EveryYouth is collaborating with some of the UK's much-loved brands to Put Youth Homelessness to Bed. Throughout March, they will be running a national campaign celebrating the value of good sleep. Their aim is to put homelessness to bed for a young person every single day of March 2024 by raising £60,000. That includes support from housing specialists, rent deposits and home essentials to make their new house a home.
129,000 young people in the UK faced homelessness last year and 54% of young people facing homelessness reported mental health issues. EveryYouth is the national charity for young people facing homelessness across the UK and offers their support to secure homes, employment and mental health services.
EveryYouth: Put Youth Homelessness To Bed
Why should you take part? The importance of sleep:
The young people EveryYouth supports find themselves facing homelessness through no fault of their own. Those that do, often have nowhere to turn and must rely upon sofa-surfing, temporary accommodation and sometimes rough sleeping. None of which are beneficial for a good, restful sleep.
Mind reports that lack of sleep can lead to:
• feelings of anxiety, depression or suicidal thoughts
• feeling lonely and isolated
• struggling to concentrate, or make plans and decisions
• feeling irritable or not have energy to do things
57% of young people in the UK find it difficult to get to sleep, wake in the night, or do not sleep enough. 66% of young people say poor sleep negatively impacts their mental health.
For young people already working to overcome past traumas, the added effect of poor sleep can be catastrophic. EveryYouth funds are designed to remove barriers that prevent young people accessing housing, employment and mental health support. But to engage with any service, a young person must feel ready and capable. A good night’s sleep can change everything.
We spoke with the founder of EveryYouth, Nick Connolly, to find out more about the charity and how your support helps.
The young people EveryYouth supports find themselves facing homelessness through no fault of their own. Those that do, often have nowhere to turn and must rely upon sofa-surfing, temporary accommodation and sometimes rough sleeping. None of which are beneficial for a good, restful sleep.
Mind reports that lack of sleep can lead to:
• feelings of anxiety, depression or suicidal thoughts
• feeling lonely and isolated
• struggling to concentrate, or make plans and decisions
• feeling irritable or not have energy to do things
57% of young people in the UK find it difficult to get to sleep, wake in the night, or do not sleep enough. 66% of young people say poor sleep negatively impacts their mental health.
For young people already working to overcome past traumas, the added effect of poor sleep can be catastrophic. EveryYouth funds are designed to remove barriers that prevent young people accessing housing, employment and mental health support. But to engage with any service, a young person must feel ready and capable. A good night’s sleep can change everything.
We spoke with the founder of EveryYouth, Nick Connolly, to find out more about the charity and how your support helps.
How did you start EveryYouth?
As a child I wanted to be rich and drive a Porsche 911 but as I got older and realised how fortunate I had been in life, I felt compelled to do something more meaningful. After a couple of years in banking I decided to listen to my heart and try different things which eventually led me to charity fundraising for young people experiencing homelessness.
Whilst doing this work it became obvious to me that youth homelessness was widely misunderstood and that there wasn’t a strong national brand to help influence public perception, galvanise support and drive collaboration. I found the prospect of addressing this issue exciting and set about piecing together the funding and stakeholder support necessary to make it happen.
EveryYouth is successful because it addresses a real need; no one else does what we do. But that doesn’t mean it was easy or quick to achieve. In fact, it took over a decade to shape the idea, prove it could work and then launch as a registered charity.
In summary, I would say the key things you need to start a charity are a vision you are passionate about which solves a recognised issue combined with the patience and resilience necessary to see it through.
What does your day-to-day look like?
EveryYouth is uniquely collaborative, as all our programmes are delivered through our Network of Delivery Partners across the UK. This means that our small team can reach thousands of young people quickly whilst simultaneously strengthening grass roots organisations that are essential to communities. This approach means I spend a lot of time meeting other stakeholders and CEO’s in the youth homelessness space to try to ensure we are all moving in the same direction.
The remainder of my time is spent thinking and writing about how EveryYouth can help more young people leave homelessness behind.
What do you find most challenging about your role?
Bureaucracy! Charities are heavily regulated, and we have Trustees who safeguard the organisation and ensure it operates in the public interest. Both things are necessary and important but take up more time than I would like.
EveryYouth has been my vision and passion for over ten years, and now that we’re here, I want us to achieve as much as possible for young people as quickly as possible!
