1 2 3 It’s been another fantastic year for Future Projects as we continue to expand our work and help more people and communities in need throughout Norfolk. This wouldn’t be possible without the outstanding efforts of our trustees, staff, volunteers, and suppor ters - who quite regularly go over and above what’s expected of them for our cause. Future Projects is much like a family; resilient, supportive, close - knit and very much based on relationships. This year more than any other, those values have been e videnced in all of our work and I am truly delighted to lead this charity towards an exciting and bright future. Every day in our most deprived communities, children, adults and whole families face truly difficult circumstances with little or no support to help them through. We believe that everybody has the potential to create a brighter future for themselves if they have that extra bit of help. That’s why we work so hard to deliver education, training, support, and volunteering opportunities for people experiencing deprivation and hardship, enabling them to move forwards and live independent, safe, and happy lives. ” “ Welcome to Future Projects’ 2019 A nnual R eview It has been a little over eight years since I was appointed to the Board of Future Projects, and in that time I have witnessed huge change in both the charity, and the communities it serves. It seems the recent political, social and economic turbulence in our co untry shows no sign of abating any time soon, but through all this volatility and change , I have been hugely impressed by the ability of organisations such as Future Projects to weather the storm, to adapt, and to continue to support people in desperate ne ed. I am delighted to share this re view outlining the excellent work of the charity over the last year, all of which has been achieved because of the hard work of its dedicated and committed people. On behalf of the board of Trustees, I extend our heartfe lt thanks. “ ” 4 Our Story Future Projects was founded in 2000 by two volunteers who had become increasingly frustrated at the social exclusion, poverty, and lack of support available in their local community. They recognised that the issues people faced on their local housing estate in Norwich could not be resolved by simply addressing one problem at a time in isolation. So , they set a bout working with the local community to understand their needs and to d evelop projects in youth work, education , media , and information, advice and guidance. At the heart of our founders’ work was the desire to build on the strengths and assets which alre ady exist in communities and whilst many things have changed since 2000, our approach has not. We now deliver their mission via three core strands; Future Education, Future Radio, and Future Support Currently we operate from five sites across Norfolk with several teams delivering services and support directly in the communities and places they are needed most. Future Education supports more students than ever to overcome their complex needs and engage in learning Future Support is involved with nine major projects across Norfolk , and Future Radio has over 70 volunteers presenting, producing, and getting involved with all that is required to run a community radio station. 5 6 A collection of specialist support services which help those most in need through hands - on support, advice and advocacy. I am extremely proud of our support services this year. Our dedicated teams have worked with more clients than ever before, bringing our unique approach to support work into new communities to affect change. For man y people the future looks bleak, but our caring and personali s ed support services are changing that on a daily basis. Future Support has grown significantly in recent years, from what was originally one support worker helping residents in one of Norwich’s housing estates, to a collection of varied projects and services operating across Norfolk today. Much of our work focu ses on supporting those that would fall through the gaps in other services and develop more entrenched, complex problems without preventative help Last year our teams worked with over one thousand people; advocating their cause, providing advice, and delivering training and wellbeing activities so people can live independent of our support. The following pages contain details and stories about that work. Andrew Morter Head of Adult Services 7 Barry first engaged with Future Support as a 41 - year - old homeless drug user who had been in and out of prison numerous times over the last 10 years. Barry’s situation was entrenched and complex, and he simply would not engage with other services in Norwich. Barry’s life was extremely chaotic. Due to reports of anti - social behavior, Barry was restricted from bidding for Local Authority accommodation and continued sleeping rough. Our staff helped Barry reinstate his home options bidding and to secure a flat of his own. After 10 years sleeping r ough on the streets of Norwich, Barry had nothing; we helped him to setup his utilities, furnish his flat , and budget for food and household item s. At the same time, we supported Barry to access drug counselling services and health interventions as he b egan to address his drug addiction and adopt a more stable lifestyle. Eventually, Barry overcame his reliance on drugs and we supported him to start work under the DWP’s permitted work scheme. Barry has since made the transition to full time