Fell Futures CIC - website coming soon!
Fell Futures CIC will deliver a pilot rural skills and employability programme for young adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in North Cumbria. Pilot planned for September 2026 subject to funding - check back for more details or register your interest for updates.
What we'll do
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The programme will focus on rural skills and employability in the Lake District for young adults with SEND, aged between 18 and 25
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Rural skills will include countryside management, forest school, outdoor cookery, heritage crafts, animal husbandry and horticulture
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The pilot programme will also aim to interweave employability skills throughout.
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Two staff members will deliver to a pilot group of eight young adults, maintaining a 1:4 ratio to ensure appropriate supervision and quality of delivery.
Who's it for?
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Young adults aged 18-25 with SEND — including those with an EHCP or those who self-identify as having SEND, with or without a formal diagnosis. No referral or formal assessment is required
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The programme is for young adults not in education, employment or training. It is for young adults looking to expand their life skills/employability, with a particular focus on practical, outdoor skills.
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It will be aimed at young adults with moderate learning difficulties (MLD) and autism (ASD) initially, with the aim of a future wider roll-out of the course to those young adults with SLD and PMLD.
Why it matters
Young adults with SEND deserve to live a full life. They deserve meaningful and interesting opportunities for work experience. This programme intends to play a part in providing this, particularly for those young adults who have an interest in and passion for nature and outdoor skills.
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Often work experience and employability programmes are built with neurotypical children in mind and young people with SEND are shoehorned into these learning programmes. Fell Futures intends to build a course sculpted to those with learning difficulties and autism in mind.
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This programme will allow young adults with SEND the time to build a connection to nature, strengthening wellbeing, self-confidence and environmental stewardship. The foundation of the programme is building a sense of community and belonging amongst young adults who are often isolated and excluded from opportunity.