About Us
What we're all about
Today, from two Community Hubs in South Shields, the charity changes the lives of over 5000 young women each year, tackling their needs through a flexible and innovative approach across a number of key areas:
Support
Bright Futures provides a range of support services to young women, including one-to-one help, group sessions, community programmes and health and wellbeing clinics that directly address the key issues they face today.
Educate
Bright Futures educates young women about key issues faced in life, through a range of training programmes, providing them with the tools they need to ensure a safer and brighter future.
Empower
Bright Futures empowers young women to develop their knowledge and confidence to support others, training ambassadors and peers from a young age and empowering young women to work together.
Influence
Bright Futures works with a range of partners, including statutory services, local charities and the Government, providing expert advice to influence and raise awareness of the issues faced by today’s young women.
Learn something every day
We are extremely passionate about addressing the needs of young women in our community. We believe that by consulting with young women about issues that affect their daily lives that we can create innovative, holistic and bespoke projects that make a real change and to their lives. Over the last 10 years we have worked hard to build up a passionate, motivated and highly skilled staff team and are proud of their continued dedication to making a difference to the lives of young women.
Nicola Whalen and Helen Bowman
Managing Directors
We are an accredited centre with One Awards
We are an accredited centre with One Awards, which enables us to offer a wide range of qualified courses not only to the young women we work with but also to volunteers and the wider community. These courses include vocational qualifications as well as qualifications that can increase the health and wellbeing of young women including a Life and Social Development Toolkit, Young Women’s Healthy Relationship Guide and Developing Skills for Personal Safety.
Life and Social Development Toolkit
We work in secondary schools and our local college across South Tyneside delivering the Life and Social Development Toolkit, Young Women’s Healthy Relationship Guide and Developing Skills for Personal Safety. We also deliver health and wellbeing drop-ins on lunchtimes and after school.
Educational group work sessions
We offer young women the opportunity to take part in educational group work sessions using interactive and engaging resources to make the sessions we deliver fun and suitable for all abilities.
Healthier lifestyle skills
We have developed and deliver a range of programmes aimed at increasing young women’s awareness of living a healthier lifestyle covering basic life skills such as healthy eating and offer opportunities to try different sports and fitness activities.
Healthy relationships skills
We work with a number of statutory and voluntary partner organisations including Northumbria Police, NHS and treatment providers. We offer and advice and guidance relating to sexual health and healthy relationships.
Volunteering and peer education opportunities
We give young women and others in the community the chance to gain skills and experience through the volunteering and peer education opportunities we offer. Peer educators are involved in delivering educational group work sessions and accredited courses and volunteers are also involved in the delivery of education sessions but also the day to day running of the project.
Further education & employment and training
We work with our local Job Centre, local colleges and training providers to engage young women aged 14-25 in programmes of work getting them closer to further education, employment and training. Such work involves addressing a range of issues which often prevent young women from pursuing a career including, referrals and support to access our local domestic abuse service, benefits and budgeting support, housing advice, basic skills including literacy and numeracy support.
Increase the safety of young women
We work alongside Northumbria Police and a number of other statutory and local partners to increase the safety of young women through one to one support and education work. We have two trained ISVAs providing support services specifically to young women in our community.
South Tyneside Children’s Centre
We work in partnership our local South Tyneside Children’s Centre engaging with young mums and mums to be. We currently hold 2 weekly groups in South Shields and Jarrow.
Girls Standing Up! GSU
Girls Standing Up! is our newest project here at Bright Futures. ‘GSU’ aims to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG) and the gender stereotypes that contribute to this.
Gain skills and experience
Peer educators are involved in delivering educational group work sessions and accredited courses
Learn At Your Own Pace
Our courses can be completed at a pace that suits you and can be adapted to meet your individual support needs
Accredited centre with One Awards
We are an accredited centre with One Awards, which enables us to offer a wide range of qualified courses.
Want to learn more?
If you are interested in any of our courses please contact us on the following: