Greater Manchester Youth Network (GMYN)
Life in Care: The Need for Your Support
At GMYN, our vision is #YoungPeopleCan. One of our key focusses is supporting young people with experience of care. For just £1,000 per person, per year, we can help care experienced young people transition successfully into adulthood with the skills and support that they need.
It ran from 12:00 PM, 1 December 2020 to 12:00 PM, 8 December 2020
Registered Charity in England and Wales (1151897)
Match funded Campaign target
£4,000
Amount raised
£4,000
Donations
60
Location
United Kingdom
Campaign overview
Aims
Where's the money going?
Impact & reporting
GMYN have helped my mental health… I feel happy. GMYN is something to look forward to every week and I’ve learned new things. In future, I want to get a job or go to university, but I want to keep coming to GMYN to improve my life skills.
— Tara, 18
"I don't feel scared anymore. People listen to me at GMYN."
— Yasmin, 14
GMYN have turned my life around. If it weren't for them, I don't know where I would be right now - they are like my family."
— Hassan, 23
Situation
“We’re judged, hated, bullied. It’s not our fault we’re in care. It's not our fault we never had love.” Following a potentially traumatic and chaotic childhood, with the majority experiencing abuse or neglect and many moving homes more than once a year, care leavers can face unique difficulties transitioning to adulthood. They are 6x more likely to be convicted, 5x more likely to self-harm, 3x more likely to be unemployed and 50x more likely to be homeless. We want to change this.
Solution
“GMYN have turned my life around. If it weren’t for them, I don’t know where I would be right now – they’re like my family.” We have been helping care experienced young people aged 13-25 since 2012 through fun but challenging weekly activities to build social skills, encourage health and positive wellbeing, develop self-esteem and provide skills for the future. Activities are drop-in and youth-led, allowing young people to fit us into their lives and get out what they feel they need.
