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The New Futures Project review of 2025 - July to December
- ciaran583
- Jan 6
- 8 min read
Updated: Jan 7
The second half of 2025 began with publication of yet more damning statistics on the scale of violence against women before ending on a further note of tragedy - the death of Debbie Featley, a former client and great friend of the project.
In July, data released by the Office for National Statistics, (ONS), suggested an astonishing one in eight women had been victims of sexual assault, domestic abuse or stalking in the previous year.
Reportedly, this was the first time researchers had attempted to measure the true combined scale of the three offences and their impact on millions of women in England and Wales.
The New Futures Project provides specialist support, including counselling, to women and girls who have experienced such trauma.
We pointed out at the time: "An increasing number of our referrals feature stalking and coercive and controlling behaviour as a factor.
"The majority of the women we support have not felt believed or supported when they have approached organisations, for example the police, for help."
Our student social work placement scheme continues to go from strength to strength.
Tamzin Darmon, who had just completed the first year of a two-year master's degree in social work at Birmingham City University, spent 70 days with us.
"I've loved my time here at the New Futures Project," the 23-year-old told us in July. "I was a little nervous at the start.
READ MORE: The New Futures Project Christmas Appeal: Help us support the most vulnerable women we know
READ MORE: We visit women working in massage parlours to ensure they are safe and well - and we need your help
"The other students have been brilliant. We really gelled as a team. Everyone was always more than willing to help each other and share information.
"All the staff at the project were wonderful too, so warm and welcoming. They have been a big part of my journey here from the moment I walked through the door.
"My time here has definitely built my confidence, particularly through working with people and learning how to put all the legislation I've learned about into practice.
"Instead of reading or writing about these things, you are actually applying them and seeing how they work in real life.
"I was learning as I went along, and I think that has made me more independent and taught me how to think on my feet.
"I will always remember the clients, the people I have worked with and the staff at New Futures.
"I've learned that life is hard for some people, but I feel I've made a difference in my time here."
July also saw the latest visit by a wonderful project which sends recycled and new bras, pants and sanitary products to women and girls around the globe.
The 'Your Smalls Appeal' has supported women and girls around the world, particularly those in developing countries, since 2016.
However, when the coronavirus crisis hit, founder Diana Esho decided to turn her attention to impoverished women in the UK too.
Diana dropped into our base in London Road this month with the group's third donation this year.
READ MORE: 'Our outreach workers change lives' - help us build our team to carry out this vital work
The bags were full of bras, pants, sanitary products, plus toiletries for the women and girls we see here.
Avril Lewis, crisis support worker at The New Futures Project, said: "This donation from Your Smalls Appeal was a godsend.
"We were running very low on bras, sanitary products and toiletries. There was virtually nothing left in the cupboard when Diana arrived here out of the blue.
"We're so grateful to them for their support, and we know the women will be too.
"Underwear and sanitary products are too expensive for a lot of the women we see. Some will shoplift to get them, which is so sad.
"I know the girls will really enjoy going through these items to choose something for themselves."
This poignant and beautifully produced short film sums up everything the New Futures Project stands for.
It was created a few years ago by staff and students at Leicester's De Montfort University, (DMU).
They told us they wanted to amplify the voices of our clients who were involved in street-based sex work.
They did those women proud and we were delighted with the film, which also featured an interview with a member of our outreach team.
The interviews were played over photos of the streets where they were working.
We hadn't publicised it for some time, so in August we decided to put it back in the public eye, approximately 10 years on since its creation.
Della said: "I’ve always believed the film is a perfect representation of who we are and what we do.
"Whenever I watch it I’m so proud of what the women involved have gone on to achieve.
"The filmmaker was so talented and captured the essence of the project perfectly."
We were able to fund the film thanks to DMU, Women In Philanthropy and the Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation. We would like to thank them again for their support.
We made a wonderful new friend called Allie McCullough in the second half of the year and were rather overwhelmed when we learned she had told tens of thousands of her TikTok friends about our affordable counselling service which she had recently signed up for.
Allie posts regularly to more than 31,000 followers about health and well-being, living with sight-loss and lots of other topics.
