The Hull FC Community Foundation has received a significant amount of funding from Nationwide Building Society to launch a new project called ‘Secure Futures’ that will support young homeless adults in the region.
The £40,200 grant will help the Community Foundation make a significant difference with regards to providing bespoke support to young people who are experiencing homelessness in Hull, with an objective of supporting them into safe, secure homes.
‘Secure Futures’ will support young people aged 18-24 who are homeless and rely on ‘sofa surfing’ or staying in insecure places that put them at risk. These are young people who have often been forced to leave their home or other accommodation due to violence, abuse, family breakdown or other problems, such as mental health or unemployment.
A startling 47 young people aged 18-24 who accessed Foundation Covid-19 response activity in 2020, stated that they were homeless. 68% reported having regular challenges with their mental health, 57% regularly used illegal substances, whilst 87% reported low feelings of confidence in relation to future prospects.
Therefore, the Hull FC Community Foundation is pledging to take further action through its new ‘Secure Futures’ project, implementing the key learnings from the Foundation’s current ‘Create’ project, which offers ‘sport inspired’ activities based on the five strands of the ‘Five Ways To Wellbeing’.
Through a weekly timetable of accessible sessions, young people will participate in the following activities, using facilities at both the MKM Stadium and the Bonus Youth Performance Centre:
Connect: Includes group-based interventions which tackle challenges posed by social isolation.
Learn: Offers opportunities to complete employability qualifications with the support of local employers, completing tasks which promote financial independence, confidence and progression.
Mental Resilience: Recognising the need for early intervention mental health support.
Physically Active: Facilitated through team sports and gym-based physical activity in recognition of the importance of healthy lifestyles.
Giving Back: Focuses on facilitating volunteer activity through social action projects that develop work-based skills, boosting confidence and self-esteem.
Head of the Hull FC Community Foundation James Price said: “I am thrilled that we can launch this project with the whole support of Nationwide Building Society and I look forward to seeing how we can make a difference to those who are suffering with homelessness through the hardship of the last couple of years.
“We have taken a leaf out of the book of our Create programme, which we have already seen yield some success, with some of our students moving on to employment as a result of the course and we hope that the Secure Futures project will have a similar impact.”