📋About
Blend Youth Project open access and targeted youth work (19 locations, 25 sessions/week, street-based and centre-based, including new Buxton hub); Blend Alternative Education at Turner Farm (72 students, BTEC Land-Based Studies, Health & Social Care, vocational and farm-based learning); Quest Children & Families Outreach (assemblies, RE, faith-based enrichment, 46 schools, 1,294 books gifted); Zest Out of School Clubs (breakfast and after-school clubs, 149 children, new Belper club opened); Saltpot Community Café (community hub, new youth café launching Autumn 2025); Swanwick Men's Shed (community skills, events, robot and birdbox workshops); 36 Lighthouse Charity Shops (income generation, volunteering, probation community payback placements); Turner Farm Big Build Project fundraiser (£1–1.5 million vision for purpose-built vocational centre)
Custom geography from upload: Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, UK (Amber Valley, Chesterfield, Heanor, Buxton, Swanwick, Matlock)
📊Key Metrics
750 young people reached each week across 25 sessions at 19 locations through Blend Youth Project; 72 students in alternative education (100% achieved accredited outcomes); 8,000 children engaged each term through Quest schools programme at 46 schools
Key Metric 1
149 children attending Zest out of school clubs; 9,932 meals provided across the year; 116 families using out of school clubs; 36 Lighthouse Charity Shops with 380 volunteers; 1.6 million kg of donations saved from landfill
Key Metric 2
78% of Blend young people said they understand more about their health; 74.5% said Blend helped them avoid misusing alcohol and drugs; 64% said it helped them understand people who are different from them
Key Metric 3
✅Key Outcomes
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Four students reintegrated into mainstream education after short-term alternative provision placements; five students supported to sit GCSE exams in school setting; students including Cassie (ASD/ADHD school refuser) achieved BTEC Certificate after returning to school part-time
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38 mentoring sessions delivered in schools across Amber Valley and Chesterfield (new contract secured); 64 young people in school-based group wellbeing sessions; 40+ young people engaged in Deliver You national policy consultation feeding into National Youth Strategy
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153 Little Wooden Robots built by children at Derby Museum of Making in 5 hours (Shedders prepared 1,000+ components); 1,146 books given away for World Book Day across all shops; 250+ staff and volunteers at 25th anniversary celebration event at Eastwood Hall