What made Forging Futures different was the way it felt. There was no pressure to be someone I wasn’t, no judgement and no-one rushing me – the programme gave me the space to breathe, to rebuild trust and grow at my own pace. I was learning new skills, realising I was good at them and for the first time in a long while I was succeeding. Forging Futures became a place where I could just be me – where I could feel comfortable and confident again. They adapted when I needed it, found solutions I wouldn’t have thought of myself an made learning feel achievable again. I honestly don’t think I’d still be in education without that support. If you’re thinking about joining one of the Forging Futures programmes my advice is simple, just give it a try. You don’t know how much can change until you do. And honestly the cookies are amazing! My Full Story: Before I came to Forging Futures, I was really struggling with school. I was still officially on the roll but actually being there felt almost impossible. Everything was overwhelming and I knew something had to change because I really wanted an education. Some of my friends had shared their experiences at Forging Futures, and they spoke about it in a way that made me curious and I thought it might help me too, so I asked my school if I could give it a go. When I first walked through the door I was completely shut off. I didn’t trust anyone. I love coffee and the cookies smelled amazing but I was at a point where I wouldn’t even eat or drink in front of people. I was nervous and anxious and even though part of me hoped things could get better, I honestly didn’t believe they would. But slowly, things began to change. What made Forging Futures different was the way it felt. There was no pressure to be someone I wasn’t, no judgement, and no one rushing me. The programme gave me space to breathe, to rebuild trust, and to grow at my own pace. I was learning new skills, realising I was good at them and for the first time in a long while I was succeeding. Every session was fun and something funny always seemed to happen. Forging Futures became a place where I could just be me - where I could feel comfortable and confident again. It was the one thing that kept me going and I looked forward to each week. They adapted when I needed it, found solutions I wouldn’t have thought of myself and made learning feel achievable again. I honestly don’t think I’d still be in education without that support. One of the biggest changes was how I began to think about myself. Before, I avoided new things because they felt too hard or too scary. But the way the programme works - encouraging you gently but never pushing too far - helped me see that trying something new doesn’t mean failing and if I don’t like it that’s still ok. Now, I push myself to give things a go even if it’s just once. That new confidence carried me through some huge moments. I’ll never forget sitting my coffee assessment. I was terrified, but I knew I was prepared and supported. I passed with 100% in both my written and practical SCA exams. That moment changed how I saw myself. I’ll also never forget when we moved to the new charity training space and I was asked to help choose the wallpaper for the toilet wall and then the one I picked was chosen. It might sound small but for me it meant a lot - a little bit of me went into creating the space. One of my happiest memories was the special leaving celebration. My school doesn’t do proms in the same way some other schools do but I had a prom dress and really wanted to wear it. Robyn organised a celebration and invited previous Forging Futures participants from my school to join. There was food, cookies, music and we took loads of photos it was fun, relaxed, and felt really special. That’s the kind of thing that happens at Forging Futures - it’s always about those extra little touches, making sure everyone has the same chance to enjoy the meaningful things they might otherwise miss out on. I was genuinely surprised by how much coming to Forging Futures helped me to find myself again and to build the confidence I didn’t think I had. Now, I’m studying at Sparsholt College. My dream is to study Agricultural Engineering and work on a farm. I’m also a Youth Ambassador for Forging Futures which means a lot to me. It’s my way of giving back, of using my voice to help change things and make things better for other young people like me. If you’re thinking about joining one of the Forging Futures programmes my advice is simple: just give it a try. You don’t know how much can change until you do. And honestly - the cookies are great! And if you’re feeling like there’s no way out - like I once did - please remember there’s hope, even when it doesn’t feel like it. I found myself again. You can too.