OUR IMPACT

We’re really proud of the difference our work makes in helping vulnerable children and young people to develop the foundations of good mental health.

Referrers consistently describe our projects as benefitting young people’s education, emotional health and capacity to fulfil their potential. Feedback from schools shows every year that the opportunities we provide translate into observable improvements in confidence and self-belief in the classroom, and that this is still the case when measured at the end of the term after children have attended.

100%

In a typical year, 100% of children develop new social skills, including making keeping friends and managing better with frustration/challenge.

97%

97% show improvement in social confidence.

96%

96% show positive indicators of improved self-esteem.

95%

 95% report achieving something they’d not thought possible whilst on project.

Free To Be Kids

CASE STUDIES

Throughout this website, children’s names and other identifying details have been changed to protect their confidentiality. The children pictured in images are not those described in the accompanying text.

  • Treyon’s Story

    Age 12

    Treyon was referred to Free to Be aged 12 after his school spotted pictures of him online holding a replica gun, and posing in gang videos.

  • Lizzie’s Story

    Age 9

    Lizzie, 9, is on the Child Protection register under the category of neglect – for the third time in her short life. She was referred to us by her school safeguarding team...

  • Tafari’s Story

    Age 10

    Tafari, aged just 10, is on a Child Protection Plan because of his parents’ heavy alcohol use, learning difficulties and mental health problems.

“The children had the opportunity to make new friends without them being in a situation where others had pre-conceived thoughts about their abilities: socially, emotionally or developmentally. This was a wonderful experience where they could explore, experience new things, and be the people they wanted to be whilst still feeling safe and secure.”

Social Worker

“The project has significant impact for the children who attend - you carefully and with great sensitivity scaffold the right support around each child. It was clear there is growing need for this project and with additional funding, you will be able to reach more children and young people.”

BBC Children in Need

What you offer is absolutely invaluable. I can’t tell you, honestly, the joy I had when the three children I referred were invited on the project. You made such a difference to them. Because of what was going on in their home lives, they desperately needed that respite to remove them from where they were and help them see that actually life can be different – to show them what’s out there and what they can aspire to as well.”

Head Teacher

Impact and evaluation measurement with our most recently completed Journey Programme cohorts showed:

100%

100% of young people felt more confident and resilient after programme completion, with changes sustaining at least 6 months beyond the programme’s end.

100%

100% of parents or referrers confirmed that the young person’s mental/emotional health (or ‘building blocks of positive mental health’) had improved in at least 2 key areas.

100%

100% of young people self-reported having met at least one development goal jointly set at the start of the programme.

90%

90% of young people demonstrated increased belief in their own potential by the programme end.

90%

90% recognised improvements in two or more areas related to managing adversity, building relationships, or emotional literacy.

75%

75% of parents or referrers confirmed that the young person’s risk had reduced in at least 2 key areas.*

*The top 3 risk categories seeing improvement over the course of the programme were: Emotional/mental health, educational engagement and risk of getting involved in harmful, exploitative or abusive relationships.

(2023 statistics)

EVALUATING OUR JOURNEY PROGRAMME

Young people’s experiences on our Journey Projects were explored by Frankie Papadakis, a Researcher from The Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families, as part of her paper, ‘An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis exploring vulnerable adolescent participants’ experiences of therapeutic residential weeks from the adolescents’ perspective’. She wrote:

“For these vulnerable adolescents’ being part of this intensive programme of residentials has been a significant, positive and powerful experience.”

“The projects enabled participants to temporarily put aside their vulnerabilities and participate enthusiastically in the programme. Being encouraged to recognise their achievements and talents enabled the adolescents to perhaps challenge their existing psychic narratives, and begin to recognise their positive talents, and give them some sense of hope for the future.”

“It seems the authenticity of these experiences enabled the adolescents to develop new competencies, potentially increasing self-confidence and agency associated with resilience.”

“Critically, the projects consciously focus on positives rather than on negative behaviours and personal difficulties: celebrating achievements together in daily ‘Honours’, thus reframing participants’ self-image.”

"The projects seem to be able to draw the fine line between encouraging and enabling the adolescents to conquer their fears and do things they did not think possible without applying pressure or causing stress, thus enhancing self-esteem. The adults’ positivity, energy and unconditional care gave the adolescents feelings of safety and empowerment enabling them to try and succeed at activities they would never have thought possible.”