“My mum only had to force me to go for the first week — after that I actually wanted to be here. I’d rather be here than anywhere else.” “My mum forced me to go at first. She’s good friends with a former staff-member from FOCUS, who then recommended it for me. It felt very…
“I’m not too sure why I came to FOCUS. But I’m really glad I did.” “I found out about FOCUS from my mum, who saw a post about their Summer Scheme on Facebook. Before FOCUS, I didn’t like going out, and didn’t have many friends because I was bullied at school. I’m not too sure…
“I think it’s hard to put into words how amazing FOCUS is; you have to see for yourself.” “My mum found out about FOCUS through work and told my dad, who then signed me up. I was absolutely terrified, because I don’t like meeting new people. I was supposed to start a week earlier but…
Catherine is team leader at a city centre restaurant, and this year will give birth to her first child. She took time to reflect on her FOCUS journey with us, which began in 2017. Catherine: “I found out about Inspire from my mate in school, who knew Gavan and Michelle [former Leicestival Assistant Manager] from…
Stephen is presently one of our most dedicated and long-standing adult volunteers. We sat down earlier this year to talk about his journey with FOCUS – from young beneficiary to volunteer today supporting other young people. “Before coming to FOCUS I hadn’t left the house. I struggled in college and school with bullying. I couldn’t…
“In 2023, my support worker at Leicester College, Wendy, handed me a leaflet about FOCUS and the Leicestival Project. She thought it may benefit me. I came to FOCUS for the first time in May. Since coming here I have learnt heritage skills such as researching festivals, film-making, and how to present correctly. I’ve also…
Darren McWilliams, Project Manager for Inspire, met with ‘Kaz’ to discuss her experiences with Inspire, FOCUS, our work and reflecting on what worked and the impact upon her life. Darren: “What did you think of the Inspire Project during your first few sessions?” Kaz: “At first, I thought it was boring…like, really boring. We’d do…
Z was referred to us in 2021 to boost their confidence and develop their communication skills. They have really enjoyed taking part in the START Programme. Before taking part in sessions on START, Z found it difficult to run their own sessions at work. Their lack of confidence prevented them from talking to people, leaving…
Cain came to FOCUS as a young participant in 2018 and has since been involved in numerous projects, events, and sessions. The journey has seen him become an adult volunteer. We sat down with Cain to learn how that experience has impacted his life. Joining FOCUS “Before FOCUS, I had just left college in 2017…
