"I am the VRU Manager for Southampton, and I am writing in support of In Focus, who work with young people aged 16+, who are involved in or at risk of becoming involved in the criminal justice system, or are NEET. In Focus offer structured creative workshops on photography that allow young people to learn skills and gain qualifications . This helps people explore their creative talents and develop pro-social identities while finding a route into employment. I know from visiting them and from the testimonials of people who have taken part how positive their work is in giving young people a way forward, and I endorse the work of In Focus to continue to deliver and hopefully expand."

"Thank you so much for your support this year, working with our young people to improve their digital skills and giving them the opportunity to visit art galleries. The feedback has been excellent. It would be great to continue working with you, and hopefully extend the offer to our Eastleigh students as well."

“She’s done things she’d never get to do at school or at home. I’m hoping it continues. She doesn’t like school; she struggles with socialisation and bullying. It’s good for her to be with other people, to socialise in a safe space with a small group. She’s not sporty, or musical, but she’s creative, and it’s hard to find those sorts of activities for her. She’s actually smiling…we don’t get that at home!”

"[…]I also benefited from a skill share with Andi, one of the young participants, who did a brilliant job of explaining shutter speeds, ISO and focus techniques on their SLR camera, and left me wanting to dig out my old SLR and do some creative photography! It was great to see the interaction between the young people, and to hear from the Enham project workers how much creative activities had added to their usual programme over the last few months, particularly in terms of sociability and collaboration skills. The young people said they’d been surprised at how much they’d enjoyed different activities, and people seemed all to have found something they connected with […] In Focus also got a particularly loud shout out for their work on the programme!"

"I thoroughly enjoyed the course, the pace was right, the explanations were very thorough and always felt comfortable to ask questions. I now give much more thought to my photographic composition,  the rule of thirds (how to use it, or break it for best effect). I consider whether colour or black and white or colour temperature would enhance what I am trying to capture. Thinking about whether being face on to, above, or below my subject can dramatically alter the image."

"Great course. Fun, challenging and extremely educational. I now have a new perspective on taking pictures, as well as additional knowledge of just how much you can do with a phone camera."