About Brighter Futures
Brighter Futures supports families in Jersey who are facing significant difficulties or challenges in their lives. Since 2008, Brighter Futures has supported over 2,800 families, benefitting over 11,200 Islanders.
Working? alongside ?the? main carer, our educational model provides them with the? tools to cope.
Supporting? 170 families? at any one time, we focus on? 3 key areas;?
* Parent and child relationships, helping our clients recognise and value their role as their child’s first and most important educator;
* Wellbeing and positive mental health, supporting social and emotional wellbeing,? allowing increased resilience with the outside world to give our clients a brighter future and hope.?
* Personal development and second chance learning provide the skills our clients may need to progress and succeed in education, work, and life.

The charity works with these families for a range of reasons including physical ill health and mental health issues many of whom are referred with high-risk and complex issues, including child protection concerns. From our facility at the Bridge and Georgetown, families access a variety of services and programmes on a voluntary basis for up to 3 years and are able to return for further support where needed.

Families come to Brighter Futures from a variety of backgrounds and for a number of reasons such as suffering from post-natal depression, substance misuse or addiction, depression or anxiety, financial difficulties, domestic abuse or isolation. The impact on children within the family associated with any of these issues is significant. All of these factors leave children in a position of disadvantage and without a safe and supportive home life and as a consequence, children can struggle to develop emotionally, physically, psychologically and verbally.

Aims
* To provide children, young people and families in the island the opportunity to be safe, healthy, happy and aspirational. 

* To support children, young people and families to engage in life changing opportunities, especially in time of difficulties and challenge.

Objectives
* To support parents/carers to recognise and value their role as their child’s first and most important educator  

* For parents/carers to be able to recognise the barriers to achieving wellbeing and good relationships and so take action to improve their personal lives 

* For the parents/carers to take control of their personal and educational development and improve their life chances, including their financial situation.

Brighter Futures facilitates a series of programmes and services that are available to families to enable clients to obtain these objectives, a full list of these is enclosed. Parents/Carers receive full support from a dedicated keyworker who facilitates their journey with us. Another essential service is the provision of a crèche facility for children and siblings, enabling parents/carers to access programmes without needing to arrange separate childcare.

Outcomes

Accessing services can be transformational for families; we see a variety of results such as:

 Children are safe, happy, healthy and aspirational;

 Improved family relationships;

 Improved attachment and relationships with children;

 Increased self-confidence;

 Improved sense of mental health and well-being;

 Increased resilience;

 Improved/more confident parenting skills;

 Improved employment opportunities;

 Improved educational qualifications;

 Increased earning potential;

Funding

Each family has a personalised package of support dependent on their needs; they are guided and able to choose which programmes and services are most appropriate and helpful to them.

Our fundraising target for 2022 is in excess of £800,000, providing professional services and programmes for up to 170 families at any one time. Brighter Futures is dependent on grants and foundations to contribute to essential support to families in Jersey who are most in need, we are also active in our community and are committed to investigating all sustainable funding options.

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.