Member News: St Christopher's receives funding from LandAid

LandAid, the property industry charity, is one of St Christopher’s supporters. They funded the refurbishment of our Staying Close home in Ealing. And, thanks to their funding, we’ve been able to install a new kitchen at one of our homes for young people leaving care.

Paul Morrish, LandAid’s Chief Executive, tells us a bit about why LandAid chose to support St Christopher’s.

“LandAid gives out over £2m every year in grants. We fund remarkable charities who provide support and accommodation for young people who have been homeless, or are at risk of homelessness. Most of our grants go directly to providing homes for young people, and we’re always on the look-out for new and exciting models to support young people.

“St Christopher’s particularly appealed to LandAid due to its innovative approaches to tackling and preventing youth homelessness, like the Staying Close project. It’s evidence-based and helps young people leaving care and going into the ‘real world’ without leaving them to it, which can be a scary and unhelpful experience. We were drawn to their commitment to stay with young people through their period of transition into independent living and beyond.

“Staying Close works by giving young care leavers a stable home and tailored support. The model provides accommodation with step-down support for young people leaving their children’s home. This gives them the opportunity to go back and visit if they need help – just like we did when we left home.

“We hope that the projects we’ve funded and St Christopher’s Staying Close model will continue to prepare young people for the positive lives which lie ahead of them. We have enjoyed working with St Christopher’s on a number of grants already, and we hope to be able to continue to fund their innovative projects, and to keep seeing the excellent results which has made our partnership with them so rewarding.”

Source:
www.stchris.org.uk

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