Charity's £60,000 boost to help Rotherham care leavers

HOMELESSNESS charity Rush House has been granted £62,674 to help care leavers find somewhere to live.

The cash from Lloyds Bank Foundation will employ a tenancy development worker on the three-year project.

They will help care leavers overcome the daunting step of setting up and looking after a home, including advice on budgeting.

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Rush House chief executive Rachael Wilson said she was delighted with the grant.

She added: “The current funding climate for small local charities is particularly difficult, meaning lots of support previously offered in the area no longer exists, leaving young people in Rotherham particularly vulnerable. 

“This project will give us the opportunity to support young people leaving the care of the local authority to prepare for independence and support them in finding and settling in their new homes and successfully sustaining their tenancies.”

Care leavers can be vulnerable to loneliness, mental health issues and unemployment — and councils are struggling to offer enough support.

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Rush House service users will be involved in shaping the project, which will be called A Place Of Your Own.

Foundation chief executive Paul Streets said: “As our latest research has shown, there is a quiet crisis facing local authorities. 

“Ever-tighter budgets mean vulnerable people have to rely on the support of local charities like Rush House. 

“Their work makes a vital difference, day in, day out to people’s lives. We’re proud to partner with Rush House as part of Lloyds Banking Group’s plan to Help Britain Prosper.”