Finding Your Feat: Building Confidence, Skills, and Futures

At Forest YMCA, we believe in the potential of every young person. That belief drives our Finding Your Feat programme – a 7-week employability initiative designed to empower young people experiencing homelessness to take the next step toward their goals.

Run by our dedicated Youth Work team in partnership with LandAid and SEGRO, the programme helps young people build key employability skills, offering real-world experiences, weekly themed sessions, and ongoing support. After the programme ends, participants continue to receive up to six months of mentoring and guidance from our youth workers to help them transition into employment, apprenticeships, volunteering, or further education.

Here’s a look at two recent highlights from this year’s programme:

Pitching to the Pros at SEGRO HQ

Last week, participants had the exciting opportunity to visit SEGRO plc’s London office for a special Dragon’s Den-style pitch session.

The Brief

Design a creative plan for a SEGRO family fun day and pitch it to a panel of ‘Dragons’.

The Outcome

The young people rose to the challenge with confidence, professionalism, and creativity. Their presentations were thoughtful, bold, and full of great ideas – and all delivered in a real corporate setting. It was an incredible opportunity to build public speaking, teamwork, and planning skills in an environment that pushed them outside their comfort zones.

Leading Through Sport: Football Coaching in Hayes

As part of their social action project, the group planned and delivered a 2-hour football training session for children aged 10–12 in Hayes.

The Session

Participants created a fully structured session covering key football skills through drills and exercises, ending with a friendly match. They took the lead on everything: planning, coaching, and mentoring – and they did an outstanding job.

The Impact

This session gave them the chance to step into leadership roles, and develop confidence in managing a live event.

More Than a Programme – A Pathway Forward

Each week of the Finding Your Feat journey focuses on a different theme – from CV building and interview prep to social impact and team collaboration. Combined with long-term follow-on support, it’s a truly holistic approach to employability.

We’re incredibly proud of everyone involved in making this programme such a success – and especially of the young people who continue to show resilience, growth, and ambition in everything they do.

Huge thanks to our partners – LandAid and SEGRO, for their continued support.

Together, we’re helping young people not just find their feet, but thrive.

• If you’re interested in supporting our youth work and helping more young people reach their potential, please contact Adriana Barnes at adrianabarnes@ymcaspg.org