Supporting young adults leaving care

18th April 2024

We are one of 17 community foundations to work with local partners to improve support for young adults leaving care.

We are working with leading Essex youth charity, Essex Boys’ & Girls’ Clubs and their beneficiaries who have experienced the care system, along with local authorities in Essex, Southend and Thurrock to ensure our funding is impactful and complements the support already provided.

The scheme will run over three years and is being funded by the Local Authorities’ Mutual Investment Trust (LAMIT), a shareholder of the UK’s biggest charities asset manager, CCLA.

Cllr Richard Kemp CBE, Deputy Lord Mayor of Liverpool and Chair of LAMIT, says, “We are delighted to be working with both Essex Community Foundation and their partner local authorities to deliver extra support to young people within the care system that badly need it. This joint fund of £150,000 for three years will provide that little bit of extra support that is vital for young care leavers.

“Nationally, our care system is creaking at the seams despite the best endeavours of dedicated professionals such as social workers and probation officers. We need to find innovative approaches for young people who have left care, in which society can wrap its arm around them in the same way that we as parents and grandparents wrap our arms around the young people in our own family.

Caroline Taylor, Chief Executive at Essex Community Foundation says, “Young people who are looked after by the care system often face multiple challenges and barriers as they transition to adulthood and living independently. Without the family support or a safety net it can be so hard to tackle everyday tasks, including planning budgets, food shopping and paying bills, alongside any further education or employment. We want to work alongside young adults to develop support that will help to remove some of these barriers”.

An event, at CCLA’s offices in London, will mark the official launch of the Care Leavers Programme.

If you are a local charity in need of funding, please contact our grants team on 01245 355947.

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