YWAF - Youth With A Future

Working with young people of Mendip

House Group Material

May 2011

Study & Information session on the work of Youth With A Future (YWAF) and including Mendip YMCA.

History

YWAF is a registered charity which was launched in 2002. YWAF's origins go back over 20 years when Shepton Housing Association Ltd (SHAL) was formed by a group of Christian volunteers from the Parish Church of St Peter & St Paul in Shepton Mallet, who were responding to the growing issue of youth homelessness. Grace Harris House in Waterloo Road was purchased by English Churches Housing Group (ECHG) and run as a Supported Housing Project for young people. It was managed by a voluntary committee consisting of the members of SHAL for over 10 years. In 2002 the management of the house was transferred to ECHG; at the same time YWAF was born and the remaining available funds from SHAL transferred across upon its dissolution. YWAF was set up not only to support any projects working with young people aged 16-25 who are homeless or threatened with homelessness in the Mendip area, but also to support any positive activities with and for young people.

Over the years, YWAF has mainly supported the work of Mendip YMCA and the young people who live at Spencer House in Chamberlain Street, Wells and Frome Foyer and also still supports young people in Grace Harris House. We are just now making links with Stonham Housing Association's Supported Housing Scheme called Magdalene Court in Glastonbury. These supported housing schemes take in young people aged 16 to 25 years who would not otherwise have anywhere to live. Many are 'sofa-surfing* (staying with friends and sleeping on their sofas/floors) for long periods of time, having no place to call home; many are leaving local authority care at the age of 16+ and cannot live with their parents for various reasons; many have suffered family breakdown or bereavement and find it difficult to settle. Most are not in education, training or employment. The Supported Housing Projects have paid staff running the houses, ensuring that the young people receive consistent, caring support which is practical and meets whatever needs they may have. They also have access to all sorts of outside help from other agencies that can support the young residents to help them with mental health issues, finding education, training and employment and so on. Very importantly, the staff ensure that these young people are kept safe, with consistent boundaries - two things that are incredibly important to give them stability. Everyone has hopes, dreams and ambitions, but if you are young, homeless, rootless and have no parental support, life can seem pretty impossible.

What types of grants does YWAF give to young people?

• Within Spencer House, Frome Foyer and Grace Harris House, every young person setting up home in their new bedsit is given a £100 Argos or Tesco gift card to purchase things for their rooms - these belongings are then their own to keep when they move on to more permanent accommodation. Mainly the gift cards are used to buy basics like bedding, crockery, cutlery, electrical goods. The staff help them to decide what their priority purchases are and accompany them on their shopping trip to ensure they are getting the best value for their money. It is a really exciting time for them and the gift cards are always gratefully received and appreciated. We have also given gift cards to other young people who have been homeless and are setting up home outside of Supported Housing Schemes, such as young parents.

• Each of the Supported Housing Schemes is given a £100 Emergency Fund which staff can use to give the young people bus fares, emergency food, and so on. YWAF keep the funds topped up on provision of receipts.

• YWAF pays for communal activities in each of the houses so that the young people can feel part of a 'family',  helping them to bond together and appreciate each other's company. We have paid for bowling, climbing and beach trips, meals out together, & barbeques

• Clothing grants are given to buy clothes and footwear to those young people who have been sleeping rough and/or sofa-surfing and have very little.

•  At Christmas YWAF ensure that every young person living in each of the houses receives a personal Christmas present and a food hamper. Our Chairperson, Clare Coppen, has forged links between YWAF and Wells Cathedral School whose pupils provide much of the food for the Christmas hampers each year. We also pay for them to have a Christmas meal together either in a local pub, or cooked and enjoyed in their house.

• YWAF gives grants to individuals who are not in supported housing across Mendip - these young people just need some extra support in moving on with some aspect of their life - some examples in the last year have been the financial support of two young women who had really struggled at school and who wanted to pursue a hair and beauty course at college and grants were given to purchase each of them their uniform and beauty kits totalling just over £500. Young people have also been given grants to help with college trips; bus fares & book money for a young mother to attend evening classes to improve literacy; drumming lessons; clothing grants; and supporting tw o young people to attend a life-changing trip to Africa

• YWAF have also financially supported the work of our St Peter & St Paul's Youth Worker for the past three years. 

How Does YWAF Work

The Trustees are Clare Coppen (Chair), Nick May (Treasurer), Jackie Garbett (Secretary), Keith Wetherill, Ann Ralls, Sue Crisfield and Janet Kimson. We meet bi-monthly and are usually joined by a representative from Mendip YMCA and Grace Hams House. We pride ourselves on being flexible and able to respond rapidly if needed. Many funding requests are dealt with at the meetings, but if an urgent request comes to us, we email the Trustees and can generally have a decision within 24 hours, with funding and/or gift cards obtained and given to the young person within hours. Grants are given unconditionally and with as much dignity to the young person as possible - there is no means-testing, just a request from a support worker will suffice. In the past 9 years we have managed to raise and spend over £42,000 to support young people. Our restricted funds are specifically reserved for the housing homelessness expenditure and we have unrestricted funds for all other requests. Our main source of income comes from the team, wonderfully managed by Jackie Garbett, that work at Glastonbury Festival, giving out bags at the entry gates and with various stewarding jobs.  We also try to have a presence at Collett Day with our fund-raising stall.

What Motivates us?

Each of the Trustees is a Christian - we are dnven by our Christian faith to care for people in distress and difficulty - to be the hands and feet of Jesus - to bring the compassion of God into people's lives.

Bible Study

Throughout the bible there are countless references about caring for the poor and needy; defending the rights of those who are oppressed and have no voice  Look up the following references and read them to the group:

Finally, in Micah 6 verse 8 it says "And what does the Lord require of you? That you act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God". Let's try to make this our motto for our daily lives.

To end, if you have time, watch the Mendip YMCA DVD which is 15 minutes long. It is a few years old but it still gives a really good picture of the work of the YMCA in this area and the work that YWAF supports. There are also some up to date leaflets about what Mendip YMCA does and copies of the YWAF Annual Report for your information.

If anyone feels they would like to support the work of YWAF financially, we would be grateful for any amount you can spare! You could join in with our 'Every Penny Counts' fundraising, by simply collecting all your small change pennies and two pence pieces in a jam jar - they only clutter up your wallet or purse getting in the way anyway! Our charity number is 1094485 and donations can be left in the Parish Office, which is our registered office, or can be given to any of the Trustees

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