![]() I wanted to take a moment to talk about something that’s been at the heart of what we do at St Christopher’s for the past 15 years – our Streetwise initiative on the Isle of Man. A leading example of providing what our young people need, exactly when they need it to support their welfare. Streetwise is our way of keeping young people safe during the hustle and bustle of TT week. This event brings in around 40,000 visitors each year, creating an incredible atmosphere filled with fun and excitement. But with that excitement comes peer pressure, new faces and risky choices that our young people might be swayed by. That’s where Streetwise steps in. This year was particularly special. For the first time, we opened up Streetwise to all young people on the island enjoying the event, not just those already in our care. We had the amazing support of Manx Care, the Isle of Man Constabulary, the Mayor of Douglas, and Douglas City Centre Management, which really helped us make a bigger impact and communicate what we were doing to keep young people safe in the local community. Click here for the full article ![]() On Thursday 11th July, teams from across Fair Ways gathered at Lakeside North Harbour to attend our annual summer festival, Fair Ways Fest. Originating in 2017, Fair Ways Fest is an outdoor fete for all Fair Ways team members and individuals we support. It has grown to become a staple of our events calendar and is widely viewed as a key opportunity to ingrain Fair Ways culture with socialising, live music, free entertainment and lots of laughter in the sun. 2024 Fair Ways Fest was the largest to date, with lots of inflatable games, a live band, a petting zoo, face painting, free food and ice cream and a special visit from a local Hampshire and Isle of Wight fire engine. Click here for the full article Member News from Young People at Heart: Celebrating 30 years of the National Literacy Trust12/7/2024
![]() This week, I [Debbie - Social Work Assistant] experienced the absolute privilege, of attending a garden party at Clarence House, hosted by Her Majesty The Queen. This was to celebrate 30 years of the National Literacy Trust, which Her Majesty is Patron of. I was chosen as a thank you, for my hard work to promote literacy for the children and young people we work with. Just over 18 months ago, Young People at Heart, began an enjoyable and fulfilling working relationship, with the National Literacy Trust. I took the lead on this and became a Literacy Champion within the trust. This role entailed me taking on a volunteering role, at the National Literacy Trust and making sure all our children and young people, receive regular books for them to keep and enjoy reading. Once the relationship had been fully established in Doncaster, I then helped our social work assistants, from our other offices, to reach out to the Literacy Hubs in their areas and help them build a relationship the same as what we have in Yorkshire. This meant that every child and young person, within the Young People at Heart family, were all able to access beautiful books to read and share. This really has been fantastic for Young People at Heart, to do exactly ‘what it says on the tin’, so to speak and have our young people at heart! Click here to read the full article ![]() As a charity working across East Anglia supporting young people from care, we are passionate about giving care experienced young people the love, support and opportunities they deserve. The new government’s commitment to providing every child with a loving, secure home is commendable, but the 84,000 young people in England’s care system need concrete actions, not just promises. We believe the best people to advise you on how to do this are those who have been through the care system or the many struggling to navigate it right now. We want to bring you our young people’s voices. They have been there. Click here to read about what they have to say. ![]() Elijah Cruz - Digital Communications Officer With the first change of government in 14 years, we’d like to see Labour act quickly to address the huge challenges facing children and families across the country. Let’s look at how far Labour’s manifesto commitments go towards tackling the key challenges we're campaigning on... Click here for full article ![]() I am thrilled to share some exciting news with you – we are officially launching our new 5-year strategy, ably designed to propel us forward with clear goals and a strong vision for the future. But before I dive in, I also encourage you to take a look at our Impact Report for 2024, (where we highlight our new strategy for 2024-2029). The report will also give you context around the journey St Christopher’s has taken in the last 5 years as we reflect on past plans and provide an overview of activity and achievements, as well as our ambitions moving forward. Click here for full article ![]() TACT has launched their manifesto, ahead of the July 4th general election. The manifesto, made up of eight key asks, calls for all political parties to act now and prioritise children in care, foster carers and the care experienced community as part of their election promises. It also calls for profit to be removed from the children’s social care system. Click here for full article ![]() We're sincerely delighted to share the news of our charity receiving the esteemed "We Invest in People" Gold accreditation for the second time. As a notable disability charity in the North West, the Together Trust is committed to providing tailored care, support, and education to numerous children, adults, parents, and carers annually. Earning the Gold