We've put together 50 stories for 50 years!

On Wednesday 28th November, Break celebreates 50 years of changing young lives. We've put together 50 stories of young people and families who have come though Break's doors.

We hope that you enjoy reading and discovering more about Break and the young people we've supported over the past 50 years. 

From supporting children from Chernobyl in Ukraine, who came for a health-restoring break in Sheringham in the 1990s to stories from parents who have enjoyed a welcoming break from the 24/7 demands of caring for a child with complex needs. 

All of these are true stories and many of them are in the contributors' own words. Some names have been changed to protect our young people's identities. 

Source:
http://break-charity.org

Rachel supports young people as they leave residential care

On Tuesday 13th November, Break's Project Implementation Manager, Rachel Leslie tells her story and shares her views on the challenges young people face as they leave residential care at just 18.

"I wonder what it is like not knowing where you will live when you turn 18; not knowing what is in front of you, your future and where you are going, whether the people who stand next to you and make you feel safe will disappear from your lives because you’ve got to move on. When I left home at a similar age it felt so different; it was so supported and safe. Tonight I will be tucking into home-cooked food with my Mum and Dad, sleeping in my old room that I left when I was 18; that’s 24 years ago."

Head over and take a look at the full article with the Social Care Institute for Excellence now.

Source:
http://break-charity.org

Thanks to the 'Staying Close, Staying Connected' project.
At 18 years old, young care leavers prepare to make the transition from their children’s homes to independent adult living. This can be a scary time for most teenagers but with the help and support of ‘Staying Close, Staying Connected’, care leavers can look to the future with hope, knowing they no longer have to face life’s milestones alone. 

‘Staying Close, Staying Connected’ is a pilot housing scheme and package of support delivered in partnership with regional children’s charity Break, and Cambridgeshire and Norfolk County Councils. The scheme has been made possible by a grant of 1.3 million awarded to Break by the Department for Education’s Children’s Social Care Innovation Fund. 

On Friday 28 September, Break officially opened its first ‘Moving on House’ in Cambridge. The event was attended by senior managers from the Cambridgeshire Children and Young People’s Service, Trustees and members of the Break leadership team, as well as young people who are already part of the project and local partner representatives.  ​

​The home is already occupied by two of Break’s young care leavers and was officially opened by Councillor Simon Bywater of Cambridgeshire County Council. Simon, Chairman of the Children and Young Peoples Committee said, “I’m really pleased to open Thorleye Road. The house provides a vital stepping stone from residential care to independent living for young people leaving care in Cambridge. The Staying Close, Staying Connected project supports young people across Cambridgeshire and Norfolk helping them to develop life skills and fulfilling the role of an extended family for young care leavers, providing them with support as they make the transition into young adulthood.”

Rachel Cowdry, Break’s Director of Care and Development said “We know leaving home can be difficult at the best of times, and when a young person has been in care, it can be very challenging. This project, Staying Close, Staying Connected, aims to support young people on this journey. With our partners, including Cambridge City Council who have been very proactive in sourcing properties for us, we endeavour to walk alongside young people and ease the transition."

The project focuses on young people from Cambridgeshire and Norfolk but it is hoped that it will become nationally recognised as best practice in support for young care leavers.

The funding will pay for a pilot project in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire to test out effective ways to support children leaving care until March 2020.

Source:
http://break-charity.org

Young care leavers in west Norfolk will benefit from a new housing scheme and package of support that will help them to make the transition from their children’s home to independent adult living with the opening of the first ‘Staying Close, Staying Connected’ home in Kings Lynn. The house was officially opened by Jarone Macklin-Page, age 29 (a Break care leaver and Actor) on Friday 18 May. It will be home to three young care leavers.
​
Staying Close, Staying Connected is a partnership between regional children’s charity Break, Norfolk County Council and Cambridgeshire County Council. The aim is to change the way young care leavers are supported, by putting a framework around them when they leave their children’s home including housing, peer-to-peer support, mentoring, help with independent living skills and emotional support.  Young care leavers have traditionally been some of the most vulnerable young people in society experiencing high levels of homelessness, isolation and mental health issues.  ‘Staying Close, Staying Connected’ aims to address these issues and to fulfil the role of an extended family for young care leavers, supporting them for as long as they need.

