Northampton community organisation helping vulnerable children awarded huge funding boost

A community organisation supporting vulnerable children has been awarded over £200,000 from the Government to continue its work in some of the most deprived areas of Northampton.

free2talk has been running a ‘true knowledge’ project for eight to 18 year-olds for four years in Bellinge, Blackthorn, Kings Heath, Spring Boroughs and Semilong.

The project offers a range of experiences for young people in their communities, along with mentoring and goal setting sessions.

During the pandemic, youth workers from the organisation have interacted with young people in Covid-safe community settings such as at school gates and in parks, helping them to understand the importance of social distancing.

Since October 2020, 336 sessions have been delivered to 62 vulnerable young people.

The new funding will allow the project to continue to help young people for another year.

Jodie Low, Director of free2talk, said: “Although the need for social distancing makes our work very challenging, we have kept our projects open throughout the pandemic, and adapted by increasing our digital offer.

“Consistency is key to maintaining the trusted relationships our youth workers build with young people, and this funding will allow us to continue our work and build upon the foundations we have laid over the past five years.”

In November last year, the young leaders launched a project in partnership with Northamptonshire County Council’s Public Health, aimed at gaining an understanding of the support young people will need to help them recover from the impact of the pandemic.

The project will include two youth led conferences, social media content development and the recruitment of young ambassadors to dispel the myths around Covid-19.

A new forest school has also been set up as part of the project, offering social development sessions and wellbeing groups in an outdoor setting.

Councillor Anna King, the Borough Council’s cabinet member for community engagement and safety, said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with free2talk, who have expanded this project year on year to engage with so many vulnerable young people in some of the borough’s most deprived areas.

“Although everyone is affected by the pandemic, we think young people may feel the impact hardest, being isolated from their friends and lacking the structured environment that school provides.

“By positioning themselves within the communities they support, free2talk continue to make a positive difference to the wellbeing of young people.”

Contact enquiries@free2talkcic.org for further information about the true knowledge project, or to refer a young person.

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