For the fourth year running staff members from Family Housing took part in the St Basils team challenge in aid of youngsters at risk of exclusion and homelessness.
Two teams, consisting of four members of staff and one board member, together with friends and family, entered the sponsored walk. This year it took place near Barmouth, in Wales. The participants braved rain and high winds to complete an 11-mile walk. In the process they raised more than £650 for St Basils.
Jonathan Weston, repairs supervisor at Family Housing, was one of the people who pulled on his waterproofs and put his best foot forward for the event. He said: “There was real sense of team spirit on the day and, while the weather turned against us it didn’t dampen our enthusiasm.
“We were really pleased to be able to raise money for St Basils which is a key partner in our work to help those in housing need.”
Family Housing has strong links with St Basils. One of the two organisation’s joint ventures is Trinity Court, in Digbeth, Birmingham. This is a development of 24 apartments, which includes eight starter homes for young people which were packaged into an innovative project. The scheme, which was the first in the country, enables young people who have been homeless to start work and have a contributory savings plan where St Basils contributes £10 per week of their rent for a period of three years into a savings fund whilst the young person is working and paying their rent. If the young person contributes £5 per week to the fund, they could have a ‘dowry’ of £2,500-3,000 at the end of the three-year period to put towards a deposit for future housing.
St Basils works with young people aged 16 – 25 across the West Midlands to enable them to find and keep a home, to develop their confidence, skills and opportunities and to stop the cycle of exclusion and homelessness by offering accommodation with a range of on-site support services including learning, work and life skills.