Future Youth Zone has had another busy summer. Alongside our universal open access offer, which ran throughout the holidays as usual, we delivered two dedicated holiday club programmes this year.
Our HAF programme, for young people aged 8 to 12, welcomed an average of 110 attendees each week. And for the first time, we launched Futurebility, a holiday club for our young members with additional needs, which ran every Friday throughout the summer holidays and averaged 60 attendees a week.
There was no shortage of fun along the way. A sports day saw young people take on a series of light-hearted challenges, egg and spoon race included. There was non stop karaoke, with a special mention for the Futurebility choir, who kept everyone entertained with a steady stream of Michael Jackson hits.Then to wrap up the summer, we had a barbecue lunch, the perfect way to send the holidays off, with young people tucking in and making the most of the last few days before school.
However, what has stood out most to me this summer is something simpler: young people need somewhere to go when school is out and families are struggling to fill the gap. A space to be. Somewhere that feels safe. For some, a break from the weather. For others, a trusted adult who is there when it matters most.
As one young person put it: "This was the best place to spend my summer. If I wasn't here I would have been so bored at home."
Now it's September, and schools are welcoming students back. New routines, new teachers, new friendships to navigate. For many young people, this transition is harder than it looks from the outside.
That's why we're especially glad that Future Youth Zone has launched a new counselling offer, giving young people the chance to talk to a professional counsellor. It runs twice a week, with access for both our Juniors (aged 8 to 12) and Seniors (13 to 25 for those with additional needs). Young people can be referred by their youth worker, or they can simply refer themselves.
It's a small thing to say, but it matters: someone to talk to, when they need it most. If your child could do with a place like this, this is a good time to find out more about becoming a member — because half term isn't far off, and we'll be doing it all again.