The project focuses on young people from Cambridgeshire and Norfolk but it is hoped that it will become nationally recognised as best practice in support for young care leavers moving on from residential care.

The scheme has been made possible by a grant of 1.3 million awarded to Break by the Children’s Social Care Innovation Fund which aims to develop more effective ways of supporting vulnerable children, specifically those leaving children’s homes. 

The project aims to open 20 houses in the next two years supporting 70 young people across the region.

Rachel Cowdry, Director of Business Development at Break says “This is a landmark moment for this very important project that will transform radically the support for young care leavers. We are really excited to be able to work in partnership with Norfolk County Council and Cambridgeshire County Council to support some of the most vulnerable young people in our communities.  Break has already been supporting our own care leavers for six years through our Moving On Team and this builds on the experience we have built up in this area.  The need to support young people who have lived in care has been evident for many years. These young adults are much more likely, than their peers, to struggle in all aspects of their lives such as finding and sustaining work, physical and mental health, and building positive relationships.”

Source: 
​http://break-charity.org/

Break featured in Sunday Times Best Companies list 2018

Regional children, young people and family's charity Break features in the Sunday Times Best Companies List, ranking number 15 in the Best Not-For-Profit Organisations to work for.  The list, which features not for profit organisations from across the UK, recognises the charity’s commitment to personal development, family friendly working and a culture of celebrating the achievements of the young people and families it supports.

Scoring highly in the following areas, my manager, personal growth and my team, Break has also achieved 2 star accreditation for outstanding levels of workplace engagement. The charity works in a number of different areas including services for children in care, young people leaving care, children and young people with disabilities and families who need support.

The Best Companies List is based on a series of employee engagement surveys and captures how people genuinely feel about working for their organisations.

82% agreed that Break offer staff a comprehensive training plan with a range of mandatory and developmental programmes available. Break has its own accreditation centre to deliver work-based qualifications at levels 3 and 5 enabling personal growth for staff.

Break works hard to ensure that employees have a positive work/life balance and that consideration is given to colleague’s wellbeing in recognition of the challenging nature of some of the work. In the survey, 92% agreed that their team is fun to work with.

Break is run on strong values where employees have a clear sense of purpose and understanding of the direct impact their work will have on the children, young people and families they support.  In 2018, the charity celebrates 50 years of changing young lives.

Hilary Richards, CEO of Break says, “This is a great achievement for our staff who work hard to create a great working environment. Break strives to provide staff with benefits to enhance their working and home life including flexible working and school hour contracts. It also shows our workforce are motivated by our overall ethos, to support vulnerable children, young people and families.”

Source:
http://break-charity.org/news/news-stories

Norfolk based children’s charity Break celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2018 with a series of special events through the year, including the GoGoHares Sculpture Trail to be unveiled during summer.

​The charity was founded in 1968 by Judith Davison, her late husband, Geoffrey, and Rev. Leslie Morley initially to provide respite short breaks for vulnerable children and their families, starting with holiday centres Rainbow and Sandcastle in Sheringham and Hunstanton. The overall ethos of the charity remains unchanged; to ensure vulnerable children, young people and families receive the support they need to flourish and grow.

​Since 1968, Break has grown to be a significant regional charity and now provides homes for looked after children through small scale children’s homes and a fostering service; homes and respite breaks for children with disabilities and learning disabilities; and support for children and families in the community through the Break Family Centre. The charity has also developed expertise in supporting young people leaving the formal care system at 18 with its Moving On Team and is now pioneering a model of support for young care leavers that has the potential to be rolled out nationally through the Staying Close, Staying Connected project. It also undertakes specialist support and assessment work for children at risk.