work and even recently received a promotion to Supervisor. His tenancy is secure, he is proud of his flat and has even rekindled relationships with his family across the country. Barry is now looking forward to his first proper Christmas in 20 years. Our work with Barry spanned three years, and not everything went smoothly; there were setbacks and problems along the way, but our team were always available to provide face to face support, and to help Barry build his own skills to live independently. “With other services when I messed up I felt like I couldn’t go back for help. With Future I never felt like I would be judged. This meant I could be honest about my situation and they would always be there to help me move forward” - Barry 8 The Baseline Centre is located in the heart of the Marlpit Housing Estate in West Norwich, where unemployment, crime, and poverty are significant and ongoing issues. The Centre is our ‘home base’ in Norfolk from which we provide a range of advice, advocacy, training and support programmes in areas such as health, housing, finance, benefits and employment. - Number of clients supported at the Baseline Centre in 2018 /19 Sally’s Story S ally had lived with significant and complex mental health issues - including a diagnosis of schizophrenia - for 40 years when she was diagnosed with a terminal illness and given only six months to live. Sally had been claiming Personal Independent Payments (PIP) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) benefits for several years without issue. However, during her last re - assessment it was decided that because Sally had lived beyond the expected six - mont h period, she was no longer terminally ill. As a result, all of her benefits were withdrawn, and she immediately fell into rent arrears and found herself in debt. Sally was eventually referred to Future by another agency which could not meet the breadth o f her needs. Our support workers liaised with Sally’s GP to obtain evidence that her illness was terminal. We successfully represented Sally to have her benefits reinstated and secured back - payment for the period they were withdrawn. She could then clear her debts, secure her tenancy and even pay for a carer to help her in her own home. In the meantime, we advocated on Sally’s behalf with health services to ensure that she received the treatment and support she required, before ultimately moving into pall iative care. “ [Support Worker] has the intelligence, skills, ability, professionalism and humanity to take effective action. Without her kindness and proactive help , I know that my sister’s last few months would have been even more difficult” – Sally’s Si ster 9 Norfolk Community College is a Partnership project led by East Coast College, which supports long - term unemployed people facing complex and multiple barriers across Norfolk. The project delivers a range of services, advice, and opportunities for people seeking new jobs and skills. O ur role in the project i nvolves a team of Employment Development Workers and Trainees who aim to address the barriers clients face, and help them make the transition to work, volunteering, training or simply to achieve their next goal in life. 657 participa nts 43 into education 77 into employment Mike’s Story 56 - year - old Mik e had worked all his life after leaving school at 16. But last year, after being made redundant, his rent arrears quickly built up leading to him being evicted and sleeping on the streets. He said “That first night was terrifying, I was shocked that this h ad happened to me. The shock of becoming homeless was the biggest thing for me, not the cold, the dark or not knowing who else is around – it was that this happened to me”. Shortly afterwards Mike became alcohol dependent. The Pathways team first engaged M ike during a morning street count, he was given a voucher for a cooked breakfast from The Arc, then allocated a bed at the Sit Up Service short term emergency accommodation. H e was then moved into a hostel, given medical treatment by City Reach , before being moved into shared accommodation Our R esettlement W orker managed to clear Mike’s debts with his former landlord, and to get his drinking under control . He eventually bec ame a Big Issue vendor and complet ed a tenancy awareness course. Mike is now se ttled in a shared house and is looking for his own tenancy. Building Better Opportunities Pathways is a consortium of local providers working together to prevent rough sleeping in Norwich by delivering effective support to people with multiple and complex needs who are or are at risk of rough sleeping This work sees us collaborating with St. Martins Housing Trust, City Reach Health Services, the Feed CIC, Salvation Army, Shelter, and YMCA Norfolk. Our role is to provide resettlement and tenancy support to rough sleepers, helpi ng them access, move into, and stay in their own perma nent accommodation 520 cases , supporting 424 people 69 new rough sleepers identified 68 rough sleepers i nto suitable a c c ommodation Employmen t Development Worker trainees receiving their Level 1 Peer Mentoring Qualification 10 W.O.N.D.E.R stands for Women of Norfolk Diversion, Engagement and Rehabilitation, and sees us working in partnership with national charity St. Giles Trust. Together we are funded by Norfolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner to deliver specialist support to women at risk of offending , or those who have already gone through the criminal justice