PLACE OF PROGRESS: accommodation & support for 16+

Aim

To ensure every young person addresses their trauma and leaves POP more confident, self-aware, healthier and equipped with life skills.

Hello, I am Bianca Andrew and owner of Place of Progress. 

Place of Progress is a new start up aiming to become one of the best semi-independent providers for Care Leavers aged 16+. 

We have recently secured our first 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom house and have started the process of getting it ready to become a home for up to 4 young people. 

I have been working with care experienced young people for the past 14 years and a common theme amongst them is their experience of childhood trauma; eg the death of a parent, abandonment, witnessing domestic abuse, being a victim of sexual abuse and/ or exploitation and being raised by drug and alcohol dependent parents.

Not only will we be offering a homely environment and one-to-one support, but we will be working in collaboration with industry experts in various fields including therapists, mentors, tutors, employment skills advisors and more. Our aim is to ensure our young people get the highest standard of support and opportunity to achieve the same outcomes as their peers.

Place of Progress endeavours to be the service where young people can safely address their trauma and other support needs, develop healthy attachments and relationships with support staff and go on to create more positive experiences that they may have missed while growing up in care. We aim to change the narrative for those who come through our doors by actively supporting them to:

• address their substance use
• address their mental health
• reduce their re-offending
• increase their engagement in education and employment

With your help, we will improve the quality of our accommodation and ensure it has all the features needed to make this a safe, comfortable and homely place to be. The money raised will be used to provide specialist interventions, update our ICT, provide a communal PC, create a therapeutic work space for group and one-to-one sessions and re-decorate our communal living room. Funding will also enable us to take our young people out and treat them to experiences that other teenagers enjoy including sport, music and other activities. 

Thank you so much for reading. Please contribute to making a positive difference in the life of our young people. 

This project successfully funded on 21st May 2020