As we prepare to sign-off for a much-needed break, we find ourselves in what we often speak about in our work: endings territory. 

Looking back, this year has been challenging and full of uncertainty. This is largely due to an incredibly difficult funding climate of which we, and many small charities, continue to be disproportionately impacted by. 

Against this backdrop, we continue to be inspired by the many lightbulb moments we see, when people recognise that they are not broken, they are surviving broken systems. We know that the relevance of what we do extends far beyond the training room and field of recovery. In a world that feels faster and more overwhelming by the day, the ability to think critically, stay grounded, and connect to our own inner self is becoming essential for all of us. 

As we reach the end of 2025, we continue to be grateful for knowing what we know, being able to practise the very skills we teach on our courses and cultivate a sense of resilience and togetherness.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of our work this year – your support means everything.

FESTIVE FUNDRAISER

Matt Clack, a long-term trustee and now chair of the board, is running 100K in December, to raise £2,000 for FfC. 

Already over halfway through his running target, and halfway to his fundraising target - any donations you can make to help him reach the finish line would be amazing!

WAYS TO GIVE

• If you’d like to take on a challenge of your own to fundraise for us, check out our ‘Fundraise for Us’ page. There are also many other ways to give. 
• This could be, by making a one-off or regular monthly donation. Having regular monthly donations from members of the public makes a huge difference. 
• If you’re not in a position to donate yourself, do you know someone who is? Please share what we do and the link to donate with those you think could support our work. 
• Other ways to give back could include hosting a fundraising event, taking on a challenge to run, walk, cycle - or anything else of your choice. 
• You could also nominate FfC for charity of the year in your workplace, and consider celebrating with purpose, where friends and family donate as a gift instead.

COURSES AND COMMUNITY

We worked in-depth with 44 individuals this year,through our Psychology and Feminism for Change courses, and delivery of our one-day taster session exploring the impacts and harms of patriarchy. We continue to be so impressed by people’s commitment to learning, growing and making changes in their life.

This courage and dedication is shown in our course completion rates and the number of people who complete the OCN qualification, ‘Developing Emotional Resilience’. For many, this is their first ever qualification that acts as a crucial springboard into further learning.

We’ve been proud to grow our Community Network this year - a blossoming group of like-minded individuals where graduates can sustain their personal growth and build meaningful connections that support lifelong change. This year’s events ranged from bookbinding, a visit to Tate Britain, and a powerful gathering of Feminism for Change graduates. The latter to mark 16 Days of Activism and celebrate women’s survival, resistance and resilience.

We also launched our 12-weekly check-in space for recent graduates to keep practising the life skills they’ve learned as they transition more fully into independent living. The space was proposed and led by two graduates of our programmes, who also recently delivered our first ever community workshop on boundaries, assertiveness and the drama triangle — with a particular focus on navigating family dynamics over the festive period. It went down a treat.

SCALING DEEP

We know that real life-long change takes investment, care and time. This is one of the many reasons we prioritise working carefully at depth with people who both need and deserve space to rebuild their foundations. We see the direct relationship between the depth of this work and the impact we aim to have.

This work and approach was recently featured in Scaling Deep, which recognises approaches that prioritise inner and relational change as the foundation of lasting impact.

Within this series, FfC’s Chief Executive and founder, Bob Bharij, reflected on the conditions needed for healing and the profound personal shifts which often extend into families and future generations — particularly for the many parents we work with.

In this way, our work is deeply preventative at an intergenerational level.

We are currently evidencing this impact in a qualitative way and are excited to share this with you in 2026.

TAKING OUR THINKING OUTWARDS

We have long recognised that the relevance of our work extends far beyond people in recovery — it speaks to the human experience more broadly. This year, we’ve been intentional about taking our ideas out into the world. 

In June this year, Bob appeared on the Truth Revealed Podcast, sharing how deeply rooted in education the FfC Approach is. 

More recently, Jayne, spoke on a webinar hosted by Care Knowledge, about ways to support women in recovery over the festive period – specifically those who have had children removed from their care. 

We published a series of blogs including;

• An antidote to our times - inspired by a graduate who said her experience “felt like a prototype of what the world could be.

• The beauty of a fertile void - the importance of closure and the “magical space” that opens between one thing ending and another beginning.

• Knowledge that lasts a lifetime - Antonia, our Comms & Admin Officer reflects on the longevity of the course’s impact and how she continues to draw on what she learned to this day.

All powerful and deeply heartwarming reads, reminding us that abstinence is just the beginning, that there is a gap in recovery which our approach fills, and that living what we learn is essential.