‘IMPROVING the lives of children, young people and families' – that is the mission of a charity working in Bradford, which engages people within their communities, motivating and inspiring them, as well as offering them the chance to do something different with their lives.

“We run a number of different programmes, working with whole families from birth to grandparents,” says Julie Whiting, development manager for the Brathay Trust in Yorkshire and Humberside. “Our core work is with 13 to 18 year olds.”

“We work with young people and families who may be struggling - they may be going through issues; attendance at school, experiencing domestic violence and drug and alcohol problems."

A national charity based in Ambleside, Cumbria, the trust supports groups of young people and families who have more specific needs: those who are at risk of being, or are already involved in the criminal justice system, or those who are sexually exploited, alcohol or substance misusers, self-harmers, young carers or looked-after people.

Across the UK the trust - which was founded in 1946 and operates in a number of districts across the north of England - works with more than 6000 young people every year and more than 100 families across Bradford.

It has a number of strands to its work, including Families which works with whole family, the Prince’s Trust TEAM programmes run in partnership with Bradford College, music projects run in partnership with local artists, the National Citizenship Service (NCS), summer arts college and child sexual exploitation work.

It provides workers who offer young people and families support depending upon their needs. “It is about identifying what the needs are and then working through those needs,” says Julie. “ We may also direct them to other agencies who have expertise.

“We attend meetings with schools, social workers, the police and other agencies -there is a multi-agency approach to helping young people and families. Sometimes they just need a little extra help, a boost to get them back on track.”

She adds: “Some of our work is targeted and people are referred by workers on to our programmes, we also recruit by going out to schools/assemblies for our NCS programme, local job centres for our Prince’s Trust programmes, working with local communities to identify young people who would benefit."

One young person who volunteered for a year with the Brathay Trust before becoming a paid worker, comments: “Being involved changed my life. It has given me skills I didn’t know I had, it has challenged my ability and has helped me give something back to local communities by doing positive things”

Another , who was allocated a work placement on the trust’s Talent Match employability programme, says: “Being on Talent Match got me out of the house. It supported me to find a part time job.”

For young people and families, the trust holds residential breaks at three centres in the Lake District, where the focus is on the skills, attitudes and behaviour they need to develop to achieve their full potential.

“They can take part in activities that they have never before experienced such as high rope challenge, climbing mountains, kayaking and canoeing - it takes them out of their comfort zone,” says Julie. “Some have never been out into the countryside.”

The charity also operates a ‘tenancy ready’ programme working with young people from a variety of backgrounds including young offenders, young people in the care system and those leaving care to provide them with life skills to prepare them to live independently.

The trust has been shortlisted for this year's Children & Young People Now Awards for its NCS programme. In November team members will travel to London for a prestigious awards ceremony.

"We are commissioned by funders, statutory agencies and trusts for some of our projects and try to identify gaps in provision," says Julie. "We have an experienced staff team with many skills, strengths and areas of expertise who help shape the projects we choose to deliver."

The team's work helps young people and their families to overcome any barriers they face and help them find different routes into education, training or work.

Adds Julie: “We try to empower young people and families who we work with, by providing them with options and choices to help them develop. People have got to want to change the routes they are taking in life and we feel we play a part in being on that journey with them. We have a policy that even when a programme has ended people are welcome to call in to see staff at any time."

*Contact details: brathay.org.uk