On Tuesday 1 March, Peter Housden MP, Permanent Under Secretary for the Department of Communities and Local Government, visited Ipswich Foyer with Foyer Chief Executive Jane Slowey, for an open floor question and answer session with Foyer residents.
Residents were able to voice their concerns about the 16 hour rule, a rule which prevents young people over 19 years from studying full-time and claiming Housing Benefit at the same time. Peter Housden vowed to take the issues raised by residents back to Ruth Kelly MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
Ipswich Foyer opened in 1997 and was established through a partnership between Circle Anglia, Ipswich Borough Council, Suffolk Training and Enterprise Council, University College Suffolk and YMCA training. It provides accommodation, coupled with support and motivation, to 47 16-25 year-olds, who have been or are at risk of homelessness. Since opening, the Foyer has helped 800 young people to build an independent and sustainable life.
The Foyer has an ICT Centre, with five PCs and permanent Internet connection. Foyer staff provide IT training on many levels. The centre's fundamental purpose is to provide basic IT training to those who have not had contact with computers in the past. Cyber skills courses are run to give a basic IT understanding; MS Word courses are also run, training users from basics to advanced levels in IT. The ICT centre will soon be an accredited Learn Direct centre offering a very wide range of courses, both IT and non IT related. A selection of 'Skills for Life' courses will also be available via Learn Direct.
The Foyer residents are also active fundraisers. The Foyer has ties with a school in Romania. As part of an 18-week course, 12 residents participated in a 3-week module on Citizenship. Because of this, they decided in November last year to raise money for the school in Romania, by taking part in their own version of Big Brother.
Residents were locked inside a lounge for 30 hours, which was recorded on CCTV. Anyone could watch the proceedings inside the house for £1, where residents, for example, knitted a scarf continuously for 6 hours. The staff surprised the residents by giving them a challenge of looking after a virtual baby, kindly donated by Suffolk Council. All participants shared the duty of looking after the baby, and computer data showed that they hadn't neglected its basic needs. The money raised went to buying a computer and PE equipment for the school.
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.
