Positive Futures

Positive Futures projects provide prevention and diversionary activities for vulnerable 10- to 19-year-olds at risk of drug misuse and offending.

Positive Futures projects provide prevention and diversionary activities for vulnerable 10- to 19-year-olds at risk of drug misuse and offending.

Positive Futures is a prevention and diversionary programme.  Funded by the Home Office, the programme targets and supports 10-19 year olds who are at risk of becoming drawn into substance misuse and crime.  The programme supports young people in moving forward with their lives to achieve their full potential and gives them the change to develop the skills needed to get on to a positive career path and take on roles as active and responsible citizens.

The programme is managed on behalf of the Home Office by the young people’s charity – Catch22.  The programme is delivered through 91 projects in some of the most deprived communities across England and Wales.  The programme uses a range of activities to engage vulnerable young people such as sport, arts or learning and employment activities.

In 2011/12, over 40,000 young people participated in Positive Futures and recorded over 31,000 positive outcomes, including improved self-esteem, improved behaviour, and gaining employment.

Since 2010, the high-level priorities for the programme include:

• reducing crime;
• reducing drug and alcohol misuse;
• preventing serious youth violence;
• increasing the numbers who enter education or training or employment;
• delivering a positive social impact, including community engagement and cohesion;
• ensuring 2012 Olympic legacy work drives reductions in crime and drug
• and alcohol misuse; and
• ensuring outcomes are sustainable
  

New providers in six areas

The Home Office in partnership with Catch22 as our managing agent for the programme ran an application process for local organisations to apply for grant funding in 2012/13 to deliver Positive Futures in six areas.  We invited applications from both the voluntary and community and statutory sectors and the application process closed on Friday 25 May. 

All the applications were assessed and an assessment panel met to agree which applications should be funded.  Home Office Ministers have subsequently agreed that six organisations should receive funding to deliver Positive Futures. 

The successful organisations who will be delivering Positive Futures are:

• Birmingham Sparkbrook – Pertemps Coachright
• Birmingham Aston – Active Communities Network
• Luton - South Bedfordshire – Mitalee Youth Association
• Teesside – Tees Valley YMCA
• Tendring – Chelsea FC Foundation
• Wandsworth Roehampton – Catch22

For further information on Positive Futures please email our Offender Strategies Team.