Young People and Children First known as Bridge for Young People

Who we are

The Charity's charitable purpose:

The Charity is established for the benefit of children and young people who are or have been in care (our priority focuses on young care leavers) and other young homeless young people aged between 16 - 25.

Our vision:

Young People and Children First wants to see a world where every child leaving care has the opportunity to have a place to live and receive guidance and support they need to bridge the critical gap between Foster Care and independent living. We want every young person to develop the life skills, coping strategies and confidence they need to achieve their full potential.

Our mission statement:

Every child and young adult should have the right to be happy, healthy, safe and successful.

Our values:

We believe that care leavers should enjoy the same rights and opportunities as other children and young people as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, including access to activities and opportunities that suit their needs, abilities and aspirations.

Our aims:

To provide a safe and comfortable home, life skills and work and learning opportunities that will develop young peoples' skills and capacities to enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals.

Why our work is needed:

Young people who have been in Care, have often been exposed to neglect and abuse. This abuse can be physical, emotional, psychological and/or sexual. Their childhood and young adulthood is fractured and unstable as a result of the abuse they have endured/witnessed. When children and young people are taken into care they are, understandably distressed, traumatised and frequently have significant mental health issues. The impact of these experiences has a profound impact on them. The long term consequences of abuse and neglect can manifest in many ways, including:

• Low self-esteem/self-worth
• Lack of confidence
• Lack of trust (in themselves and others) - creating problems with forming personal relationships and parenting.
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Anger
• Guilt (thinking the abuse was "their fault")