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Campaign Endorsements

David Lepper MP, Chair of the All Parliamentary Group on Foyers.
Adam Sampson, Director, Shelter.
Jenny Edwards, Chief Executive, Homeless Link
Linda Siegle, Campaign for Learning
Nigel Parrington, Chief Executive, Salvation Army Housing Association
Kevin Ireland, Executive Director, London Housing Foundation
Victoria Stark CBE, Chief Executive, Look Ahead Housing and Care.
David Cowans, Group Chief Executive,The Places for People Group
Linda Butcher, Chief Executive, OSW
Graham Eades, Chief Executive, Arena Housing Association Ltd
David Seviour, Chief Executive, The New Housing & Regeneration Agency
Jen Bradbury, South Shropshire Housing Association.
Sarah Lewis, Training Coordinator, Portsmouth Foyer.

“As Chair of the Parliamentary Group on Foyers and an MP who has seen the excellent work done by my local Foyer in Brighton and Hove for so many young people, I really welcome this important campaign to give Foyers the support they deserve”.
David Lepper MP, Chair of the All Parliamentary Group on Foyers.

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“Young people are among those suffering most severely at the sharp end of Britain 's housing crisis. Foyers up and down the country are not only putting a roof of the heads of thousands of young people, but also equipping them with the skills needed to stand on their own two feet. Shelter is delighted to back the Give us a chance campaign and the Foyer Federation's efforts to end the unfair benefits restrictions faced by many young people”.
Adam Sampson, Director, Shelter.

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“It is heartbreaking to think that some young people are trying to launch themselves into adult life with absolutely no support, while many of their peers have succeeded in winning university places or jobs through the good fortune of having loving support at home and extra help when necessary. A 19-year-old should not have to feel that it is ‘too late’ for her and that the opportunities she has missed through bad luck can never be remedied. We owe these young people the chance to end the cycle of poverty and homelessness.”
Jenny Edwards, Chief Executive, Homeless Link

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“The Campaign for Learning wholeheartedly supports the Foyer Federation’s ‘give us a chance’ campaign. Without opportunities to learn and to train, any young person would find it difficult to make their way in life. As we have found in our recent partnership work with the Foyer Federation, for those who are at risk of homelessness, learning and training offer an essential lifeline to wellbeing and jobs. The real cost to the Treasury of short sighted cuts in the funding of access to Further and Higher Education and the ‘catch 22’ of the benefits system is more homelessness and more young people on long term benefits. The skills agenda that supports the economy is supposed to maximise the chances of this very age group, but the lack of ‘joined up government’ around housing, benefits and learning means that it is mostly those young people with strong parental support well into their 20s that can really take advantage of the learning and training opportunities on offer.”
Linda Siegle, Campaign for Learning

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“Salvation Army Housing Association houses 134 young people in Foyer accommodation across England . Many of our young people who are over 19 have been adversely affected by the 16 hour Housing Benefit rule. Our foyer residents present as homeless for a number of reasons. A common issue is the lack of educational opportunities available due to their support needs, often compounded by chaotic lifestyle histories. SAHA houses these young people in the hope that we can support them to improve their prospects for the future. We have in-house training opportunities and support services designed to allow young people to develop their life skills, access further education or vocational training opportunities, and to enable them to make informed decisions about their own futures. Many of our residents understand that education is essential in order to enhance their future prospects, and as a result of having stable accommodation with integrated support are now ready to access full time education. The Housing Benefit 16 hour rule has affected this choice, and many young people are forced to choose between a brighter future through educational attainment and remaining in secure stable accommodation. We feel that disadvantaged young people should be afforded the right to access educational opportunities, and should not be forced to make the choice between their home and their future. We fully support the Foyer Federation’s ‘give us a chance campaign.’”
Nigel Parrington, Chief Executive, Salvation Army Housing Association

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“All young people need chances to get on in life. As responsible parents we make sure those chances are opportunities are available to our children. We know that without them they will struggle. So why are there additional barriers for those who need help most? I support the Give Us a Chance campaign and wish it a complete success.”
Kevin Ireland, Executive Director, London Housing Foundation

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“The young people housed and supported in Foyers by organisations like Look Ahead have usually had a pretty difficult start to their lives. This campaign is about levelling the playing field and giving these young people a chance to shine. Lets give them that chance”.
Victoria Stark CBE, Chief Executive, Look Ahead Housing and Care.

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"Investment in education is crucial but so, equally, is investment in supporting young people in making the step to adulthood, specifically in supporting their vocational job related training. To do so in a supportive residential context should be the real choice for those young people who would find it useful and done on a sufficient scale at the right quality would make a major impact to reduce skill shortages, which all acknowledge are a barrier to the further growth and comptetitiveness of the UK economy"
David Cowans, Group Chief Executive,The Places for People Group

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“OSW fully supports the Foyer Federation's "give us a chance campaign". We know from our own research that a range of barriers exist that disincentivise education and work for homeless people. The Government must act to ensure that strategies to tackle homelessness join up more effectively with their strategy for education and opportunity for all”.
Linda Butcher, Chief Executive, OSW

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“Quite simply the benefits system defeats the government’s aspiration for universal inclusion. It actually cuts off young people’s route to independence which Foyers help them prepare for very successfully. Clearly not a great example of joined up policy making!”.
Graham Eades, Chief Executive, Arena Housing Association Ltd

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“A safe, dry and warm place is fundamental to health and physical survival. Education is fundamental to the growth and development of every young person. Both are the hall mark of civilised society. Young people are our future –give them a chance…give them both”.
David Seviour, Chief Executive, The New Housing & Regeneration Agency

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“The South Shropshire area is deeply rural and opportunities for young people are few and far between. We need to create as many chances as possible to encourage young people to stay in towns and villages if the countryside is to have any future at all”.
Jen Bradbury, South Shropshire Housing Association.

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“I am a training coordinator at the Portsmouth Foyer. I facilitate a City & Guilds qualification in self-development called the Learning Power Award. I thoroughly support the ‘give us a chance’ campaign. Young people have a voice and should be encouraged on all levels, to voice it. They are the people of the future and their input is vital and relevant when discussing the next generation of adults that can make a difference. Striving for independence is hard enough for young people at the Foyer, without the constant barriers that are placed in front of them”.
Sarah Lewis, Training Coordinator, Portsmouth Foyer.

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