Goal 17 Awarded Six New Contracts for Care Leaver Mentoring Programs

At Goal 17, our mission has always been to empower and support disadvantaged young people through effective mentoring programs. We are thrilled to announce that we have recently won six contracts with six local authorities to deliver care leaver mentoring programs on behalf of the Department for Education. This significant achievement marks a new milestone in our journey, and we are excited to share the details of these projects with you.

The Department for Education recently launched a funding initiative to support local authorities in running care leaver mentoring programs. Six local authorities chose Goal 17 as their partners and we supported them in co-bidding. These included Southampton City Council, Leicester City Council, Northamptonshire Children's Trust, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, Surrey County Council, and Bracknell Forest Council. We are proud to say that we won them all.

Over the next 18 months, we will establish robust mentoring programs in these six regions, recruiting and training around 350 volunteer mentors to support 350 young people.

Our Approach:

Our process involves not just finding great volunteers but also enriching our community connections. We work with businesses and organisations to help them understand the unique challenges faced by care leavers and the ways they can support these young people. This often leads to offers of training, work experience, and leisure activities, creating a network of opportunities for our mentees. Our mentors, equipped with this knowledge, can effectively signpost young people to these opportunities, helping them engage better within their communities.

About Care Leavers:

Care leavers are young individuals who have spent time in local authority care and now need support to transition into adulthood. They face numerous challenges, such as finding stable housing, securing employment, and accessing education. By understanding their needs and providing targeted support, we aim to help them overcome these obstacles and build brighter futures.

We are incredibly proud of the progress we have made so far and the impact our mentoring programs are having on the lives of care leavers. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to build strong relationships and make a difference in the communities we serve.