system. This work recognizes that female offenders are often also victims of crime t hemselves, and therefore require a different approach to meeting their complex needs and removing the triggers which can lead to offending W e work with the Catton Grove Big Local Partnership to deliver advice, employment support, and training services from the Box; a refurbished community support venue in the Catton Grove area of Norwich. We work closely with the partnership to deliver on thei r Big Local Plan which aims to make the area a better place to live, work and volunteer. In doing so we support other organizations to deliver vital services in the immediate area, such as digital skills, debt advice and so on. This year we launched the ‘ Stuff Hub’ at the box which enables residents to borrow household items and equipment, and recently this was used to undertake a community clean - up of the area. The Police and Crime Commissioner , Lorne Green, visiting the WONDER+ team 369 women referred for support 156 women supported 91% reported improved wellbeing mproved Kate’s Story Kate has a history of offending, suffers from anxiety and depression, and is a heavy drug user. Kate was also a victim of domestic abuse at the hands of her partner and struggled with lone parenting after his incarceration. WONDER’s female Link Workers su pported Kate to complete an online parenting course and to engage with substance misuse services, and she eventually overcame her dependency. They attended confidence building courses with her and helped her access domestic abuse support services , where she began to address the trauma she had experienced. Kate closed her case having completed her support plan and now hopes to become a Peer Mentor with St. Giles Trust , to support others in her situation. 123 Clients 246 Positive Outcomes 474 Pieces of Support Work 11 Neighbourhoods That Work (NTW) is a pioneering project to support vulnerable people and strengthen communities in Great Yarmouth. Delivered by a partnership of local organisations and led by Great Yarmouth Borough Council, NTW aims to help around 4,000 people overcome c omplex issues, identify their strengths and develop skills to benefit themselves and their neighbourhoods. We work across the borough to support people to connect to their communities, to build confidence and resilience, and to overcome personal challeng es which will enable them to move closer to work. Our approach to this focuses on the ’ L ife Connector’ model which involves acting as a ‘professional friend’ to develop meaningful relationships with residents so they can engage with services and move forward in their lives. Our staff have e ngaged with 145 clients in the Breckland area this year alone 142 Residents supported 165 Positive Outcomes 365 Pieces of Support Work Social Prescribing is an initiative which aims to enable GPs, Nurses, Adult Social Care and other Primary Care professionals to refer people to a range of local, non - clinical services. The aim is to reduce the demand on front line health and care services by finding community - based alternatives to medical appointments and interventions. This service is led by Community Action Norfolk and involves a range of local providers who aim to address people’s needs in a holistic way – supporting individuals to take greater control of their health. We work across the Breckland area of Norfolk, specific ally with three GP surgeries in and around the Thetford area. 91% of clients got the help they needed Marie - Lyse Numuhoza, Living Well Worker 100% of c l ients woul d recommend social prescribing to others Engaged just under 1,000 clients in its first year 12 Festive Hampers Christmas is often a difficult time of year for those of us experiencing financial hardship The pressure to provide for families during the festive period is immense and can often r esult in spiralling household debt and long - term financial hardship Each year we work with a range of dono rs and partners to deliver our festive hamper project for people and famil ies in severe and desperate financial hardship We collect donations of food, daily essential s , Christmas presents, section boxes and everything needed for a Christmas lunch. Our staf f team works with local volunteers and partner agencies to box and deliver these h ampers in Norwich ’ s most depriv ed areas. This is a real commun ity affair and we are supported by partners such as Norwich Foodba nk, Cotman Housing, N ovus, Marsh Ltd and Buckingham Emergency Food Appeal This year was our biggest year yet. We delivered hampers to 114 families and individuals across Norwich. 13 Future Money Matters is a NatWest funded financial literacy project , aimed at people experiencing financial hardship. We provide financial literacy courses which help people to manage their money, along with specialist debt advice in partnership with Great Yarmouth D.I.A.L. O ur work around loneliness and social isolation sees us working in the North Norfolk area, connecting isolated residents to services, support and opportunities within their commun ity. We aim to develop clients’ social networks and connect them to their communities , so they can lead active and fulfilling lives and remain health y and well. This work aligns well with Social Prescribing initiatives and is delivered by a consortium of partners , which is led by Community Action Norfolk. Engage d with 228 referrals this year Trained 11 volunteers as Social Companions 49 people in financial