About us

Our story

"I was inspired to start the charity to offer a range of different services in Hertford and gave clients a choice in their type of recovery."

Sandra Conte, Founder & CEO

Back in 2014, we started in a church hall two mornings a week, doing our best to pay the rent. Our vision has always been to offer a full family service for our clients, and as the charity has grown along with the complex needs of clients, the need for adequate funding has grown alongside it. 

Over the last seven years we have gone on to develop a specialist team of professionals that works with adult and child victims of domestic abuse, offering a valuable service to the Hertford community. 

The charity now offers a diverse range of holistic projects supporting people in a variety of ways.

We are proud to start the next chapter with the opening of our Children’s Centre, The Base, in 2021.

about us
about flh

What we do has an influence in supporting our clients as well as on the wider community

Our impact

Domestic Abuse Support

Future Living provides a free to access range of group therapy programmes (Monica programme and Wise Guys) to support clients who are in recovery from domestic abuse.

The Base

During 2020 we launched The Base. This service embodies a range of holistic projects including art, play and talk therapy. Free to access programmes include Young Hearts Relationship programme, Daring to Parent and an innovative in-house programme developed by experienced a professional therapist. Sugarfoot Boxing Academy will run on Sunday mornings at a Hertford school.

Counselling Support

Future Living is proud to offer a large cohort of counsellors practicing a variety of models supporting not only our clients but members of our community.

Addiction Support

We offer a tailored plan for clients recovering from addiction within the body of the charity and personal counselling.

Training services

We offer a range of training services surrounding Domestic Abuse, addiction and mental health awareness and safeguarding. These programmes are available to local professionals or businesses within our community. Please contact us for details.

New Friends & Business Partners

The charity enjoys a range of professional partners and a large cohort of volunteers supporting the wide range of work that we cover. We are now marketing licences for the Monica programme. The charity is looking for new professional partners as we expand our services. Please contact us for more information.

Café

Our Community cafe will be open on occasion for events, client training and education and hopefully a warm space in the near future, please check back with the website in early December.

Meeting Room Hire

Vale House is a beautiful Grade 2 building in the middle of leafy Hertford and offers a well-equipped meeting room for hire seating up to 20 delegates.

Community Group

Our community is really important to us and to thank them for their support we offer ad-hoc community groups on a regular basis. Currently this is quilt making and jewellery making.

Kids Kit

Kids Kit is a newly developed programme that walks alongside parents with tips and information to make parenting a pleasure.

Family & Housing Law Clinic

Future Living is delighted to partner with UoH who offer on-site and digital support to our clients, covering family and housing law that is free to access.

Donations

The charity survives on the generosity of is patrons, supporters and Grant makers. There are a range of ways the public can support us, please go to our donations page.

"I believe that offering a range of holistic services where people can decide what they want in a safe space, is a recipe for success."
Sandra Conte
Founder & CEO, Future Living Hertford
I sit here in beauty surrounded by flowers and a warm summer’s breeze. Peaceful and rested in body and mind, looking into the future leaving the chaos behind. Rolling hills go for miles, a canny retreat. This is a feeling that will be hard to beat.
Untitled by Anon
Former client

A few words

From our 2016 Creative Writing Group

VISION STATEMENT

We envisage a world where every person is given the opportunity to flourish and lead a self-directed life and where non -judgemental support is provided to those who need it to overcome difficulties such as recovery from abuse, trauma, addictions or disadvantaged beginnings.

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to help anyone, including children and young people, who have felt vulnerable through abusive relationships to feel stronger, more empowered and able to make healthy life choices for themselves and their families.

We aim to help our clients to flourish and regain control over their lives and to regain the sense of self that is so often lost.

We campaign towards giving children a voice in their future.

We will work tirelessly to support those in need.

CORE VALUES

Christian Values are central to our charity and way of working.

Our values define who we are and how we work with one another and with our clients.  We firmly believe in:

  • Respecting one another

  • Working with integrity and transparency; being accountable and taking responsibility for all that we do

  • Fostering nurturing relationships that are built on trust

  • Maintaining an environment that is safe for clients, volunteers, staff and the community

  • Empowering our clients so that they can find their inner strength and freedom to make good life choices

  • Working with consistency and fairness, appreciating diversity and promoting equality for all and respecting the rights and beliefs of others

  • Working jointly with partner organisations that can increase opportunities and services for our clients and staff.

  • Working in a professional and inspiring way

  • Encouraging a sense of community amongst clients and team members so that support structures can be built

  • Modelling the Christian values day-to-day and being good role models

Our Trustees

Our Board of Trustees meet seven times a year and regularly review how our charity is meeting its stated aims.

Each of our trustees is appointed according to their skills and initially for a term of three years at a time. 

Our partners

We would like to express our deepest thanks to the following organisations for their support.