About Us

My Future My Choice was set up in 2009 to address the need identified by businesses and school leaders for practical opportunities for young people to engage with the world outside school. Businesses worked with us to design learning opportunities for use by their employees going into schools. This created fun and practical ways for young people to explore the skills and knowledge required for working within different industry sectors as well as the importance of knowing how to balance elements of life for success and happiness.

Research funded by the GE Foundation evaluated root-causes of poor attainment and where collaborating with businesses could make the most impact.

  • Linking interventions that raise aspirations to times when transition from one phase of education to another was immanent
  • Quick and easy icebreakers
  • Varied practical tasks and challenges that required conversation and different learning styles 
  • Young people working in small teams with a business volunteer
  • Outcomes that celebrate young people's ingenuity and presentation skills
  • Projects that run annually and reduce workload for the teachers and volunteers
Our activities reflect economic and social changes along with the school's demand for a fit to their curriculum planning and their desire to meet government objectives such as targets for Gatsby Benchmarks. We continue to create bespoke projects for schools and businesses and work closely with two charities  The Bristol Initiative Charitable Trust and the The MV Balmoral Fund ('The People's Liner') a ship moored in Bristol's Historic Harbour.

How We Work

    • Respond to school's requests.  Bespoke activities using our networks of businesses and community agencies to recruit a team of trained volunteers who will work with young people on a day or half day activity in or out of school.
    • Training for teachers to build and maintain business links.
    • Design and manufacture adaptable resources for use by schools and business volunteers. These are generally construction kits, card games, student journals and films with learning activities.

     


    What is the Bristol Initiative Charitable Trust

    The Bristol Initiative Charitable Trust (TBIT) is a Business West charity that specialises in education and projects for young people. It raises and applies funds. Since 1996 the trust has been connecting the skills and finance of Bristol's business community to strategic and sustainable developments across the city.

    What is the MV Balmoral Fund (Charitable Trust)

    The MV Balmoral is a large inshore passenger vessel known as the 'People's Liner'. It ran day trips from ports all around the UK from the 1960s onwards. Its main trade was out of Bristol and it is now moored in Bristol's Harbour. The ship aims to return to sailing in 2024 in the summer months and run community and education activities through the Autumn Winter and Spring that appeal to transnational communities and help bring greater diversity to Bristol's cultural centre.

    What do we achieve?

    • Every year thousands of children meet and work with a people they might not normally meet
    • Schools saying they have better engagement with families and community
    • Businesses committed to supporting schools through long-term strategic engagement 
    • Raised aspirations that raises attainment
    • Communities enjoying and valuing their heritage, green spaces and cultural venues
    • Young people taking achievable action steps to help them secure future success and happiness.