If a young person is going through a difficult time and happens to be facing homelessness, how can they get in contact with EveryYouth?
If you are facing homelessness and are aged between 16 and 25, support is available. To be referred to our Network, please get in touch with your local council. To find out more about our programmes you can visit our website or if you need immediate support please visit the Get Help section of our website.
With mental health being a big talking point for young people at the moment, why is it important for brands to work with charities like EveryYouth to support & promote their campaigns?
The increased cost-of-living is putting more pressure than ever on families and young people. This financial pressure and the stress of facing homelessness can have a devastating impact on your mental health. Most of the young people we work with are already grappling to overcome really difficult childhoods, and the experience of homelessness makes it that much harder.
We’re really proud to put mental health support at the centre of our holistic approach, but providing this service to young people experiencing homelessness relies on generous donations. Campaigns like Put Youth Homelessness to Bed and partnerships with brands like Urban Outfitters help us raise funds and awareness of our work, so that we can support more young people when they need it.
How do donations to EveryYouth support young people facing homelessness?
EveryYouth exists to help the most disadvantaged young people succeed in life. We help them enter meaningful employment, access mental health support and secure a home of their own.
All our beneficiaries qualify for support because they are ‘unhoused’, but we know that they need more than just housing to build a better life for themselves.
That’s why we offer a more holistic approach. Working with our Delivery Partners across the UK, we offer support through the following funds;
1. Health: Young people who have become homeless have usually had multiple adverse childhood experiences such as neglect, abuse or witnessing addiction or mental illness. The emotional toll of these experiences is compounded by homelessness. Our Health Fund provides young people with individually tailored counselling quickly, helping young people to cope with past traumas, better engage with services and improve their emotional resilience.
2. Employability: Securing your first job can feel daunting for anyone. Disrupted education, mental health challenges and acute financial pressures make it even harder for our young people. Our Employability Fund provides young people with specialist coaches to help them become job-ready and is supported by a Boost Scheme, offering grants to overcome the additional costs associated with entering employment, education or training.
3. Housing: The limited supply of social housing means the young people we support often face overwhelming financial barriers to securing a home of their own. For many, living independently feels like an impossible dream. EveryYouth’s Housing Fund provides young people with financial support to overcome the prohibitive upfront costs of securing a tenancy and can supply the basics to make that house a home.
How can we get involved in the Put Youth Homelessness to Bed campaign this March?
There are a number of ways you can show your support throughout March.
We already have a great team from Urban Outfitters taking on the London Walk on Friday 22nd (if you are reading this – thank you!). If you can’t join them yourself, consider donating to their fundraising page instead, or join us on the night to cheer them on.
Whether you take on the challenge of the London Walk, raise funds by wearing your slippers to work on Slipper Day, or shop our campaign brands, every penny you raise will be helping a young person towards a brighter, happier future.
What’s next for EveryYouth?
2024 will be a big year for EveryYouth. Launching in the middle of an economic crisis was tough but we got through it and the future is exciting. We have big projects in the pipeline including working with schools to prevent young people experiencing homelessness, working with employers to help homeless young people compete on a level playing field for jobs and working with young people themselves to ensure the public hear and see an authentic perspective on this issue.
For too long, too many people have viewed youth homelessness through the prism of rough sleeping. “They’ve got a roof over their head, what more do they need?” From now on, we’re going to recognise and address the trauma, disrupted educational and financial barriers that prevent our young people from thriving and prove that no one should be defined by where they live as a teenager.
As a child I wanted to be rich and drive a Porsche 911 but as I got older and realised how fortunate I had been in life, I felt compelled to do something more meaningful. After a couple of years in banking I decided to listen to my heart and try different things which eventually led me to charity fundraising for young people experiencing homelessness.
Whilst doing this work it became obvious to me that youth homelessness was widely misunderstood and that there wasn’t a strong national brand to help influence public perception, galvanise support and drive collaboration. I found the prospect of addressing this issue exciting and set about piecing together the funding and stakeholder support necessary to make it happen.
EveryYouth is successful because it addresses a real need; no one else does what we do. But that doesn’t mean it was easy or quick to achieve. In fact, it took over a decade to shape the idea, prove it could work and then launch as a registered charity.
In summary, I would say the key things you need to start a charity are a vision you are passionate about which solves a recognised issue combined with the patience and resilience necessary to see it through.
