2024: A Year in Review!

Christmas is over, 2024 is firmly in the rear-view mirror and you’re probably still feeling somewhat hungover from all the Christmas dinners and New Year’s chocolate, so take a moment, kick your feet up and have a read through our 2024 Year in Review!

January

We started the year by working in collaboration with Mental Health Uk to deliver “Your Resilience”, a programme that aimed to support young people who were struggling with their mental health. This collaboration underscored the importance of a collective effort in addressing mental health challenges and creating a supportive community for those in need.

January also saw the commencement of work being started to our new building, as we sent in the construction team to begin refurbishments.

February

The first half-term of the year in February gave us the chance to take our young people on a number of different trips. One of these trips was chance for our young people to let their adventurous side out with a day out on mountain bikes at Delamere Forest. Another was a day of exploring the forest and observing the wildlife at Walton Hall Gardens.

March

March saw us participate in Neurodiversity Celebration Week, a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and celebrates the unique strengths of neurodivergent individuals every year. Throughout the week, we had the pleasure of engaging our young people in a variety of fun and educational activities aimed at promoting understanding and acceptance. It was heartwarming to see our young people enthusiastically engage and learn valuable lessons about neurodiversity.

April

Phase 1 of the refurbishment of the new building was completed in April, allowing us to vacate one of our old units in Tetlow Way, and welcome our staff into the new building – straight into a newly refurbished office.

Autism awareness month also took place in April. Throughout this month, our team and young people embraced the opportunity to raise awareness, foster understanding, and promote acceptance of autism spectrum disorders. From enlightening sessions to engaging discussions, we embarked on a journey of learning and appreciation, reaffirming our commitment to inclusivity and empowerment.

May

Developments towards creating the perfect new home for Positive Futures continued into May, as a beautiful mural was completed as a centrepiece in our building’s “Town” space. Designed and painted free of charge by Northwest-based mural company, Absolutely Design, the mural is a fun, generic snapshot of the diversity and potential of the young people stepping through our doors.

June

In June our wonderful staff offered their support to the #LiverpoolLovesTaylor events, which took place throughout the month as part of pop star Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras’ world tour. Our team were there to brave the British summer-time weather and to steward the areas around Anfield stadium, ensuring a safe and fun experience for everyone.

July

Our biggest month of the year, and maybe even the biggest month in our 20-year history, as we finally relocated and moved into our state of the art, purpose built new building. The new facility, located in the heart of North Liverpool, boasts incredible amenities and versatile spaces designed to accommodate a variety of programmes and activities, and even incorporates ‘Nan’s front room’, a comforting room for relaxed conversation and support, a fantastic sports hall, and a music room! The move marked a huge milestone for us and has since allowed us to provide the best possible support in an area which is as accommodating as it is fun.

We were also thrilled to make it to the finals of the prestigious Third Sector Awards in the category of Best Service Delivery Innovation, for our pioneering ‘Transitions’ project. This recognition celebrated our innovative approach to tackling barriers to school attendance for some of the UK’s most vulnerable young people.

August

August closed out an amazing Positive Futures summer, one full of activities and summer fun. Every morning, we offered a brilliant breakfast clubs with delicious food and a great chance to hang out with friends. We also made trips to The Climbing Hangar and to the park for picnics and games in the sun. The highlight of the summer was a visit to Trentham Monkey Forest, where we got up close with the monkeys and explored the beautiful forest.

September

In September, we invited a number of our seniors to give their input on what they believed the future of Positive Futures should look like. This culminated in a brand-new term-time timetable being made for our young people, by our young people. We also began working with Big Condo Academy to deliver session based around podcasting, audio books and story writing.

October

October is spooky season, and it was no different here at Positive Futures in October 2024. We hosted a gaggle of different Halloween themed activities, including horror movie screenings, pumpkin carving, a Halloween party, and we took some of our seniors along to a scary escape room.

November

November was a month for calming down after Halloween and to begin the gearing up for Christmas, as we had some help from our young people to decorate the building in a festive fashion. We continued our usual timetable throughout November, while also offering gaming nights and further podcasting sessions.

December

The most recent of months and certainly the most festive, December was full of seasonal activities and Christmas cheer. There was cookie making, movie screenings, pass the parcel, Christmas quizzes, pyjama days and so much more all wrapped into one month. December also saw us say a huge thank you and goodbye to our CEO of 20 years, Clare Corran.