We continue with our feature series, focusing on different Foyers around the UK. This month we feature the Poole Quay Foyer in Dorset.
Foyer is re-launching its give us a chance campaign this autumn, which aims to lobby Government on the 16 Hour Rule. The 16 Hour Rule denies young people over 19 access to full-time education, as you can't study full-time and claim Housing Benefit at the same time. Young people in Foyers have, for reasons beyond their control, missed out on schooling and so lack the necessary qualifications for sustained employment. This campaign is about giving young people who have had disrupted, disadvantaged, or chaotic backgrounds the opportunity to catch up.
Maria Miller MP, Shadow Minister for Education, recently visited Poole Quay Foyer. She is a supporter of this campaign and was very interested in learning more about the works of Foyers and Poole Quay Foyer in particular.
Poole Quay Foyer is part of Raglan Housing Association and opened in 1999. It has 50 bed spaces and provides affordable, secure housing for vulnerable 16-25 year olds. Its aim is to help residents gain the skills they need to compete in the job market and move into independent living, by linking housing provision with training opportunities and personal support. On moving in, the young person is expected to demonstrate a commitment to their self-improvement. There are 50 self-contained units in the Foyer.
The Quay Foyer works in partnership with a number of other organisations including Poole Accommodation and Support Service - the Poole Housing Forum - to identify sources of move on accommodation for residents. They also work closely with the Princes Trust, Duke Award Scheme, Team First and Millennium Volunteers.
All residents have a personal keyworker who supports them during their time at the Foyer. Keyworkers are there to talk over any issues a young person may have, providing advice and guidance. They can help with benefit issues and put a young person in touch with other partnership organisations, as well as point a young person in the right direction for training, education, or work if needed.
The Foyer also has a lifeskills worker, who helps residents wanting to learn how to budget their money. Cooking workshops have been a huge success - residents get together, decide what dish they would like to try, budget, shop for ingredients, cook and then eat the final product. These sessions also tie in with the basic skills courses the Foyer runs in literacy and numeracy, the Foyer Federations 'Learning Power Award', and web design and photography courses. The Foyer also runs a weekly Brunch Club, where residents and staff have breakfast together.
The Foyer has music workshops occasionally, where people can try their hand at DJing and MCing with a group called the Urban Freestyle Crew. They have also had volunteer tutors holding one-off workshops on topics such as poetry, self-awareness, and photography. Furthermore, Foyer residents produce the QF Magazine. Editors, designers and reporters, all of who are Foyer residents or ex-residents, have given their time to learn about the publishing world and gain experience in researching, interviewing and writing articles. Distribution of the magazine was widened in the second year to outside the Foyer and 300 copies were distributed to over 50 youth organisations, the local library and shops.
Poole Quay Foyer also has a football team, and started its football project in January with funding from Sport Relief. Incidentally, Foyer's two Homeless World Cup reporters, Kate Wilson and Lee Dixon, will be setting off to Cape Town on 22 September to report on the matches. You can follow their progress at www.streetsoccer.org.
Foyer in Focus is contributed by the Foyer Federation. For further information, contact Louise Meincke, Policy and Communications Officer - louise@foyer.net; Tel. 020 7430 2212.
Michael, who lives in supported housing project Karibu Foyer (Nottingham), has succeeded in battling against the odds to achieve the A-level grades necessary to read Law at Nottingham Trent University. Michael is one of 70 Foyer residents who will benefit from the higher education Foyer Bursary in 2006.
Michael, aged 20, has worked hard to overcome numerous obstacles. Whilst studying for his A levels, he experienced homelessness and when he did find accommodation, he faced the barrier of the 16-hour rule (which meant he could not claim Housing Benefit whilst studying full-time).
Michael said: "I'm so excited about going to university, as it will be a huge personal achievement considering the obstacles I've faced during my A-levels.
"Eighteen months ago I was homeless and in desperate need of help. Karibu Foyer gave me the lifeline I needed, offering a roof over my head and the chance to continue A-Levels.
"But even then I wasn't able to concentrate on studying as much as I would have wanted. Because I had lost a year of studying when homeless, I was 19 during my last year of A levels. This meant I couldn't claim Housing Benefit for the time I was studying full-time. So I had to work during term time to earn enough money to live. I couldn't concentrate on college because I had to work all night and therefore could not complete my coursework. There was one point where I was working from 6.45pm to 3am, after attending college from 9am to 4.15pm.
"Going to university would be much more difficult without the Foyer Bursary. But with the bursary I will be able to concentrate on my studies, and my experiences of A levels will have given me experience of how to juggle academic and paid work".
Some 500 Foyer residents have benefited from the Foyer University Support Project since 2002, which provides each successful applicant with £1,000 per year from the Government's Access to Learning Funds, as well as personal support. The purpose of the project is to increase recruitment and improve retention figures for young people from Foyers moving into higher education. The project is helping people from non-traditional backgrounds to enter higher education. 75% of students registered to enrol in 2006 will be the first in their families to enter higher education. 46% of students are from BME groups.
As well as assistance through the Foyer University Support Project, Foyer's partnership with UNIAID has enabled 15 Foyer residents to benefit from free accommodation in student halls in 2005/06. The Foyer University Support Project is run with support from the Nuffield Foundation and the JP Morgan Fleming Educational Trust.
Foyer supports over 130 Foyers across the UK which provide accommodation integrated with education and training opportunities for 10,000 16 to 25 year-olds in housing need each year. Foyers deliver a holistic life-long learning programme which, on a one-to-one basis, enables each young person to achieve the self-confidence and skills they need to go on to further education, training or employment. For more information please visit www.foyer.net.