LHA London, one of the Capital’s largest accommodation providers for young people of limited means, has awarded three London-based charities £200k each as part of a 3-year funding programme to support young people on their journey to independent living. This forms part of the charitable organisation’s LHA Fund and its commitment to support a select number of organisations that share similar objectives.
This new funding, which marks a change in policy to the original LHA London Fund strategy, will now provide larger, multi-year grants to a smaller number of organisations. This builds on the successful funding relationships developed over several years with criteria refocused on established charities working with young people with housing needs in London.
The three charities include:
Women & Girls Network (WGN) – offers a free service run by women, for women in London who have been affected by all forms of violence and abuse. The WGN will use the funding to recruit a Housing Champion who will be embedded within WGN’s Advice & Advocacy Services aimed at supporting young women survivors and the professionals who support them around issues of VAWG.
The Cardinal Hume Centre – works with young people and families to address homelessness, poor housing, and poverty now. The Centre will use the LHA funding to support the wraparound support model for young homeless people living in their hostel.
Albert Kennedy Trust (akt) – provides safe homes for LGBTQ+ young people. The charity will use the funding to provide salaries for two London-based caseworkers who will provide one-to-one support to LGBTQ+ young people who have been subjected to abuse and rejection from their families and communities.
Tony Perkins, CEO of LHA London explains:
“Whilst LHA specialises in offering low-cost accommodation which allows young people to live independently in safe and secure accommodation, we recognise that for some young people they need targeted support to be able to transition to independent living and this is where specialist charities are best placed to offer this. We are therefore delighted to offer funding to some of these organisations and help create a greater impact amongst young people with housing needs in London.”
Tony Perkins – CEO of LHA London
Rachel Case, Director of Fundraising and Communications at the Cardinal Hume Centre says:
“We are thankful to have been selected as one of the recipients of the LHA London Fund. Working together with LHA, we know we can make a real difference to the lives of young homeless people in Westminster, giving them the necessary support to break free of the cycle of poverty and homelessness and assisting their transition to independent living. We are grateful for LHA’s continued belief in the Centre and their commitment to support our work.”
Carrie Reiners, Deputy CEO of Albert Kennedy Trust adds:
“AKT is thrilled to have received a three-year grant from LHA London towards our front-line service delivery work in London. Our work is needed now more than ever as nearly one in four young people facing homelessness identifies as LGBTQ+ and over 80% of young people in London now report periods of rough sleeping. LHA’s generous funding will help to ensure that no young person has to choose between a safe home and being who they are.”
Feature Image by Alexis Brown on Unsplash