hardship received debt and mon ey support O ur ser vices have directly supported 1, 370 peop le this year I n partnership with others we have helped support 3, 234 p eople this year 14 Future Education is a school for 32 students in Years 9 to 1 1 with SEND Most of our students have experienced significant trauma events in their early lives and present significant social, emotional and mental health issues . These experiences have been compounded by education placements which have struggled to support and understand their complex needs, leading to frequent and permanent exclusions. The school de livers a personalised , broad and therapeutic curriculum to help students re - en gage in learning and to achieve. A specialist independent school which engages children with complex needs in learning, inspiring them to achieve and nurturing them to become successful adults. Future Education has always been a school where the staff team are dedicated and hugely supportive to all its students. We are focused on helping students to heal, to have hope, and to move forward as independent and capable young adults. Everything we d o is underpinned by a therapeutic understanding that brings our staff and students together on a shared journey. In the last three years the school has continued to develop and grow, improving its practice and professionalism along the way. I am more exc ited than ever to see what the future holds for both our school and the students we support. John Butcher Head Teacher 15 Alfonso’s Story Alfonso was the youngest of three children. His early life was marked by domestic violence and his family experienced the difficulties associated with migrating to the UK from abroad; including significant poverty and poor quality housi ng . The violence at home only subsided when Alfonso ’ s mother became a lone parent , but the threat of violence remain ed for the whole family. His mother found employment difficult to obtain and presented significant and complex mental health issues. Eventually the family was moved to Norfolk, but Alfonso and his siblings’ attendance at local schools was erratic and be haviour an immediate concern. Alfonso was moved from school to school with an increasing pattern of non - attendance and complex behaviour. Alfonso moved to a residential school but failed to attend with any regularity. This pattern became fixed as A l fonso i ncreasingly stayed at home, rarely leaving the house. Alfonso was referred to Future Education at the age of 14 – sixteen months after he last attended any school. Through initial home visits we discovered that Al fonso was the carer for his mother and elde st sister , and the family were living in very poor conditions We developed a good relationship with Alfonso through frequent home visits and welfare checks during his transition to our school . Practical lessons such as Design and Technology and S ports were use d to engage Alfonso, and a fter some week s his attendance began to improve . We then worked with him to buil d a personalised curriculum and timetabl e which was focused on his interests and ambitions. Our in - house Specialist Support Workers began to address Alfonso’s chaotic home life, helping the family to access their full benefit entitlement , and addressing the mental health needs of his immediate family members. This proved invaluable in creating more stability and security for the family and incr eased their income so they could afford the basics we take for granted. At school we began to see a more confident A l fonso , who se ambition to succeed became a real driving force. Attendance in the subsequent two year s at Future Education was 99%. A l fonso thrived in physical activities such as drumming and outdoor conservation work - which served as a therapeutic outlet for his anxieties and frustrations. Alfonso completed Key Stage 4 , achieving some positive results and now has ambitions to take his A - Levels and eventually go to University. The whole family are now recovering their lives and are continuing to receive support from Future Education and Future Support through difficult times. 16 Curriculum Our curriculum is designed to support students to build resilience, confidence, and important life skills whilst achieving academically so that they can become successful adults in a modern British society . We organise our curriculum under three threads: Academic, Engagement, and Therapeutic. Academic: a broad range of academic learning opportunities with a focus on the core areas of English , Science, and Mathematics. We offer students the chance to study for GCSEs as well as Functional Skills and other vocational and academic qualifications required to enable post - 16 progression. Engagement: engagement experiences to broaden and enrich students’ lives and support their personal development and welfare. We aim to engage students in their education using courses and outdoor activities such as forestry school, fishing , Radio broadcasting and interesting sports/physical activities Therapeutic: w e take a whole - school approach to therapeutic support whilst integrating a range of specialist therapies in everyday school life. Speech and Language Th erapy, Music Therapy and Art Therapy are utilised to help students to build self - esteem and resilience over fear and anxiety s o that they can better engage with their educatio n. We recognise the importance of positive attachment in building secure r elationships and leading happy lives. We adhere to t he Secure Base model of support that has developed from theories of attachment, child development and resilience. The Secure Base approach provides a framework within the school for making sense of pupil’s emotional needs and behaviours. It brings together five dimensions to form a secure environment for positive attachment and enables us to support students to thrive and fulfil their potential. 