During June The Talk About Trust has been celebrating our 15^th Birthday in so many ways. It has been an incredibly humble and heartwarming month as so many people have come together in different ways to support us. It takes £1000 a day to run our charity now, enabling us to support an average of 1,000 settings a year and some 500,000 children and young people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. Without a specialists fundraiser this can be a daunting prospect for a small charity, so a huge THANK YOU to the wonderful people, charities, commissioners and organisations that make our work possible across England and Scotland, as well as to those who support our events and community fundraising. Where would we be without our amazing trustees, ambassadors, supporters, staff and volunteers? From running our after school art club, our school holiday clubs, our teen hang out day to organising fundraisers and ensuring our charity benefits as many young people as possible in an evidenced, engaging and effective way. If you would like to read our founder and CEO Helena Conibears 15^th Anniversary speech, you can do so here: 15th-Anniversary-address.pdf

When we started we had just £15,000 a year to help with a part time administrator and we were all volunteers! For 10 years we worked from a garden garage and from home – how far we have come since then! We started with one school based programme on alcohol for 11 – 16 year olds, now we support children and young adults age 8 – 25 and have 5 different programmes to ensure we are able to talk about drugs, alcohol, nicotine, county lines, spiking and transition to all ages, abilities and backgrounds in mainstream schools and alternative settings such as pupil referral units, alternative education settings, youth and sports clubs and with charities that support young people into work and education.

We now have a thriving community hub as our home in Poundbury in Dorset. We could never have imagined the diversionary activities we are able to facilitate from the building to help local children feel they belong, are valued and have a safe space to be. We host a youth club, after school art, a teen hang out day, school holiday clubs, free music in the park, Halloween, Christmas and Easter family events to name but a few of the more than 20 clubs and activities that operate from PiP, not to mention the weekly junior park run on Sundays and hugely popular Park Run on Saturdays.

On the 13^th June , Dorset Walled Garden hosted "An Evening Amongst the Roses" with Michael Marriott, featuring a walk amongst the roses led by Michael Marriott, former Head Rosarian at David Austin for 35 years. The wonderful evening and reception was a sell out. This is the second year that Susanne and Alastair Cooper have generously chosen The Talk About Trust, particularly to support our work across Dorset, raising awareness of grooming and county lines.

On the 20^th June Paul and Fiona Abadjian hosted a fabulous film night to raise funds for us. As well as watching the very moving 'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen', the evening involved classic cars and alpacas as well as delicious sharing platters. A wonderful £755 was raised for us!

On the 28^th June we held a wonderful day, ‘Gardeners' Delight’ generously hosted by Dr Geoffrey and Kate Guy at The Grange. Thank you to the kind garden specialists who gave their expertise and time during the morning: David Howard, Nick Williams-Ellis, Anna May, Marian Boswall, Ricky Daccy, Jim Aplin and Lauran Mason, while guests also enjoyed stalls and refreshments. This was followed by a delicious Summer lunch in a gloriously decorated ‘inside marquee’ with guest speaker Marian Boswall, author of 'The Kindest Garden'. A particular thank you to our sponsors Dukes auctioneers, Porter and Dodson Solicitors and Symonds and Sampson and to Emily Cave of Rosa Cheney who arranged the spectacular flowers in handmade pots on the tables. Thank you all who supported, gave promises or volunteered and to the fantastic committee who made it possible! The day raised some £12,000 for us, so we are thrilled.

Our finale of the year will be a black tie ball at Minterne House on the 25^th October by kind invitation of Lord and Lady Digby with a three course dinner and dancing to The Bald Eagles, a 7 piece band coming all the way from Scotland! To enquire for tickets and to join the mailing list for information, please email kate@talkabouttrust.org

If you would like to support us in any way to help us help more children in more settings to ensure our future over the next 15 years, please ring or email Helena Conibear via helena@talkabouttrust.org or 07876593345. 

Nick Hickmott, Early Intervention Lead, We are With You: The everchanging evolution of the drug landscape in the UK and how digital dealing has changed drug use for young people in 2025

Professor John McAlaney, Chartered Psychologist and Chartered Scientist, Bournemouth University: The new normal? Gaming, gambling and cryptocurrencies and young people.

Jane Keyworth, Founder of Face Family Advice: Problematic substance risk and the neurodiverse

Helena Conibear, CEO The Talk About Trust: Vaping, nicotine pouches and illicit vapes: suitable approaches and prevention for ages 8 - 25

Amanda Clark from Escape Line

The speakers then took part in a Q and A session.

In the afternoon, a range of excellent workshops was offered - including a CPD option.

If you would like to access recordings from the day, you can do so for just £25 via National Drugs, Alcohol & Nicotine Education Conference 2025 - Recording of Speeches and panel Q&A

June also marks a momentous month for The Talk About Trust as we have been recruiting a new CEO as Helena moves to working part time as Founder at the end of the year, so that she can take up the office of High Sheriff of Dorset in 2026. The end of 2025 will also see the retirement of our Chair Victoria McDonaugh who has been a Trustee since day one has been an amazing and sage support for 15 years!

So a new chapter is beginning in our fight to ensure that children and young people are empowered to make safer and healthier choices, to champion early intervention and prevention and to ensure engaging, evidenced and effective ways are used to protect our children around illicit drugs, vaping and nicotine and alcohol.

Thank you for being part of our journey.