Preston City Council and Red Rose Recovery transform lives with 'Changing Futures' programme

Preston City Council, in collaboration with the local charity Red Rose Recovery, has successfully supported over 160 people in Preston through the transformative 'Changing Futures' programme.

This initiative is funded by the government's Shared Outcomes Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund.

The goal of the Changing Futures programme is to stabilize and improve the lives of adults facing multiple disadvantages, such as homelessness, substance misuse, mental health issues, domestic abuse, and involvement with the criminal justice system.

Councillor Zafar Coupland, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing at Preston City Council said: "I'm delighted at the difference Changing Futures is having for adults in Preston. We want the people of Preston to know that we are there for them, no matter what their circumstance are and Changing Futures is a great example of this."

"I want to thank Red Rose Recovery and their staff for the work they do to go above and beyond to make a positive difference to the lives of people."

"I hope that we are able to continue delivering Changing Futures for years to come and continue to support those that reach out for support."

Red Rose Recovery is located at the heart of Preston City Centre acting as a beacon of hope for many. A key factor in the programme's success is the dedication of its staff, known as 'Navigators'. Many Navigators have 'lived experience,' meaning they have personally faced the same challenges as the programme's beneficiaries. This unique perspective equips them with the empathy, passion, commitment, and drive to make a real difference in the lives of others.

Nicole Wilkinson, Associate Navigator, at Red Rose Recovery works on the Changing Futures programme said: "We can genuinely empathise with the people that we support because our staff have had so many similar experiences and can relate very quickly to those we support. This builds trust because we have an understanding of their struggles. We are also very person centred and collaborate with our beneficiaries rather than telling them what we want them to do. Their support is tailored to achieving their own aims. Our role then is to empower them to do this they are the physical example of what can be achieved and overcome with support. We make it about them and what they want to achieve if the aims are positive ones."

"I love working on Changing Futures and for Red Rose Recovery because we get to go on that journey with the people that we support. I absolutely love seeing the transitions in our beneficiaries."

One beneficiary of Changing Futures had a background of substance misuse, diagnosis of Schizophrenia, poor mental and physical health as well as being homeless and finding themselves in prison.

Their time with Changing Futures led to their longest period of staying sober and gave them the confidence to engage with services such as housing, working with Inspire to help manage substance misuse and mental health services. Inspire (also known as Change Grow Live) is a national charity, funded by councils and local authorities, to support people who are struggling with alcohol or drug addiction.

Through working with Red Rose Recovery and a Navigator, the beneficiary expressed that they are feeling a lot better the Changing Futures programmes, not only have they had their longest period of staying abstinent, they have helped build a support network that they need, to continue making a positive difference in their lives.

Ian Treasure, Programme Manager for Changing Futures Lancashire said: "The Changing Futures Lancashire Programme is intended to be a learning programme to test out new ways of working with adults experiencing multiple disadvantages, and then embedding what works in local systems.

‘’The Changing Futures work that Preston City Council has led on, across Preston, Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancashire, has supported 288 individuals over 2 years (160 from Preston). As well as this support to individuals it is clear Preston City Council has embedded the learning within services as a legacy from the programme, which is exactly the aim of Changing Futures, and should be applauded."

A continuity plan is being put in place to ensure the legacy of the programme and so Changing Futures remains, making a positive difference in Preston.

The Changing Futures programme is a four year, £77million programme, hosted by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and funded through the government's Shared Outcomes Fund, with aligned funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.

A cross-governmental, cross-organisational initiative, it seeks to test new ways of bringing together the public sector and community sector to address cross-cutting issues and to drive the modernisation of public services for people experiencing multiple disadvantages.

Working with 15 local area partnerships across England, the programme will work with people who experience a combination of homelessness, substance misuse, mental health issues, domestic abuse and contact with the criminal justice system.