Derbyshire’s specialist child exploitation charity, Safe and Sound, has taken on the staff and activities of fellow Derby organisation, the Enthusiasm Trust, to expand the range of support available for some of the most vulnerable young people and their families in the city and county.
From the 14th June Enthusiasm will formally no longer operate as a separate charity and staff at Enthusiasm will be part of the wider Safe and Sound team in Darley Abbey.
Safe and Sound is currently working to refurbish and open a city centre base in Bold Lane. In the meantime, Enthusiasm’s current youth hub in Cotton Lane will be the base for the majority of engagement with young people and families currently supported by both charities.
Safe and Sound CEO Tracy Harrison explained: “Both Safe and Sound and Enthusiasm have elements of a shared common vision to support vulnerable young people and to provide activities and services that help to transform the lives of young people in our local communities by building self-esteem and confidence.
“When the Trustees of Enthusiasm reached out to us about transferring their charity into the Safe and Sound fold, we recognised the benefits that this would bring to the young people and families we both work with and to the staff and supporters of our two charities.
“Coming together and moving forwards under the Safe and Sound banner will enable us to expand the breadth and reach of our support for young people and their families and build further resilience into our business model in this ever-challenging financial climate.
“This is an exciting time for Safe and Sound and our partners with plans forging ahead for new premises to open early next year.
“We have always been committed to working in partnership with like-minded organisations who support some of the most vulnerable people in our local communities so the merger with Enthusiasm is definitely a positive move for everyone concerned.”
This was echoed by Enthusiasm Chair Gary Parkin who continued: “We are proud of the work that Enthusiasm has achieved in our local communities.
“It has always been rewarding to watch many of the young people we support go on to make great life choices and improve their lives thanks to the support they have received from our amazing staff and volunteers.
“Under the Safe and Sound banner and, although the name Enthusiasm will not continue, our ethos will be upheld and the services we provide will go from strength to strength.”
Formed in 2002, Safe and Sound works with children as young as seven, young people and their families across Derbyshire whose lives have been affected by child exploitation including online grooming, sexual exploitation, County Lines, trafficking, modern slavery and radicalisation.
Last year, Safe and Sound supported a record 343 children and young people who had been victims of or at risk of child exploitation. The charity largely works with 7-18 year olds but includes up to 25 if there are special educational needs and or disability (SEND) issues or children leaving care.
The charity works with boys and girls. Around 30% of the young people have SEND and 29% did not identify as White British. Workers also regularly support young people who identify as gay, non-binary and trans.
Safe and Sound offers a range of innovative, hands-on programmes to help young people understand what has happened to them, rebuild their confidence and move onto a place of emotional safety, protected from further harm.
Support services include:
– 121 and group support
– Outreach work in local communities
– Practical support for families including parents and siblings
– Positive activities for young people
– Support through the criminal justice system
– Longer-term support to transition into positive outcomes such as education and employment
– Specialist support for New Communities and young people with special educational needs.
Enthusiasm has been helping thousands of children from disadvantaged backgrounds reach their full potential since the charity was launched in 1992 and was re-launched in March 2022 under the leadership of new CEO April Allman and a board of trustees.
This enabled the charity to expand its work reaching out to young people providing clubs, workshops, homework support, one-to-one mentoring programmes, delivering programmes in schools for those young people at risk of exclusion and working with parents and families to offer opportunities to gain skills, employment, knowledge, and experience from a variety of activities.
Children who attend Enthusiasm are primarily drawn from Osmaston, Allenton and Alvaston with smaller numbers from Chellaston, Sinfin and Shelton Lock. They are usually aged between 11 and 18 years old and are often referred to the centre by schools, police and other agencies if they are deemed to be at risk of exclusion, offending or anti-social behaviour, including the influence of negative peer groups and gangs.
For more information about Safe and Sound, the work it does and how to support the charity, please visit www.safeandsoundgroup.org.uk