The 38-year-old Californian who now lives in Northern Ireland, posted a short video in which she praised us to the skies - and we could not have been more proud when we saw it.
Allie, who lost her sight aged three, approached us for help a few couple of months ago after her time-limited NHS counselling came to an end without really helping her make much progress.
Happily, a friend who knew about the New Futures Project told her about our counselling service. Four sessions in, and Allie feels she is making real progress at last.
Speaking in September, she he told us: "I speak to my counsellor once a week. It's open-ended so it will continue for as long as it needs to.
"I have had four sessions so far. In this age of instant gratification I guess you just want everything to be fixed, for everything to be okay, straight away.
"It's been an emotional experience. It is hard work but I feel better now than I did at that first session.
"I'm sticking with it. Having this outlet is helping me."
Not for the first time, we issued an appeal for women to take on some challenging but extremely rewarding voluntary roles with the project.
We are putting together a team to run our night-time outreach service for women engaged in street-based sex work and to visit those working in the city’s massage parlours.
Any relationship we can form with the women engaged in exploitative work could be the beginning of something more positive for them.
These are some of the most abused and vulnerable women we know of.
We rely regularly post appeals for volunteers and, frankly, we would not be able to do half the things we do without them.
On the funding front, we hope online sales sites such as Vinted and eBay could make an important contribution to our running costs as we approach 2026.
Although we are in the early stages of this new venture, we have already made our first few sales of donated clothing and identified a volunteer to run our ‘shops’.
We hope this enterprise will expand and thrive in the new year.
As we have said already, the end of the year has been overshadowed by the death of someone very close to us.
We were heartbroken to learn in October that a great friend and former client Debbie Featley had passed away.
READ MORE: 'Counselling should be accessible to anyone who needs it' - talk to us if you're struggling
READ MORE: A few years ago our friends made this wonderful film about us - here's another chance to watch it
Debs embodied everything the New Futures Project stands for and has been a staunch supporter over the years.
We worked with her through some difficult times in her life and were delighted when her health appeared to improve over the past couple of years and she was able to play a valuable role here as a volunteer.
Debs loved to spend time in the building, catching up with staff and the women who use our drop-in service.
Also, she was the woman behind our series, Karen's Journal, writing with great strength, honesty and humour about the highs and lows of her life.
The project attended her funeral service and, having secured her family’s consent, published a tribute to her on our website and social media platforms.
When we met her a few years ago, Debs was inseparable from her partner Emma, whom she would so often tell us was the love of her life.
Emma died in January 2020. You can read her story here in our Names on the Doors series, which commemorates women we have lost over the years.
As an act of remembrance Emma's room will be renamed after Emma and Debs.
Our director Della Kagure Brown said: "I always felt a bond with Debs. We had so much in common.
"I will always be grateful for all the memories I have of laughing with her and chatting in the drop-in.
"I have been at the project for many years now and one of the hardest things about that is dealing with the loss of so many funny, brave and fabulous women.
"I often used to tell Debs to look after herself because I was running out of doors. She knew what I meant.
"The truth is though I don't need another door for Debs. Her name will go on the same door as her partner, Emma and it will be known as the Emma and Debs Room."
The year is drawing to a close with us, once again, asking well-wishers to donate of warm clothing, knowing that a simple donation could save a life.
Also, we issued our latest appeal for women to take on some challenging voluntary roles with the project.
We are in the process of putting together a team to run our night-time outreach service for women engaged in street-based sex work and to visit those working in the city’s massage parlours.
Any relationship we can form with the women engaged in exploitative work could be the beginning of something more positive for them.
In another new venture to raise revenue, we have started to sell donated items, at the moment, clothing – through Vinted and eBay.
Although we are in the early stages of this new venture, we hope this enterprise will expand and thrive in the new year.
The New Futures Project offers a comprehensive welfare and counselling service for women and young people dealing with sexual abuse or exploitation, domestic violence, trafficking, poverty and debt, substance use or mental ill-health.
Call us on 0116 251 0803 or send us a message at: info@new-futures.org.uk
You can find us at 71 London Road, Leicester, LE2 0PE.
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