By Jacqui Scott, HIWCF CEO
At HIWCF, the golden thread through every grant we make is a deep and enduring commitment to alleviating poverty and inequality. This is particularly important, and urgent, in the lives of young people leaving the care system.
Through our partnerships with Sovereign Network Group (SNG), CCLA and the Local Authority Mutual Investment Trust (LAMIT), we’ll make a total of £180,000 available over three years to deliver our tailored work with care leavers across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Entering its second year of delivery, we want our Care Leavers Programme to help rewrite the narrative for some of the most vulnerable young people in our region, helping remove barriers and face their futures with hope. This fund is supporting community rooted organisations to provide tailored, trauma informed support to care experienced young people and was launched in direct response to a persistent truth: that young people leaving the care system face disproportionate levels of disadvantage – financial, emotional, and systemic.
The statistics speak clearly: in Hampshire, over 2,500 young people aged 18 to 25 are classed as Care Leavers, and 27,000 children live in poverty – figures that reflect growing inequality in what is often perceived as an affluent region. Care leavers face a disproportionately high risk of poor mental health, homelessness, and unemployment. Nearly 40% of care leavers aged 19–21 in England are not in education, employment or training (NEET).
But beyond the numbers are real lives – young people navigating early adulthood without the support structures many of us take for granted. Take Kelly, for example.
Kelly was taken into care at just five years old, following persistent neglect. Her early life was marked by instability: frequent short term foster placements, disrupted contact with her birth mother, and eventually, the trauma of bereavement. When her mother died when she was just 12, Kelly was left to carry the weight of that through her teenage years, alone.
By 16, she was living semi-independently and, like many care leavers, struggling to manage bills, cook, attend appointments and take care of her mental health – without the consistent support most other young people can access through their family structure. That changed when she was referred to Motiv8, a youth charity funded through our Care Leavers Programme. You can read more about her story here.
On the Isle of Wight, the Isle of Wight Youth Trust (IOWYT) has long been a lifeline for young people. In a place where mental health challenges are acute (IOWYT’s 2023 survey found that 30% of young people with a mental health condition had self-harmed, and one in three had considered suicide) it provides a safe, welcoming space.
For Abbie, who entered supported accommodation at 18 but ended up sofa-surfing due to safety concerns, IOWYT became a turning point. She accessed 12 sessions of therapeutic support and worked with staff to plan a route to stable housing and employment. Within a month, she had three job offers, secured part-time work, and began preparing to move into her own home. You can read more about her story here.
These are not isolated stories. They are proof that targeted, local funding combined with expert, compassionate support, can change lives.
Our partnership with SNG has been crucial to the delivery and success of this funding. Their deep understanding of the barriers care leavers face – particularly around housing insecurity, social isolation and community integration – has helped shape a programme that is both compassionate and practical. SNG’s core value around ‘building communities’ is closely aligned with the mission of this fund and with HIWCF’s overarching goal of alleviating poverty and inequality in the region. By ensuring young people have access not just to safe and stable housing, but to the support networks and opportunities they need to thrive, our collaboration is creating the conditions for long-term change.
As we continue this work into the second half of 2025 and beyond, we are calling on businesses, individuals, and funders to support our Give Together, Give Local campaign. Every donation goes directly into our communities, enabling local charities to deliver real change – whether through mental health support, housing advice, mentoring, or skills development. For those considering a greater and more sustained impact, our endowment fund model enables your donation to support future generations in perpetuity – get in touch with me to find out more at ceo@hiwcf.com.
If you believe every young person deserves the chance to thrive, now is the perfect time to act.
Feeling inspired? Donate to Give Together, Give Local
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