accreditation is a testament to the Together Trust charity’s commitment to its values, where each team member, regardless of their role, plays an active part in making these policies a reality. Click here for full article ![]() Leading North West disability charity, the Together Trust, remains proudly accredited as a Living Wage employer in 2024. The charity, which employs over 850 people in the North West, has reaffirmed its commitment to paying all staff a significantly higher wage than the government minimum. As of 2024, the Together Trust is offering a minimum wage of £12 per hour, compared to the government minimum wage of £11.44 per hour for those over 21. Figures from the Living Wage Foundation suggest nearly a fifth of all jobs in the North West (18.4%) still pay less than the real Living Wage. By continuing to support its staff with a higher wage, the Together Trust ensures a better quality of life for its employees and aligns with its values of dignity and respect for all. Since signing up to the Real Living Wage, the Together Trust has seen a 20% increase for some staff as a result, providing a substantial improvement in their financial well-being. This change underscores the charity’s dedication to fair compensation and the positive impact it has on its staff's lives. The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living. Since 2011, the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 300,000 people and put over £1.6 billion extra into the pockets of workers. The Together Trust is proud to be a Real Living Wage employer, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to fair pay and support for its dedicated staff. Source: www.togethertrust.org.uk/ Member News from Action for Children: How a life in foster care helped Jack achieve his dream11/6/2024
![]() From a young age, both Jack’s parents struggled with addiction. But after his mum passed away when he was 14 years old, he decided to move into foster care. By doing so, he ensured he got the life he wanted. At a young age, Jack realised his homelife was different from his peers’. Both his Mum and Dad struggled with alcohol and drug addictions. This took a toll on Jack. Jack became the main caregiver at home. He would look after his mum and ensure she was okay before he thought of himself. This responsibility started to affect Jack’s schoolwork and social life. He couldn’t concentrate or put his mind to anything. He was always worrying “is my mum okay? Is my dad looking after her? Is my dad okay?” Jack also knew he couldn’t afford to fall behind at school. He said: “I couldn’t be bad at school because if I got a detention I couldn’t go home. […] I needed to be home to look after my mum. I had to make sure she was alright”. This also meant Jack missed out on social plans and after school activities – when his friends would go out, he rushed home. In 2014, Jack’s mum sadly suffered a stroke and passed away. He initially moved in with his uncle, but whilst trying to cope with the loss of his mum, Jack started caring for his younger cousins. Soon his behaviour started to deteriorate, and he was getting in trouble at school. “My behaviour at school was appalling. Eventually, I got put into a private unit at school – taken out of mainstream education to get my grades up because I was affecting other people’s learning.” Watch Jack's story Getting the support he deserved It was around this time that the school reached out to Action for Children for help. Jack was matched with support worker Chris and his life began to turn around. After Jack had been living with his uncle for six months, he was told they’d be moving away from his hometown. It was at this point Jack realised he could take control of his life again. He said: “I was in a good school with good people around me, so I made that choice to go into care.” He discussed his decision with Chris, who supported him every step of the way. Jack found a foster family who welcomed him with open arms. A brighter future growing up in care After moving into foster care, Jack’s future was looking bright. Going into care meant he had the freedom to start playing football after school. He started playing for an amateur grassroots team when he was 14. And by 16, he was offered a placement with a semi-pro team that went alongside his education. Jack’s dream had come true. And his support worker, Chris, remained a steadfast friend: “The first person to come and watch me [play] was my Action for Children support worker. It was absolutely fantastic! I’ve never had anyone at the side of the pitch supporting me before. When I saw Chris at the side of the pitch, I thought “wow” someone’s actually come to support me.” With the support of Action for Children, Jack is completing his coaching qualification so that he can continue a career he loves.
When reflecting on how far he’s come, Jack said: “If I look back four or five years ago, I’d have been over the moon with what I’ve done. I never thought I could. But now I know what I can achieve and I’m not stopping there.” Through foster care, Jack found a home and the space to be himself. Somewhere he feels cared for. How you can help a young person like Jack Children don’t choose their childhoods, but we can choose to help. That's why we've partnered with Barnardo’s, The Children’s Society, the National Children’s Bureau, and NSPCC to create the Children at the Table campaign. Together, we're asking the government to put babies, children, and young people at the centre of decision making. To bring children to the table. Source: www.actionforchildren.org.uk/ |
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