Further funding for care leavers hailed as a 'positive step'
THE news that South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation is set to increase support for care leavers in the region has been welcomed by one Rotherham organisation which has already seen participants benefiting as a “positive step forward”.
The national Care Leavers Programme has gained £1.7million over three years by the Henry Smith Foundation.
With match funding, SYCF has received an additional £21,000 to help young people who have experienced care in Rotherham and Sheffield.
The Care Leavers Programme was launched in 2024 by the Local Authorities’ Mutual Investment Trust and UK Community Foundations, in collaboration with investment manager CCLA.
From university bursaries and driving lessons to home equipment and career coaching, the programme is supporting care leavers to take their next steps.
In its first year, SYCF was among 17 participating organisations from UKCF to support more than 2,000 care leavers aged between 16 and 25-years-old, including Affinity CIC – a Rotherham-based Community Interest Company working with care experienced young people.
A £15,000 grant helped create opportunities, supported by the Work Wise Foundation and Rotherham Council, for five local young people who have experienced care.
Three of the five participated in a week-long programme exploring engineering and manufacturing through hands-on experiences, including site visits and workshops with United Cast Bars, Skills Street at Gulliver’s Valley, Chris Hudson at Chimo Holdings, Casting Innovations, Footprint Tools, and Kelham Island Museum.
An engineering and manufacturing programme participant said: “I didn’t know what jobs were out there before this.
“Now I know I want to work with tools and machines.”
Two of the five South Yorkshire care leavers were invited to participate in a national creative project at the RHS Flower Show at Wentworth Woodhouse – featured on BBC Two’s Gardeners’ World.
One of the participants said: “I never thought I’d see something I helped make on TV.
“It’s made me think I could do more creative stuff in the future.”
Charlotte Elliott, founder and CEO of Affinity CIC, said: “We are incredibly lucky to have been part of this amazing programme, which has made such a difference to the five care leavers involved.
“A highlight is that one of our young people is now seriously considering joining our full college provision at Affinity.
“Since joining the programme, they’ve begun to believe that full-time education is something they can manage – especially when the right support is in place.
“It’s such a positive step forward.”
Michelle Dickinson, head of philanthropy and programmes for SYCF, added: “There is no doubt that these experiences have had a direct impact on the young people involved, with many now considering career plans in sectors they never knew existed.
“The programme has been a huge success in terms of supporting the care leavers in a range of areas from wellbeing and mental health to supporting education, employment and training.”
Emma de Closset, chief executive at UK Community Foundations, said: “The Care Leavers Programme has already demonstrated the power of local partnerships to create real, lasting change for care-experienced young people.
“We have seen the impact of this programme in its first year, and we are delighted to expand it further with the support of the Henry Smith Foundation.”