On 11 and 12 April, twelve Manchester Foyer residents made their way down to Eden Rural Foyer for an exchange trip. The trip was made in order for Foyer residents to learn more about each other and the different Foyers around the country.
Eden Rural Foyer residents prepared a buffet lunch for the Manchester Foyer residents' arrival. Later that day they visited the Wetheriggs Pottery Centre and made their own pots and decorated them as well. They also managed to visit an animal farm where ice-cream is made from the milk cows produce on the farm.
On the second day, the residents were shown how to make bread at Little Salkeld Water Mill. The last evening was spent eating Chinese food and watching DVDs together.
The trip was made possible through partnership between The Foyer Federation and Virgin, who offered Manchester Foyer residents free tickets on their Virgin train service.
For the Manchester Foyer residents, it was quite an experience visiting the countryside. As one Manchester Foyer resident said:
"It was quite an experience being in the countryside and experiencing that way of life. We have made quite a few friends who we will keep in touch with, and hopefully the Penrith Foyer residents will come and visit us soon!"
The residents at Eden Rural Foyer are already looking forward to visiting Manchester. As one Eden Rural Foyer resident remarked:
"We learnt how the two Foyers are different and the way people live down here and there. We have made some friends who I would love to keep in touch with."
Eden Rural Foyer is the only Foyer in Cumbria, providing a home, support and a springboard into independent living, learning and work for young people. It is owned by Impact Housing Association, and has 15 safe, comfortable and secure self-contained flats for single young people. The Foyer has on-site experienced support workers working with residents to assist them in maintaining their tenancy and with any other issues they are facing. The Foyer also offers a wide range of training opportunities, and has a Cyber Cafe with free access to computers and the Internet.
Manchester Foyer has 61 self-contained flats for 16-25 year-olds, and is owned by St Vincent's Housing Association. There are five support workers, a resettlement worker, a maintenance officer, and office administration staff available during the day. There are also staff on-site during the night. The Foyer has students and volunteers visit from across Europe, which helps to foster a diverse environment. Young people staying at the Foyer must be committed to a programme of self-development through continued education and training. Facilities within the building include a computer/IT suite, resource room, training kitchen, and communal laundry. The Foyer also has a fully equipped dark room and photography equipment, and an on-site confidential counselling service.
Manchester Foyer is also running a pilot project with Virgin Megastores in Manchester, giving Foyer residents the opportunity to do work experience and attend workshops aimed at increasing their confidence and building their CVs.
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.