Llamau awarded Big Lottery funding for Care Leavers

A newly funded project offering care leavers in Cardiff & the Vale of Glamorgan was launched today in the presence of Rhodri Morgan AM and Kevin Brennan MP. The project is a joint venture between local youth homelessness charity, Llamau, United Welsh Housing Association and the Integrate consortium of housing associations, and received funding of £664,008 from the Big Lottery’s European Funding stream – the Lifeskills project. The Project will help young care leavers overcome multiple barriers to work and training by offering targeted support and work experience opportunities.

Llamau’s Chief Executive, Frances Beecher said “The link between homelessness and employability is unequivocal, and without a secure home life, it is incredibly difficult for a young person to hold down a job. This project will offer young people leaving care the opportunity for a more stable route to independence, more akin to the experience of those who have not been through the care system.”

Rhodri Morgan AM said: “Over 100 young care leavers across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan will benefit from this scheme run from Llamau’s headquarters in Cathedral Road. The Learning 4 Life Project will provide some of our most disadvantaged young people with tailored support and guidance to help them into work and enable them to live an independent life. The hands-on approach of providing the opportunity to build skills and confidence through volunteering, work placement and employment opportunities is the right way to overcome the difficult start in life these young people have had.”

He added: “I commend the work of Llamau which will be crucial for these disadvantaged young people – particularly groups such as care leavers who face significant barriers to work - through the tough times ahead. They should not be expected to pick up the pieces of the damage caused by cuts to frontline services.”

Kevin Brennan MP added “Llamau does a fantastic job in engaging homeless people and helping them tackle any issues or problems they may be having. It is clearly an organisation that goes to great lengths to ensure that the cause of a particular person’s homelessness is dealt with. I think it’s great we have an organisation like this that is helping many homeless people get their lives back on track.”