Following the huge success of last year’s sponsored walk to raise funds for engagement activities for our learners BHT Finding Futures are going to do it again.   With your help we hope to reach our target of £500; last year we totally smashed this target by raising £2,000 and it would be wonderful if we could do the same this year.

BHT Finding Futures is based in St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex, and offers free, friendly and accessible training to help adult learners change their life and create skills for their future.  Training is relaxed, with a maximum group size of four.  Support is available to help learners improve their English, Maths, ICT skills, employability skills, life skills and self-confidence.

Many of our learners never get a chance to get out of their locality and experience new places and things so we would like these engagement activities to include things like outdoor pursuits, interaction with animals and visits to places of interest.  We want to help our learners develop their confidence, self-esteem, personal effectiveness and employability while at the same time having fun doing things they probably have never done before.

Evidence of the success of such activities is the Bush Craft and
Falconry Day we arranged in June 2015; the first event we organised using the funds we raised from last year’s walk.  We took 8 learners to Herstmonceux Castle for a day learning bush craft skills and an amazing, hands-on falconry experience.  We were able to do this with the help of Angus Wingfield from Wild Trails and Gerald Sulter from East Sussex Falconry.   It was a resounding success and everyone had a wonderful time: “… a BRILLIANT day out. It was much more than I expected. I enjoyed all of it”, “I could do it all over again…”, “I learned a lot. It also helped improve my confidence”, “The time in the woods and with the tutors and friends helped me to build my confidence”, “I really enjoyed the trip… I hope I can do it more often”.  We were also able to take our learners on another annual picnic, this time we spent the day at Bewl Water and everyone had an enjoyable, relaxing time and were able to forget their worries for a day.

Here are some brief case studies for Finding Futures learners:

Eight BHT Finding Futures learners did the walk last year.  It was a huge thing for them and they all completed it despite personal physical, mental and emotional barriers.  They all found strength and determination they didn’t know they had which was an enormous and invaluable boost to their self-confidence and self-esteem.

• When T came to Finding Futures he was extremely nervous, agoraphobic and was suffering from other health problems.  He nearly ran away from this first session but found the courage to stick it out. He never missed a session after that.  He went on to attend Queen Elizabeth's Foundation College in Surrey where he studied accountancy, business studies and how to become self-employed.  In 2013 he was highly commended for and was presented with a 'Person of Courage' award at the Hastings Observer Achiever Awards, and in 2014 he made the short list for an Adult Learners Week award. T is also very artistic and helps run art classes at Finding Futures.
• D came to Finding Futures with low literacy skills and was determined to improve and achieve a qualification; he has recently achieved Level 1 Functional Skills English and wants to have a go at Maths now.
• When C came to Finding Futures he was a very nervous, anxious, and shy young man with low self-confidence.  He is on the autistic spectrum which impacts particularly on his language and communication skills. In the short time he was with us his confidence came on leaps and bounds and he is now on an art course with The Prince's Trust.
• J came to Finding Futures to improve his literacy, numeracy and
  confidence.  He delivered a talk about his hobby, Cross Stitch, during our Adult Learners Week 2014 activities, which is something he never thought he'd be able to do, but despite his nerves and lack of confidence he did.  He has now left Finding Futures to run a Cross Stitch course at Horizons in Hastings.

As you can see the main thing that all these learners have achieved
through coming to BHT Finding Futures is improved self-confidence and
self-esteem.  This has given them the courage and determination to achieve things, big or small, that they never thought they'd be able to.

Date: Saturday 28th May                                                                            

Start point and time: Meet at Eastbourne Pier 09:30 to start at 10:00

Route: Eastbourne Pier to Hastings Pier via Sovereign Harbour, Pevensey Bay, Beachlands, Normans Bay, Cooden Beach, Bexhill on Sea, Glyne Gap, Bulverhythe Beach and St Leonards on Sea.

Distance: Approximately 24 kilometers/15 miles

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If you'd like to help us reach our goal by joining the walk please contact sarah.blessington@bht.org.uk.