Thinking about making a New Year’s resolution for 2025? How about supporting the New Futures Project?

We’re rather late with this one, but it’s never too late to make a New Year’s resolution is it? 

You might have a lot of things on your mind, every one of them competing for your time.

But, maybe this is the year you decide to contribute to the life-changing work the The New Futures Project will carry out in 2025 – making life a little easier for some of the most marginalised and exploited women and girls in our community.

We supported more than 500 women and young people last year – many of them living with the traumatic legacies of sexual abuse, exploitation or some other form of crisis in their lives.

Our work takes many forms – from clothing and feeding those in immediate need to our ever-expanding counselling service which provides a longer term solution to our clients’ difficulties.

With extra help though, we could do so much more and, hopefully, that’s where you come in.

Visit our donation section of the website for details on how to set up a regular donation.

Perhaps you could speak to people you work with to come up with a way of supporting us – just like this Myonex did last year. They donated 20 packs of essentials, from sleeping bags to toiletries, for women in desperate need.

We’re keen to ensure the time women who use our drop-in service spend with us is as therapeutically beneficial, constructive, stimulating and fun as it can possibly be. To do this, we need a number of people who can help us realise our vision.

Generally, women come to our drop-in to eat, get a shower, do their laundry and choose a change of clothes – as well as picking up other daily essentials to take away with them, such as food, condoms, toiletries and personal hygiene items.

Crucially, the time they spend here helps them build bonds with us, meaning we can work out together what we need to do to support them.

We’d like to run programmes of 8-12 weeks of classes such as creative writing, various arts and crafts, yoga, meditation or  beauty therapies. 

Our director Della Kagure Brown said: “We are looking for volunteers who would be interested in running classes in safe and supportive space for women who have experienced sexual trauma.

“You would be working alongside one of our experienced team members and taking the lead in running your activity.”

We think this would suit someone who has worked in teaching, therapy or counselling and is looking for a new challenge.

There are many ways to get involved in the life of the project.

Della added: “Doing something worthwhile to support others is so rewarding and demonstrates to future employers that you have potential and are a team player.  Is 2025 the year you start volunteering?”

Call us on 0115 251 0803 or send a message to info@new-futures.org.uk

The New Futures Project offers a comprehensive welfare and counselling service for women and young people dealing with sexual abuse or exploitation, domestic violence, trafficking, poverty and debt, substance use or mental ill-health.

You can find us at 71 London Road, Leicester, LE2 0PE.