Foundation grant will help young people build better lives
- Guernsey Community Foundation awards £48,000 grant to Action for Children to expand its Work and Wellbeing Service
- Service will now be accessible to young people aged 16 to 25 across the island, not just those with care experience
- Programme focuses on developing confidence, resilience and practical skills to support transition into work and independence
- Grant follows Foundation's Quality of Life Report highlighting loneliness, stress and unhappiness among Guernsey's young people
- Service includes personal development, CV-building, employability support, mentoring and resilience training
More local young people aged 16 to 25 will be able to access specialist support to help them find work, reduce isolation and become more independent, thanks to the Guernsey Community Foundation.
The Foundation has given Action for Children a grant for £48,000 to expand its Work and Wellbeing Service.
The Service, which until now has only been accessible to care-experienced young people, helps to develop confidence, resilience and practical skills, using evidence-based tools and programmes to help support transition into the world of work and independence.
The programme, which is a long-term support offer, also improves core skills like personal development, CV-building, one-to-one employability support, mentoring, positive thinking and resilience.
Aaron Davies, Children's Service Manager with Action for Children, said: "This funding will help us open up our Work and Wellbeing service to more young people across the island. Many young people can feel isolated, lack confidence or face barriers to employment and training.
"This support will give them opportunities to build new skills, improve their wellbeing and connect with others in a positive and supportive environment. We hope it will help more young people feel confident about their future and take positive steps towards independence, while strengthening their connection to their local community."
Foundation Chief Executive Jim Roberts said: "Aaron approached us after reading our Quality of Life Report, which described how many of Guernsey's young people feel lonely, stressed and unhappy.
"He explained how Action for Children's Work and Wellbeing Service helps address these problems, but added that that its reach was limited due to a lack of funds. This grant will mean that any of the young people they're working with, not just those leaving care, can benefit from the Service."
The Guernsey Community Foundation promotes effective philanthropy, believing that the well-directed giving of money, time and ideas can lead to improvements in living standards.
The Foundation gives charitable grants, assists the third sector, carries out research, promotes new approaches to social welfare policy, supports the arts and the environment, and acts as a consultee to government.
Action for Children protects and supports vulnerable children and young people by providing practical and emotional care and support, ensuring their voices are heard and campaigning to bring lasting improvements to their lives. With 372 services in local communities across the UK, in schools and online, in 2023/2024 the organisation helped 687,755 children, young people and families.
Action for Children Guernsey Youth & Housing Project works with young people and families, with the aim of reducing youth homelessness. It achieves this by delivering programmes across the community, responding to youth homelessness or by targeting areas that may increase a young person's chance of becoming homeless in the future in the areas of substance use, living skills, leaving care, employment or isolation.
Applications to the Foundation's grants programmes can be made at any time.
Q&A
Q: How much funding has Action for Children received?
A: Action for Children has received a grant of £48,000 from the Guernsey Community Foundation to expand its Work and Wellbeing Service.
Q: Who can now access the Work and Wellbeing Service?
A: The service is now accessible to young people aged 16 to 25 across the island. Previously, it was only available to care-experienced young people.
Q: What kind of support does the Work and Wellbeing Service provide?
A: The service helps develop confidence, resilience and practical skills using evidence-based tools and programmes. It includes personal development, CV-building, one-to-one employability support, mentoring, positive thinking and resilience training to support transition into work and independence.
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