Partner Article

Point North secures funding to expand Care Leavers Programme to County Durham and Tees Valley

Support announced for County Durham and Tees Valley care leavers as part of national programme expansion

Point North has received £90,000 to support care experienced young people in County Durham and Tees Valley.

With match funding, the multi-year programme will award £180,000 in grants across County Durham and Tees Valley.

The Care Leavers Programme, which was launched in 2024 by the Local Authorities’ Mutual Investment Trust (LAMIT) and UK Community Foundations (UKCF), in collaboration with investment manager CCLA, is a multi-year programme providing support for care leavers to survive and thrive as they transition to adulthood.

From university bursaries and driving lessons to home equipment and career coaching, the programme is supporting care leavers to take their next steps.

In its first year, 17 participating community foundations from UKCF have supported more than 2,000 care leavers aged between 16 and 25 years old, by funding 59 organisations and 411 individuals directly.

A new donation of £1.7 million over three years by the Henry Smith Foundation, will expand the programme to 14 new areas of the UK, including County Durham and Tees Valley.

This expansion will bring the total programme value to £7 million, including matched funds, significantly increasing reach, impact and length of delivery.

Point North’s Care Leavers Fund will offer a new multi-year programme of support to care leavers. The fund will support organisations who play a vital role in the young people’s lives, giving them the resources and stability they need to keep them safe and supported.

Michelle Cooper, Chief Executive Officer at Point North​​, said: "Our region has the highest child in care rate in England. We know from our experience that care experienced young people often have to overcome more obstacles. They face disruption at school, have limited access to extracurricular activities, and fewer financial resources to support their next steps as they reach adulthood. But none of that should get in the way of their ambitions. Thanks to this funding, we can support our local organisations who are working hard to make sure care experienced children and young people are provided with the opportunities to learn, grow and take their next steps into adulthood with confidence and support."

Anand Shukla, Chief Executive at Henry Smith Foundation, said: “We’re delighted to fund the expansion of the Care Leaver Programme across the UK. This work is important and ambitious – bringing together community foundations, local authorities and the Henry Smith Foundation. Together, we’ll increase critical support for both care leavers and the charitable organisations supporting them as they navigate their way into adulthood.”

A new report, published by UKCF, shows the reach that the Care Leavers Programme has had already.

Emma de Closset, Chief Executive at UK Community Foundations, said: “By expanding the programme to 14 more community foundations, the next phase represents a fantastic opportunity for more local and national partner organisations to help build a fairer start for young people leaving care, ensuring they have the support that every young person deserves.”

One of the aims of the Care Leavers Programme is to help strengthen partnerships between local authorities and care leaver support networks around County Durham and Tees Valley.

Cllr Richard Kemp CBE, former Lord Mayor of Liverpool and Chair of LAMIT commented: “Public sector organisations and especially councils are struggling to cope with a tsunami in the number of young people in the care system and the complexities of their problems. That is why I am proud of the leadership role we played at LAMIT in establishing this fund in partnership with local councils and UKCF.

“I am absolutely delighted that the Henry Smith Foundation is helping us to take this work to new areas and for longer periods. By doing so they are helping shape young lives at a crucial point. They are helping prove that those in care are not problem youngsters, but youngsters with a problem. Help deal with those problems and they can be as successful as any other person and a credit to themselves and our society.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Point North .