17 Family Support E very child deserves a stable and supportive home environment in order to make the most of their educational opportunities We provide additional support to families and carers to help them overcome any wider issues which might affect the education of our students. O ur dedicated and professional Support Workers offer help with benefits, employment, housing, debt, and health and wellbeing, all delivered flexibly, impartially and free of charge. We see this as an important part of our commitment to our students , their families, and their communities, and we recognise the long - term educational benefits this can have for each and every student. Our students have often spent significant periods outside of education and frequently fe el marginalised and disengaged Coupled with their complex special educational needs, this makes coming into the school too much for some. We operate an outreach learning programme to encourage and support these students to re - engage with school life over time. We can initially work w ith these students in the community or at home with tutors supported by qualified teachers. This outreach work not only begins the process of returning to education , but models positive engagement, positive attachment and importantly , safeguards the child. Outreach and Engagement 18 100% of students have education , health & care plans One in five are Looked After Children 28% eligible for Pupil Premium Grant Two thirds were previously ‘non - attenders’ 300+ therapy sessions delivered Zero permanent exclusions in 2018/19 38% average improvement in student attendance 19 Excelsior Trip As part of our enrichment and PSHE curriculum a group of students and staff set off for three nights on the Excelsior sailboat from Lowestoft Quay. The residential trip, undertaken in partnership with The Excelsior Trust, is designed to help students develop key skills such as teamwork and communication, whilst build ing their confidence, independence and self - esteem During the voyage students are treated as ordinary crew , taking responsibility for the many tasks involved with sailing a boat around the coast of East Anglia. Latitude In July , ten students attended the L atitude F estiva l as part of their arts and media curriculum They ha d the opportunity to enjoy live music, theatre and dance performances, comedy and all the other weird and wonderful things the well - established Suffolk festival has to offer. The students t ook part i n workshops such as beatboxing, costume making, t - shirt printing, science , music and learning to be a young reporter. This is our second year attending the festival, and it has proven incredibly inspiring for our students! Alkmaa r Trip This year we took part in an exchange programme with a Dutch special school from the town of Alkmaar. A group of our Year 9 and 1 0 students worked with sixteen Dutch students over four days, taking part in canoeing, rock climbing, raft building, abseiling, bush craf ts and archery in a friendly competition. Such was the warmth of the friendships built, Future Education Students welcomed the Dutch students back to their school for an extra day of activities . At the school we used our industry standard recording studio s and instruments to create music , played football and ended the day with home cooking. We hope to visit Alkmaar in a return trip soon as opportunities such as this serve to broaden the aspirations and ambitions of our students, opening them up to new exper iences and opportunities. 20 A radio station which engages the community, builds skills, and provides opportunities through great music, conversation and people Dean Tucker Broadcast Coordinator Future Radio is the community radio station for Norwich. It serves the diverse communit ies of the fine city with a range of shows, music and content that provides an alternative to other local and national media. We play music from F unk, S oul, Drum ‘ n ’ Bass, Jazz, Blues, Ro ck and so much more. We also have shows covering everything that’s going on in Norwich , from events to interesting news stories and topics that are of specific interest to Norwich , being inclusive of everyone from all walks of life. Almost everything we br oadcast is made and presented by our volunteers who live, breathe and love Norwich and love the content they are showcasing. Christopher Remer Volunteer Coordinator At Future Radio, volunteers are at the heart of everything we do. We don’t have a typical volunteer, but every person has one thing in common - they’re absolutely vital to our work and help us with our mission to provide a diverse, accessible, and engaging community radio service ; one which educates and supports the local community, provides high quality output, and promotes community development and cohesion. Volunteering at Future Radio offers tremendous opportunities, valuable work experience and the cha nce to develop new and existing skills. Previous volunteers have gone on to develop successful careers in music, media, education and training, business, and the voluntary and community sector.