THE BEGINNING OF OUR JOURNEY
Our charity is still in its infancy, but nevertheless we are determined to make a difference as immediately as possible.
We are currently working with Centrepoint (CP), an established charity that works to give homeless young people a future, and hopes to end youth homelessness.
CP has identified that in the order of 500 young people every year have mental health issues which prevent them from participating in the life skills programmes run by CP that would give them the tools they need to live in mainstream society. The current waiting list is 10 months for the worst affected to be seen by an NHS mental health professional, because of the high demand on the service.
In April 2018, KEMF made a donation of £85,000 to Centrepoint to go towards the setting up of a mental health unit at their Oldham Street premises in Manchester. With the donation and other match-funding, they have been able recruit one mental health advisor, one therapist and one substance use worker. A second mental health advisor is still to be appointed.
With this team, CP will be able to provide mental health care within 2 weeks for the worst affected and help 187 youngsters per year.
This scheme will provide almost immediate help to people in need, and both our team and the team at CP are excited by the positive results this will achieve. As a result of our donation, the mental health unit was up and running on 16th July 2018.
In May 2019, KEMF made a further £85,000 donation to Centrepoint to continue to fund their services to assist homeless young people in Manchester. Regular updates will be provided on our News page.
We could not have achieved this without your help; thank you to all those who have made donations to the Foundation.