Supporting young people on the Isle of Wight
A group of young SNG customers from the Isle of Wight were delighted to launch The Move on and Thrive Fund, in partnership with The Blagrave Trust. A three year grant-making programme that will help young adults (aged 16-25 years old), at risk of homelessness, to receive the advice and support necessary to start their journey into independent living.
The ‘Move On And Thrive Fund’ is managed by a panel of young people who have experienced their own challenges in finding and maintaining a home. This includes a variety of challenges from the management of finances to mental wellbeing.
Now in its second year, the fund will continue to support young people overcome common financial hurdles and life challenges accelerated as a result of the pandemic, increased cost of living, housing market changes and lack of employment opportunities.
The Move on and Thrive Fund
The Fund is a £240K investment (£120k from The Blagrave Trust and £120k match-funding from SNG) that will give community organisations and not-for-profit groups supporting young adults in the Isle of Wight the opportunity to apply for funding and receive a grant between £5K-£20K per year to prevent and tackle youth homelessness as well as other issues affecting young people.
The next round of funding will include the Move on and Thrive Empowerment Fund which is being launched on 20th April. The fund will support young people to access employment and training, health and wellbeing support, digital inclusion, travel and moving into a new home.
The second round of community grants will be open for applications in July 2024.
Recruitment
We are now recruiting a new Move on and Thrive Panel of young people. If you are between the ages of 16 and 25 years old and would like to learn about grant funding, discuss the issues affecting young people on the island, and make a difference in your community, please email: Toby.eaglen@sng.org.uk.
The first round of funding is complete!
The Panel worked together to shortlist applicants and via a ‘Dragon den’ style event, they chose their successful candidates.
The successful organisations to receive the first year’s funding are:
Aspire Ryde are partnering with CAB and have recruited a ‘Young Persons Specialist Mental Health Money Advice and Information Worker’ who is providing information and support to help people get out of debt or manage their money more easily. The Specialist Worker is engaging with young people face to face at Community Hubs or in the person’s own home. The programme aims to impact the mental health and wellbeing of these young people.
To receive support, please email referrals@iwcab.org.uk or call the team on 01983 823898 extension 2825.
Pan Together are using the funding to provide practical courses that support young people to live independently.
The courses will begin with healthy cooking on a budget session led by a trained and experienced external tutor. They are being delivered in purposeful and engaging person-centred ways, with participants being encouraged to progress at their own pace.
As well as giving participants cooking and budgeting skills, they will also learn about preparing healthy, affordable and nutritious meals at home. In addition, the courses will draw on their expertise in advice on bill and money management, as well as the resources offered by their community larder which they will use as a ‘fake supermarket’ to support the young people in making wise buying choices.
The programme will help to tackle social isolation and support enhanced levels of confidence, self-worth and self-esteem.
To receive this support, email the team at enquiries@pantogether.org.uk or call 01983 248170.
Youth Trust have employed a Youth Trust Support Worker who will help young people at risk of homelessness and develop a strength-based personal support plan for them.
The programme seeks to address, the (often) multiple/complex challenges facing young people. As resilience builds, the support worker’s time will taper down but remain as a touchpoint in the event they are needed again.
As part of the developing IW Youth Trust Wellbeing Service, young people will also have the opportunity to become more involved in the work of youth trust, campaigning for better Island services or volunteering their time to offer peer support to others struggling with their mental health, housing, finances, etc. this will encourage young people to have a greater sense of belonging, reduced loneliness and deliver experiences they can take forward to help with employment opportunities.
If you feel you could benefit from this support, please contact the team on 01983 529 569.
Project 360 are helping young people avoid homelessness by providing personal development educational workshops and life-coaching to promote good mental health, resilience and self-reliance. This will empower young people to better make positive life choices, engage in healthy, constructive interpersonal communication and develop their confidence, assertiveness and personal responsibility skills.
This will enable young people to better manage life’s challenges with a positive, solution-focused mindset.
The workshops programme will include the themes of: confidence and self-esteem, healthy lifestyle behaviours, communication skills, balanced and positive mindset, emotional regulation, financial skills, and managing low mood and anxiety.
To receive this support, please contact the team at hello@isorropia.uk or call 01983 217791.
The next round of funding is scheduled for July 2024