Our Future Newsletter – October 2025

Dear All,

There’s so much positive change happening in towns across the UK right now. From people in Grimsby and Wrexham planning how investment could make the biggest difference, to exciting meet-ups in Rochdale where new ideas and connections are forming every single week.

We were thrilled that Our Future co-founder, Jason Stockwood, was elevated to the House of Lords and made Investment Minister in early September. We are excited about what he will achieve, bringing his deep understanding of what is needed to ensure all communities thrive and the role growth can play to enable, or undermine, that.

To avoid any conflicts of interest, Jason has resigned his board role at Our Future. He remains committed to the mission of Our Future and will become our patron.

Please read on to discover the amazing things happening and how you can be part of it.

Emily Bolton,
CEO, Our Future

Open House 2026

We are so excited to share that planning has begun for our next Open House, which will celebrate the energy, creativity and change happening in communities across the country. 

Please save the dates 9th/10th March 2026. We will share more details on the agenda soon but there is a holding Eventbrite where you can sign up and get the date in your diary. 

Explore The Churchill Fellowship

We wanted to flag this amazing Churchill Fellowship opportunity with you all. It offers funding for up to two months to connect with leading practitioners worldwide. Either through travel or online, and explore innovative ideas that can be turned into real action in the places we love. 

They are currently open to applications, (closing 4th November), and have priority areas that are really aligned with the focus of so many of our partners and friends:

• Building a society that cares
• Building prosperous and resilient economies
• Caring for our natural environment
• Climate change
• Making space for the arts
• Promoting lifelong health
• Supporting engagement in education
• Tech for all

If any of these areas inspire you, this could be a great chance to explore, learn more and make a difference.

Please Join Us In Welcoming Crystal!

We are so excited to share that we have hired Crystal Ness as our permanent lead for Grimsby and North East Lincolnshire who will be starting in mid-November.

Crystal grew up in NE Lincs, and has been working on the other side of the Humber Bridge – most recently running alumni engagement for the University of Hull. She is so excited by what we are going to do together and keen to meet you and support the work.

The Future Being Built in Grimsby & NE Lincs

It’s been a brilliant summer in Grimsby, full of projects that are really bringing the future to life. From YMCA’s Youth Hub expansion, to Doorstep’s new Community Housing Hub and CARE’s transformation of the RBC building into a welcoming community space.

Grimsby has secured £20 million through the national Plan for Neighbourhoods programme. After an open call for Grimsby Together working groups we were thrilled by the overwhelming response from passionate people across the town. 80 local people from different sectors of the community have now met three times and we also had a public drop-in event on 25th September at Grimsby Central Hall which was buzzing.

The update event is on 4th November at Grimsby Town Hall – please join us, you can sign-up below.

Grimsby & NE Lincs Home Wins

We so enjoyed getting together with the Home Wins community on 18th September. The next meeting is on 11th December – please email hello@our-future.io to sign-up.

If you grew up in Grimsby, studied here, have family ties or links to the area but now live elsewhere, the Home Wins network is where you can back your hometown and stay connected to its future.

If this is you or someone you know, please do get in touch with the Our Future team by emailing hello@our-future.io The Grimsby Home Wins network are a lovely bunch and would welcome some new faces!

Spotlight Story: Antony Chapman

Though his career has taken him far away, Antony remains deeply connected. He supports the new Junior Park Run, local girls’ football teams, and encourages others to reconnect. His story shows how belonging doesn’t end with geography – and how you can play a role, wherever you are.

What’s Happening in Rochdale

Thank you to everyone who’s shared their time, ideas and insightful conversations with us. Your energy and passion are what makes this work so exciting!

Rochdale is buzzing with possibilities. From supporting young people, to championing local leaders, creating great spaces and celebrating health and wellbeing for everyone.

Over the coming months, we’ll be continuing our small group pop-ups across the borough, our focus will grow into meeting people with great ideas around specific themes, supporting those already active and discovering others who might want to get more involved.

The first themed session will be focusing on Our Kids, the children and young people of the borough. Whether you are a parent, grandparent, community leader, resident or local business owner, this is a space to come together, share experiences and imagine a brighter future.

If you are in Rochdale or have connections there and would like to be involved, or have any questions, please do get in touch with Killian and Jet at hello@our-future.io

To find out more about our early work in Rochdale, please visit https://forgenerationstocome.org/

Key Dates