Carlisle Key is a charity helping young people achieve independent living by providing support through our drop-in service. We address the hardships caused by homelessness, housing issues, financial difficulties, and related challenges. Our mission is to empower young people with the knowledge, support, and confidence they need to live independently and take an active role in the local community, fostering resilience and promoting long-term stability and well-being.
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Carlisle Key is a key prevention service for homelessness in Carlisle, Cumbria for young people aged 16-25. The drop-in service combines a range of prevention and early intervention, information and support aimed at helping young people avoid homelessness.
This fundraising will go towards the continuation of our drop-in.
Our services work to:
- Alleviate the immediate impacts of homelessness
- Prevent young people becoming homelessness
- Address underlying issues causing a young person’s homelessness.
- Guide young people to make positive life choices
The services provided by Carlisle Key include Homeless advice, housing advice (housing searches, choice-based lettings etc), money management, Welfare Benefits advice, support with form filling, tenancy advice and advocacy, computer/telephone access, counselling, employability advice and guidance, 1 to 1 external support (to attend appointments/in-home support), referrals to other agencies and practical support.
The young people we work with often have complex and multiple needs e.g. care leavers, mental health problems, addictions, young parents, victims of abuse etc. Young people will also often be unemployed, on
At our drop-in centre, we also offer small food parcels (tins, bread, both frozen and cooked meals) toiletries, clothing, small household items, and white goods.
The drop-in acts as a gateway to all of Carlisle Key's services including giving young people access to our supported accommodation. This provision started in 2019 and it has provided integral housing, support and care services across four core client groups; mental health, learning disabilities, young people and rough sleepers. Young people have expressed to Staff the safety they felt in our housing and the high support they have received on a daily basis.
The service has always involved young people in the development of our service using a variety of formats including Survey Monkey, Focus Groups and general chats with young people. Planning for activities, trips and engagement in the community has been focused on their social/physical/mental needs.
Young people continue to request our support with other services and ask us to advocate with them or on their behalf with services such as the council homelessness department, DWP, Police, Court cases, Hospital Admissions/Referrals, Benefits Applications, GP applications/appointments, Crisis Team Appointments/Calls.
