing about Futures was the support from facilitators and the variety of OCN booklets that we did.” – Monica, 17
58% 42% inside Belfast
outside Belfast
Ballymena
Lisburn
Dundonald Belfast
Lurgan Portadown
Newtownards
Downpatrick
Armagh Newry
What do we do?
“If you have any problems, it will take you while to talk. But once you do talk, there are so many people in the course to help you.” – Andrew, 18
Within our partnership, Futures Project provides the facilitation, support and motivation that enables our participants to improve and overcome challenges associated with: Health and wellbeing Relationships Education and work Aspirations, hopes and dreams for the future Confidence and self-esteem Risky behaviour, choices and decision making Independent living Resilience and dealing with difficult feelings and emotions
How do we do it? Futures offers a diverse range of interventions including: Group work One to one mentoring Residentials Outdoor learning Community social action projects
Impact Below are survey figures across two cycles of Futures Project using an outcomes measurement tool between Sept 2018-October 2019. These are grouped into overall responses from a total of 107 participants. Â Number of young people who improved or maintained in the following areas:
83% Health & Wellbeing
Relationships
Independent living
Resilience & dealing with feelings and emotions
93% Aspirations, hopes & dreams for the future
Confidence & self-esteem
Education & Work
Risky behaviour, choices & decision makingÂ
56% of Futures participants also completed a keyworking intervention where they met with a one-to-one mentor for the duration of the programme. Keyworking focused on substance use, legal issues, family and social relationships, emotional wellbeing, practical life skills and progression/transition support.
Â
97%
felt that keyworking had helped them to improve their employability and access to education or training.
felt that keyworking improved their social interactions and relationships
96%
felt that keyworking had improved their emotional well-being and resilience
Progression of Futures participants moved into education, training, employment, volunteering or positive outcome within 3 months of completing the programme.
Education
56%
6% Volunteering
Employment
Training
13% 15%
“I feel more happy… I know what I want. I know what I want my future to be.” - Audrius, 24
Community Projects As part of Futures, all participants volunteer in a social action project where they give back to the local community or area they are based in. Some of the community projects so far have included an intergenerational cooking class with a care home, fundraisers for Macmillan Cancer Care, maintenance and gardening in Action Mental Health, volunteering in community summer scheme for children, volunteering in social enterprise community café, participating in Belfast Pride and volunteering in a furniture upcycling shop; a social enterprise set up by Welcome Organisation to tackle homelessness in Belfast. Futures participants also took part in British Youth Council’s Make Your Mark campaign where young people became ‘Champions’ to collect votes on the issues that young people are passionate about and would like to be considered by politicians.
“The community project really opened my eyes to a lot of the issues surrounding mental health. I feel I have accomplished something by taking part.” – Ethan, 21
“I learnt a lot about how even the smallest thing can make such a difference to so many people.” – Kyle, 20
Futures Ambassadors  Futures Ambassadors consists of previous and current participants on the programme. The Ambassadors are involved in evaluating the programme and decision making, helping with recruitment, organising events, taking on peer leadership roles with current participants and working on their own community projects and campaigns. In the upcoming year, the Ambassadors will be working on a campaign for mental health and will be designing a workshop to facilitate with the current groups.
E3 Sprinvgvale campus 400 Springfield Road Belfast, BT12 7DU 02890265212 futures@belfastmet.ac.uk
@futures4youth