Menu

Food poverty, literacy struggles and low wellbeing are among the biggest challenges today.

In our city of Leeds, we work in communities that are in the most deprived 1-10% across the country. But numbers don’t tell you the whole story.

What does deprivation really look like?

Deprivation means children are going to school hungry, and their families don’t know where to turn or who to trust for help. Young people face challenges of low confidence and poor self-esteem and can often find it hard to do well at school. It’s so easy for families to get caught in cycles of intergenerational poverty, which makes it feel like there’s no hope for change. But we believe that by working together with local families, we can change this story.

What we do

We work alongside communities to equip families with the skills they need to move forward. Our projects focus on healthy eating, literacy, language and mentoring. We get to know real people, hear their stories, and provide practical support where it’s needed.

We started out in February 2017, with three small pilot projects. Since then we have grown rapidly, enabling more and more families each year to directly benefit from our life-changing work. Flourishing Families continues to develop as an effective grass-roots charity, which is able to respond quickly and flexibly to the needs of local communities.

Meet the team

Kate

Director

I love working for FFL! Supporting families to thrive is something I feel very passionate about, and I get to lead a great team of staff and volunteers who are dedicated to making a difference. My specialism is cookery and I really enjoy inspiring children and parents to cook healthy, economical meals that the whole family can enjoy together.

Olivia

Senior Project Leader

I look after the language and literacy projects at FFL, whilst I also manage our internship programme and volunteers. My background is in education and teaching English as a second language.

More often than not, you’ll find me looking for the next great children’s book to read with our families! Outside of work, I like to bake and go running.

Bekah

Project Leader

I help run the Story Tellers Clubs along with managing an educational professional development programme for new staff. My background is in education, where I taught RS for several years at secondary level. I love working with kids of all ages, but it’s been fun to swap out teenagers for earlier years. Outside of work I love to hike, bake and get out and about with my camera.

Susanna

Project Worker

I work with the Family Cookery Clubs, where most of my time is spent creating tasty and nutritious meals with our families and developing new recipes to try out. In my spare time I am a great fan of baking bread, reading, and walking in the local woodland.

Lizzie

Project Worker

Hello, I run our mentoring sessions and work behind the scenes doing the graphics and social media at FFL.

I am a Fine Art graduate from the University of Leeds, and I love doing arts and crafts, so outside of work you will find me embarking on various creative projects!

James

Project Worker

My particular focus is with the Family Cookery Clubs, where I am responsible for the nutritional education resources. I love to make them fun and exciting! In my free time I enjoy experimenting with recipes and going to the gym.

Pam

Admin and Finance

I am a volunteer with Flourishing Families, helping with day-to-day administration and finance. I am a bit behind the scenes, but I also really enjoy helping out with family support. I like a good walk and spending time with family locally and abroad.

Richard

Chair of Trustees

I have the privilege of leading the great team of volunteer trustees for Flourishing Families. We oversee the running of the charity. I also get to chat to our supporters about our work and all the exciting changes we’re seeing in the lives of families as we grow across the city. When I’m not at work, I enjoy walking my dog, Frisbee, or sitting in a boat at sea catching fish.

Previous
Next

Family Cookery

Our cookery clubs bring families together for positive change

Read more

Language & Literacy

Creative activities help families develop a love for reading

Read more

Wellbeing

Groups and mentoring equip children and families to flourish

Read more