FED up of her teenage son being given “duff ” careers information, one Andover mum has taken matters into her own hands and has launched her own careers advice magazine.

Ruth Sparkes, who has an education marketing background, felt Hampshire teens were being shortchanged when it came to advice on their education and careers and so has set up Future Magazine which has already had 45,000 copies distributed at schools.

The free magazine is aimed at 14-19-year-olds and tries to bridge the gap of careers information alongside lifestyle, health, education and more to guide teens through their crucial start in life.

Future is already in high demand for its second edition which is currently set for a 60,000 copy print run.

Ms Sparkes said: “We’d completed some market research about what teenagers thought about their own careers. One girl responded that she thought she ‘wouldn’t amount to anything’ because she wasn’t going to university. That took my breath away.

“These days there are so many options. We owe it to them to give better advice.”

Having left school at 16-years-old herself to start a career in the Royal Navy, the self-made publisher believes there is a huge misunderstanding of different routes about GCSEs and sixth form.

She said: “Schools and colleges understand A-levels, they understand university. But they need to know about all the other options, it’s hard to promote something they don’t understand.”

Future Magazine’s first edition puts the spotlight on quirky careers including interviews with a vlogger and a race car driver, as well as featuring sixth form and university dos and don’ts, teenage drinking and digital addiction.

Ruth said responses from teen readers about the magazine have been particularly positive which she is pleased with at a time when the mental health of teenagers is worrying parents and health professionals with figures showing a quarter of girls and a tenth of boys showing signs of depression by the age of 14.

The magazine is scheduled for five publications a year. To find out more visit future-mag.co.uk.