What happens when a young person is forced out of education due to serious illness—and who’s helping them get back on track?

In this inspiring episode, we speak to Josh Pelled, founder and CEO of Bright Futures UK, the only UK charity dedicated to helping young people aged 5–24 re-engage with education after long-term illness.

Josh shares how his own experience of childhood cancer led to launching a national charity before he turned 25. He reflects on what he’s learned about starting and scaling a small charity, why lived experience should shape service design, and how Bright Futures is now pushing for policy change to close an invisible gap in education.

💡 Whether you're in youth work, health, education or fundraising, this episode offers a powerful reminder of what happens when resilience meets purpose.

Useful Links:

🌐 Bright Futures UK – Personalised support for young people out of education due to illness
🙋‍♀️ Volunteer with Bright Futures UK – Use your skills to make a direct impact
👥 Connect with Josh Pelled on LinkedIn
🧠 The Calm Corner – Affordable mental health support in Essex
🦋 Flutter – Comfort packs for kidney cancer patients

Chapters:

(00:00 ) Intro and small charity spotlight: Flutter

(02:00 ) Meet Josh: Cancer survivor and charity founder

(07:00 ) Returning to school after serious illness

(11:00 ) How Bright Futures UK began—from one hospital session to national charity

(16:00 ) Personalised support: tutoring, mentoring and befriending

(20:00 ) The impact of volunteers—and what they gain in return

(26:00 ) Charity news: A banned vegan ad and a missile in a donation bag

(33:00 ) Working with NHS trusts, schools and other partners

(37:00 ) The hidden scale of the problem—and why no one is tracking it

(40:00 ) Policy change and awareness raising: what’s next

(43:30 ) How to volunteer, refer or support

(45:00 ) Small Charity Spotlights: The Calm Corner and Flutter

(48:00 ) Wrap-up and what’s coming next

Get Involved:

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