Flash Company Arts

Tag: education

  • Whitby Works! – Community Trailblazer Sessions

    Creative sessions to build confidence, learn new skills, and move forward — your way.

    Whitby Works! brings Better Connect’s Community Trailblazer programme to Whitby, offering friendly, hands-on sessions for people who want to grow skills, explore new ideas, and build confidence at a pace that feels right for them.

    This is not a classroom. It’s relaxed, practical, and designed around you. Whether you want to get growing, get cooking, get creative, or try something completely new — Whitby Works! gives you space to explore, feel supported, and take the next step.

    🌟 What you can get out of Whitby Works!

    Our sessions are designed to help you build confidence, learn new skills and take positive steps forward.

    You’ll have the chance to:

    • Try creative, practical activities in a relaxed and supportive space
    • Build confidence through doing, experimenting, and getting stuck in
    • Learn skills in growing, cooking, creative making — plus music and event management
    • Mix and match activities to suit your interests
    • Get support with CVs, job search, and interview preparation
    • Receive optional Food Hygiene Certification to strengthen employability
    • Meet people, socialise, and feel part of a welcoming community
    • Gain a reference for volunteering or employment
    • Be signposted to other support or opportunities if helpful
    • Access ongoing pastoral support if you move into work

    Whether you’re ready for a fresh challenge or just need help taking the first small step — we’re here to walk it with you.

    🖌 What will the sessions be like?

    Sessions are practical and hands-on — you won’t just be sitting and listening.

    You might be:

    🌱 planting seeds
    🍳 cooking a meal
    🎨 making something creative
    🎶 playing or exploring music
    📅 helping plan or run a small event

    You choose what interests you. Take part in one strand or try a mix — there’s no pressure, no wrong way to take part, and plenty of encouragement along the way.

    Who is Whitby Works! for?

    Whitby Works! is open to adults in Whitby and surrounding areas who’d benefit from a confidence boost, a new skill, a fresh start — or simply a supportive place to be.

    If you feel a bit stuck, unsure of your next move, or want to build skills in a friendly environment, this could be for you.

    We welcome people who are:

    ✔ looking for work
    ✔ thinking about volunteering or training
    ✔ building confidence after time out
    ✔ wanting to try something new
    ✔ exploring work for the first time
    ✔ rebuilding skills and motivation

    If you’re unsure — get in touch. We can chat it through with you.

    Ready to join us?

    Get in touch right now!

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  • Coming Together for Whitby’s Children and Young People

    Coming Together for Whitby’s Children and Young People

    A recap from the Whitby Community Alliance meeting – 20 May 2025

    On 20 May, a committed group of local organisations gathered at Flowergate Hall for a purposeful and energising meeting of the Whitby Community Alliance (WCA), focused on how we can better support our children and young people (CYP).

    The session brought thoughtful discussion, practical ideas, and a real sense of shared direction.

    Who Was There?

    Representatives attended from:
    Carers Plus, Caring Together, Flash Company Arts, Hope Whitby, Living Well, Pannett Art Gallery, Ryedale Community Transport, WHISH, Whitby Group Practice, and Whitby Youth Club.

    What We Talked About

    The Local Picture

    Children and young people in Whitby face a range of complex challenges, many shaped by rural isolation, limited transport, and restricted access to suitable activities and spaces. These concerns reflect themes in the Child of the Northreport, which outlines persistent regional inequalities across the North of England.

    Inclusion and Diversity

    WHISH shared powerful insights from their work with young people who live with over 50 different impairments and syndromes — many of them rare. Their input reminded us how important it is for services to be flexible, inclusive, and responsive to the full range of needs in our community.

    Youth Voice in Practice

    There was shared agreement that embedding Youth Voice in service design and delivery is vital. We need to involve young people not just in feedback, but in shaping the work we do from the ground up.

    Access, Aspiration and Opportunity

    We discussed the need to open up more facilities and create more opportunities for youth volunteering. Helping young people build confidence, skills and real-world experience will strengthen the future of our community. Volunteer experiences create a virtuous circle of community action — sparking engagement, ownership, and long-term involvement.

    As one participant put it: “You have to see it to be it.” Providing visibility of opportunities and role models helps to broaden young people’s horizons.

    FORGE and Creative Connections

    We also looked at the work of FORGE, the Local Cultural Education Partnership (LCEP) for North Yorkshire. FORGE connects schools, arts organisations and community groups to improve access to creative and cultural opportunities for children and young people. Aligning Whitby-based efforts with this county-wide network could open up valuable new partnerships and projects.

    What’s Next?

    The group agreed to establish a new Children and Young People Action Group under the Whitby Community Alliance. The group will focus on identifying shared priorities and developing collaborative strategies to improve opportunities and outcomes for local CYP.

    It will be co-chaired by Rebecca (Flash Company Arts) and Yvonne (WHISH).

    If you’d like to be part of the Action Group, please just send me an email — we’d love to have you involved.

    Save the Date

    Our next Whitby Community Alliance meeting will take place on:

    Monday 17 June 2025
    Theme: Vision for Volunteering in Whitby

    We’ll be exploring how to grow a strong and inclusive culture of volunteering — one that works for young people, older volunteers, and everyone in between.

  • Grow your own!

    Flash Company Arts is a Community Interest Company (CIC) based in Whitby and proudly serves as the town’s designated Community Anchor Organisation (CAO). We are committed to empowering local communities, with a special focus on children and young people (CYP). We provide spaces for their voices to be heard and their ideas to shape our work.

    Our home, the Flowergate Hall Community Arts Centre, is a vibrant hub for arts and culture. It also hosts The People’s Fridge, a food surplus initiative that provides free food to families in need, tackling food insecurity in our community. By engaging with CYP in co-designed projects, we amplify their voices and ensure their aspirations guide our programming.

    Through ongoing collaboration with local families and organisations, we are building a stronger, more connected community where creativity, compassion, and support thrive.

    Flash Company Arts is excited to launch our new Grow Your Own project at the Prospect Hill Allotments in Whitby. This initiative aims to provide local residents with the opportunity to connect with the land, learn new skills, and grow their own food in a supportive, community-focused environment. The project is designed to encourage sustainable gardening practices, with a focus on local food production and environmental stewardship. By offering access to an allotment space, we hope to inspire individuals and families to take control of their food sources and gain a deeper appreciation for nature and the seasons.

    At the heart of the Grow Your Own project is a commitment to community engagement and inclusion. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or new to the world of allotments, the project is open to all. We are particularly focused on providing a space for families and individuals to come together and grow their own fresh produce. The allotment at Prospect Hill is not only a place to cultivate food but also a thriving, shared space for learning, creativity, and building lasting connections within the Whitby community.