What does your day-to-day look like?
EveryYouth is uniquely collaborative, as all our programmes are delivered through our Network of Delivery Partners across the UK. This means that our small team can reach thousands of young people quickly whilst simultaneously strengthening grass roots organisations that are essential to communities. This approach means I spend a lot of time meeting other stakeholders and CEO’s in the youth homelessness space to try to ensure we are all moving in the same direction.
The remainder of my time is spent thinking and writing about how EveryYouth can help more young people leave homelessness behind.
What do you find most challenging about your role?
Bureaucracy! Charities are heavily regulated, and we have Trustees who safeguard the organisation and ensure it operates in the public interest. Both things are necessary and important but take up more time than I would like.
EveryYouth has been my vision and passion for over ten years, and now that we’re here, I want us to achieve as much as possible for young people as quickly as possible!
If a young person is going through a difficult time and happens to be facing homelessness, how can they get in contact with EveryYouth?
If you are facing homelessness and are aged between 16 and 25, support is available. To be referred to our Network, please get in touch with your local council. To find out more about our programmes you can visit our website or if you need immediate support please visit the Get Help section of our website.
With mental health being a big talking point for young people at the moment, why is it important for brands to work with charities like EveryYouth to support & promote their campaigns?
The increased cost-of-living is putting more pressure than ever on families and young people. This financial pressure and the stress of facing homelessness can have a devastating impact on your mental health. Most of the young people we work with are already grappling to overcome really difficult childhoods, and the experience of homelessness makes it that much harder.
We’re really proud to put mental health support at the centre of our holistic approach, but providing this service to young people experiencing homelessness relies on generous donations. Campaigns like Put Youth Homelessness to Bed and partnerships with brands like Urban Outfitters help us raise funds and awareness of our work, so that we can support more young people when they need it.
How do donations to EveryYouth support young people facing homelessness?
EveryYouth exists to help the most disadvantaged young people succeed in life. We help them enter meaningful employment, access mental health support and secure a home of their own.
All our beneficiaries qualify for support because they are ‘unhoused’, but we know that they need more than just housing to build a better life for themselves.
That’s why we offer a more holistic approach. Working with our Delivery Partners across the UK, we offer support through the following funds;
1. Health: Young people who have become homeless have usually had multiple adverse childhood experiences such as neglect, abuse or witnessing addiction or mental illness. The emotional toll of these experiences is compounded by homelessness. Our Health Fund provides young people with individually tailored counselling quickly, helping young people to cope with past traumas, better engage with services and improve their emotional resilience.
2. Employability: Securing your first job can feel daunting for anyone. Disrupted education, mental health challenges and acute financial pressures make it even harder for our young people. Our Employability Fund provides young people with specialist coaches to help them become job-ready and is supported by a Boost Scheme, offering grants to overcome the additional costs associated with entering employment, education or training.
3. Housing: The limited supply of social housing means the young people we support often face overwhelming financial barriers to securing a home of their own. For many, living independently feels like an impossible dream. EveryYouth’s Housing Fund provides young people with financial support to overcome the prohibitive upfront costs of securing a tenancy and can supply the basics to make that house a home.
How can we get involved in the Put Youth Homelessness to Bed campaign this March?
There are a number of ways you can show your support throughout March.
We already have a great team from Urban Outfitters taking on the London Walk on Friday 22nd (if you are reading this – thank you!). If you can’t join them yourself, consider donating to their fundraising page instead, or join us on the night to cheer them on.
Whether you take on the challenge of the London Walk, raise funds by wearing your slippers to work on Slipper Day, or shop our campaign brands, every penny you raise will be helping a young person towards a brighter, happier future.
What’s next for EveryYouth?
2024 will be a big year for EveryYouth. Launching in the middle of an economic crisis was tough but we got through it and the future is exciting. We have big projects in the pipeline including working with schools to prevent young people experiencing homelessness, working with employers to help homeless young people compete on a level playing field for jobs and working with young people themselves to ensure the public hear and see an authentic perspective on this issue.
For too long, too many people have viewed youth homelessness through the prism of rough sleeping. “They’ve got a roof over their head, what more do they need?” From now on, we’re going to recognise and address the trauma, disrupted educational and financial barriers that prevent our young people from thriving and prove that no one should be defined by where they live as a teenager.