Break features in the Sunday Times Best Companies List, at number fifteen in the Best Not-for-Profit Organisations to Work For, in recognition of a commitment to personal development, family friendly working and a culture of celebrating the achievements of the young people it supports
 
The work Break does is partly supported by individuals who regularly fundraise for the charity as well as a network of corporate supporters naming the organisation as charity of the year or staging fundraising events. The charity has a network of over 50 shops which provide valuable volunteering opportunities for over 900 people.

In partnership with Wild in Art, Break has brought popular sculpture trails to Norwich with GoGoGorillas in 2013 and GoGoDragons in 2015, which also raised funds for the charity. This summer will see the GoGoHares trail revealed featuring 50 city Hares and 15 county hares in towns and villages across Norfolk.

Hilary Richards, Break CEO, said: “We passionately believe every child and young person needs a home where they feel safe and loved, so they can grow in confidence and look to the future with hope and that’s what we strive for every day. Over the past 50 years our charity has gone from strength to strength ensuring that we can support more of the children and young people across the region who need us. We have grown from a small family charity in the early days to one that offers a wide range of support to vulnerable children, young people and families. With the help of all our amazing fundraisers, corporate partners, volunteers and our team, we will continue to develop what we do to ensure that we are changing young lives for the next 50 years.”​

To celebrate Break’s 50th anniversary and support the work of the charity, people can stage an individual My Break 50 fundraising challenge based on a 50 theme, take part in organised fundraising events like the Stody Cross Country or the Grand Norwich Duck Race or by undertaking an individual challenge of their choice or by supporting Break’s new virtual challenge.

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/norfolk-children-s-charity-break-celebrates-50th-anniversary-1-5428774
www.break-charity.org.uk
www.gogohares.co.uk
Source:
http://break-charity.org

Working in partnership with Norfolk & Cambridgeshire CC's

A new approach to how young people leaving the care system are supported is being launched this week.  Staying Close, Staying Connected is a partnership between Break, a Norfolk children’s charity, Norfolk County Council and Cambridgeshire County Council and the aim is to change the way young care leavers are supported, by putting a framework around them as they leave residential care that will dramatically transform their outcomes. The project will be officially unveiled at the Charles Burrell Centre on Friday 24 November.
 
A grant of 1.3 million has been awarded to Break from the Children’s Social Care Innovation Fund which aims to develop more effective ways of supporting vulnerable children, especifically those leaving Children’s Homes.  The funding will pay for a pilot project in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire to test out effective ways to support children leaving care over the next two and a half years.
 
The project will focus on young people from Cambridgeshire and Norfolk but it is hoped that it will become nationally recognised as best practice in residential care leaver support.
 
Robert Goodwill, the Children’s Minister, has pledged that the Staying Close scheme will mean “care leavers will no longer have to face life’s milestones alone – be it applying for university, getting a job or finding their first home”. In essence it should mirror how a parent might support a young person leaving home, being agile and flexible around what they need and when.
 
Rachel Cowdry, Director of Business Development at Break says “This is a really exciting opportunity for us to work in partnership with Norfolk County Council and Cambridgeshire County Council to support some of the most vulnerable young people in our counties.  Break has already been supporting our own care leavers for five years through our Moving On Team.  The Department for Education grant will enable us to develop this project to benefit many more vulnerable young people.  We hope that this project will have positive repercussions for care leavers in our region and beyond”.
 
The need to support young people who have lived in care has been evident for many years. These young adults are much more likely, than their peers, to struggle in all aspects of their lives such as finding and sustaining work, physical and mental health, and building positive relationships.  Sir Martin Narey, the former Chief Executive of Barnardo’s, conducted an independent review of children’s residential care in England, published in July 2016.  This report stated the importance for the young people to “Stay Close” to their children’s home and the trusted relationships they had with the staff after they had to leave. 
 
The Break project will test out different ways to support these young people including “Staying Close” and will provide new training for staff working in residential care homes, more accommodation for care leavers with intensive support, including focusing on their emotional wellbeing, so that care leavers can acquire the skills and resilience they need to live independent, successful lives.
 
