A CHARITY described as a lifeline by one of the people it helps has launched an appeal to help it reach the 1,000 young people it says are at risk of homelessness every week.
YMCA Reading says soaring rents, energy bills and food prices are causing an increase in the number of younger people who cannot afford the cost of living.
It says young people without a stable home are struggling to gain access to secure housing, a problem made worse by rents rising in the private rental sector.
It has launched RoomSponsor, aimed at helping fund the cost of proving more than 7,000 beds across the country.
Oliver is one of the young people the YMCA has helped.
He was forced to leave his private rented room and ended up sleeping in a tent on the edge of a forest.
With little money, Oliver often went hungry, and he said he was frightened and alone, and was left wondering if he would survive to see his next birthday.
After seven months, he found shelter in his YMCA, something he said had been a lifeline.
“It’s just so nice to get back to reality and be part of society again,” he says.
With the help of donations from RoomSponsors, Oliver received support and joined a YMCA gardening group, discovering his passion for landscaping.
Now, Oliver is employed as a landscape gardener.
YMCA says his journey is not an isolated one and highlights the need for donations to support the RoomSponsor programme.
The youth charity says donations to their RoomSponsor programme are needed now more than ever. The need to get young individuals off the streets who are experiencing homelessness, like Oliver, continues to grow.
“We recognise the urgent need to support young people who are grappling with the harsh realities of multiple crises in housing and the cost-of-living,” said Dave Poulton, chief executive of YMCA Reading.
“RoomSponsor helps provide essential support systems and safe housing that empowers young people to embark on a transformative journey towards a brighter future and independence.”
To find out more about YMCA RoomSponsor, visit: www.ymca.org.uk/reading
