Future Youth Zone aims to give young people somewhere safe and inspiring to go, providing opportunities to lead aspirational futures
A grant from The Pixel Fund towards our Mental Health First Aid Project helped Future Youth Zone to support thousands of children and young people to have improved or stabilised mental health and wellbeing.
We know our children and young people and provide bespoke support – we see that consistent outreach, relational youth work, and access to safe, inclusive spaces can help young people overcome personal challenges and thrive.
Following a warm welcome at reception and a vibrancy felt when young people walk through the door, children and young people feel safe and comfortable, and know there is always an identifiable staff member to talk to if needed. Support is bolstered by our incredible mental health first aid (MHFA) trained Youth Workers, trained in the MHFA England Mental Health First Aid accredited course.
The adaptable MHFA training is delivered at Future Youth Zone by a Qualified Youth Worker who understands the context of informal education settings that we work within and how that makes for a unique voluntary relationship with young people. We provide places for free to other youth workers and partners in charities across the borough of Barking and Dagenham who work with or support young people aged 8-18, and welcome enquiries about this training - enquiries@futureyouthzone.org.
Through our non-clinical youth work interventions, we have seen the children and young people supported experience a positive shift over time in mentality and sustained improvement in mood, such as from experiences of sadness, loneliness, and low mood, transformed to experiencing joy and happiness!