Clarewood Foyer in Neath was pleased to welcome its local AM, Jeremy Miles for a visit this December.
Tea, biscuits and a tour of the project allowed the Clarewood team to showcase the difference the service can make to you people’s lives as well as some of the recent ventures they have been involved with.
With help from Supporting People funding, Clarewood provides affordable and safe accommodation linked to personal development, training and employment opportunities for young people. The cornerstone of the project is its mutually agreed, tailor-made programmes which support young people towards independence.
Recently, young people at Clarewood have transformed their garden into a social area with seating and brightly coloured murals using funding from Neath CVS and Gwalia Trust. During his visit, Jeremy got to see the ongoing project which will include a new greenhouse for growing fruit and vegetables as well as a new shed which will offer the young people a work space to get creative in thanks to funding from The Greggs Foundation.
Cymorth Cymru and Community Housing Cymru’s Let’s Keep on Supporting People campaign highlights the work achieved with supporting people funding. Without it, many projects like Clarewood would struggle to give help to people like Josh who Jeremy met during his visit. Jeremy said:
“I was pleased to visit Clarewood Foyer and see the Welsh Government’s Supporting People programme benefitting some of our most vulnerable young people within the Neath Constituency. As well as providing essential accommodation for young homeless people, the work that Mike and the team do to help residents strengthen their self-esteem and gain a sense of achievement by engaging in Clarewood’s garden and social enterprise projects will ensure that these young people develop skills they can take forward into productive working lives, securing their long term independence. I was really inspired by meeting Josh during my visit who has grasped the chance which Clarewood has offered to help turn things around for himself.”
Josh said:
“Clarewood gave me a place to stay and helped me get back on my feet. Before I went there I had used substances for 3 years. After getting help from WCADA and Clarewood Foyer, I learned to respect myself again and I now volunteer at The Domino Project to help other young people.”
Team Leader at Clarewood, Mike Green said:
“A large part of the work we do here in Clarewood is focussed on creative social enterprise. For the past two years the young people have been making and selling craft items including Christmas reindeer and it’s been a very successful social enterprise, generating a sense of pride in both themselves and their capabilities.
“It was a pleasure to meet Jeremy who was extremely supportive of our work. Jeremy’s understanding of our work and his support goes a long way towards helping the young people here feel part of a wider community.”
The ultimate goal for all young people at Clarewood is to become independent and move on into a flat of their own. Josh is now in a ‘taster tenancy’ following gaining full time employment. Soon he’ll move into permanent accommodation where he will no longer need support.
Projects like Clarewood and local AMs from across the region have continued to pledge their ongoing support to the Let’s Keep on ‘Supporting People’ campaign which promotes the importance of continued funding for the programme.
