Combating Loneliness with Children in Care and Care Leavers

New funding confirmed to help us explore the benefits that culture and creativity can have on the lives of children and young people in care

22 December 2018

We are delighted to have been selected as one of 22 organisations to deliver a programme exploring the benefits that culture and creativity can have on the lives of children and young people in care.

Funding has been awarded from the £2m Youth Strand of the Building Connections Fund, a partnership between government and the Co-op Foundation – part of the wider £11.5m Building Connections Fund, delivered by the Big Lottery Fund that will support more than 120 organisations to increase social connections and create a sense of community and belonging.

The funding enables us to become part of Co-op Foundation’s Belong network of partners connecting and empowering young people to tackle loneliness.

We will be working in close partnership with Barnet, Brent, Ealing and Harrow Virtual Schools to co-design and co-deliver a programme with and for young people. A new leadership team comprising Care Leavers will become co-creators, peer-mentors and peer-evaluators, working with a cohort of Children Looked After who will collaborate with artist facilitators to develop social skills and explore their creativity.

The programme builds on 20-months of research with London’s care system and culture sector, which has shaped a model that will generate learning for the partners and commissioners.

We can’t wait to get started.

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