Future Fest opens a world of opportunties

Future Fest, the showcase exhibition for opportunities beyond Treloar’s, was back at Holybourne on February 9, and this time it was even bigger and better than before.

The annual event has been held at the college for young people with complex disabilities for 14 years and every year it has grown on the previous one. This year the event attracted 46 exhibitors, covering a wide range of services.

These could be generally be categorised into three areas: residential, education/employment and social/life skills.

The residential exhibitors offered a number of different kinds of care, from live-in supported care to home caring.

One more unusual type of care, which attracted a lot of attention, came from Canine Partners who brought along several of their remarkable dogs.

The dogs are trained to help disabled people with tasks around the home and they also provide invaluable companionship, lessening feelings of depression and loneliness in disabled people.

Educational and employment exhibitors included representatives from several higher education establishments, such as Solent University and Surrey University, and others which help with work placements, like Whizz Kidz, The Grange and Leonard Cheshire.

Those exhibitors offering social and life skill opportunities again were very varied, with stands covering everything from sailing and camping to performing arts and ICT assistance.

Treloar’s Beverley Stannard who organised the Future Fest said: “The Future Fest is the ideal opportunity for students and parents to come along and find out what is available to them. It is mainly for the college students, but this year, for the first time, school students have also attended so they know what is out there in the future.

“We’ve had some really good feedback and people tell us they’ve had some very useful conversations. I know that in previous years our students have been able to find somewhere to move to as a result of the Future Fest.”

From the point of view of the exhibitors, taking part in Future Fest is also proving to be a worthwhile exercise.

John Watson from The Scope, a charity that helps disabled people develop social skills and independence, said: “Future Fest is a very useful resource which we have in the calendar every year. It’s a stepping stone to help people move on.”

But of course it’s the students who truly reap the benefits. College leaver Vicky commented: “It’s great because it really supports leavers, but it’s good for other people who aren’t leaving just yet. I have found it very interesting.

"I am leaving in the summer and I’m not sure what I’m going to do so it’s good to have the help. There are so many exhibitors here, which means you can get some good ideas.”