To find out more about the project, click here for the brochure.

Source:
http://break-charity.org

Break has been changing young lives for 50 years, making life better for vulnerable children, young people and families.

As our 50th anniversary approaches, we will continue to work tirelessly to help young people in care and leaving care, children with disabilities, families who need support and children in crisis, find a way through difficult times and build a brighter future.

We would like to thank you for all the amazing things you have done this year to support Break. Please help us make our 50th year a really special one and help us to keep on changing young lives.

Break, a Norfolk children’s charity, are honoured to announce that we have been awarded a Department for Education grant for £1.3 million to improve services for children leaving care in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.

The grant comes from the Children’s Social Care Innovation Fund which aims to develop more effective ways of supporting vulnerable children, specifically those leaving Children’s Homes.  The funding will pay for a pilot project in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire to test out effective ways to support children leaving care over the next two and a half years.

Rachel Cowdry, Director of Business Development at Break says “This is a really exciting opportunity for us to work in partnership with Norfolk County Council and Cambridgeshire County Council to support some of the most vulnerable young people in our counties.  Break has already been supporting our own care leavers for five years through our Moving On Team.  The Department for Education grant will enable us to develop this project to benefit many more vulnerable young people.  We hope that this project will have positive repercussions for care leavers in our region and beyond”.
 
The need to support young people who have lived in care has been evident for many years. These young adults are much more likely, than their peers, to struggle in all aspects of their lives such as finding and sustaining work, physical and mental health, and building positive relationships.  Sir Martin Narey, the former Chief Executive of Barnardo’s, conducted an independent review of children’s residential care in England, published in July 2016.  This report stated the importance for the young people to “Stay Close” to their children’s home and the trusted relationships they had with the staff after they had to leave.  The Break project will test out different ways to support these young people including “Staying Close” and will provide new training for staff working in residential care homes, more accommodation for care leavers with intensive support, including focusing on their emotional wellbeing, so that care leavers can acquire the skills and resilience they need to live independent, successful lives.
 
Robert Goodwill, Minister for Children and Families, said:
 
“Through the Innovation Programme, we continue to fund exciting and pioneering projects that look to shake-up our traditional approach to social care.
 
“Together they proffer a broad and balanced portfolio which both test new innovations, and scale and spread those that have been successful in Round One of the programme.
 
“I am delighted that we have supported these projects, and look forward to continuing to hear about their great work in the future.”
 
For further information on Break or Break’s Moving On Team visit www.break-charity.org
 
For further information on the latest Innovation Fund projects visit http://springconsortium.com/projects-being-funded/
 
For further comment from Break contact – Rachel Cowdry 01603 670100 or Rachel.cowdry@break-charity.org

Source:
http://break-charity.org

​Celebration of Break's young people at the Forum, Norwich

23 young people who are looked after by Break attended a celebration of their achievements at The Forum in Norwich on Friday evening.
 
Each young person received an award – recognising achievements such as 100% school attendance, sporting prowess (football, rugby, swimming) and taking positive steps towards independence.
 
The awards were presented by Farooq Chaudhry. Mr Chaudhry is internationally known for his work as a dancer and now as a producer. Farooq inspired the young people by encouraging them to live their dreams and be courageous – reassuring them that they could achieve what they set their minds on. 
 
Cathy Kenney, Head of Service Delivery at Break charity said “I felt privileged to be a part of the evening and to see how resilient and brave the young people we look after are. Each day they work so hard to overcome their difficulties and achieve so much – these young people are some of the strongest people in our communities and have so much to offer. These awards are just a tiny acknowledgement of their everyday achievements”.​

Farooq Chaudhry and Cathy Kenney, Head of Service Delivery at Break

The event was the idea of the Hyland family who funded the awards. Linda Hyland was employed by Break before sadly passing away. Her family recognised the value of the work that Linda did in changing young lives and wanted to continue to support the young people looked after by Break.
The Beeston Group kindly paid for the venue and refreshments and for Farooq to attend.

Source:
http://break-charity.org