In the battle to end homelessness in Wales, we’re with Llamau

Last year, Welsh homeless charity Llamau supported 8,669 women, young people and children to leave homelessness behind.

The charity works with those most at risk – care leavers, people who have been involved with the criminal justice system, people who have experienced domestic abuse and those with chaotic and disadvantaged lifestyles.

Llamau support this highly vulnerable group with specialist care, refuge and housing, through family mediation and mental health support, and through training and work experience. Their motto is ‘never give up on anyone’.

We believe so strongly in Llamau’s cause, and in this holistic, multi-faceted approach to tackling homelessness, that last November our team took part in the Llamau Sleepout at Cardiff City Stadium. We joined hundreds of like-minded individuals and business to brave the cold and biting wind (oh the wind!) to build and sleep inside cardboard shelters in a sponsored team challenge.

Thanks to the generosity of our families, friends and business networks, we raised £4800 for Llamau. But we’d like to do more. So this year, we have chosen to make Llamau our Charity of the Year with the aim of making a real difference through fundraising, volunteering and mentoring support.

And that’s the great thing about Llamau. They don’t put a sticking plaster over the problem. They offer much more than safe accommodation – as essential as it is for those sleeping rough. Women, young people and children at risk of homelessness need preventative support that not only tackles the problems in the here and now, but works to address the root causes, the damage done, the impact on mental health, the lack of confidence. Complex needs require a multi-layered solution.

Homelessness in Wales:

• In 2017, 10,467 women in Wales asked for help with homelessness
• Every year in Wales, an average of 7000 young people ask for help with homelessness
• One in three women in Wales will experience domestic abuse and last year in south Wales, an incident of domestic abuse was reported to the police every 15 minutes
• 90% of young people who have experienced homelessness also have a diagnosable mental health condition

Llamau’s preventative support encourages young people to re-engage with education and builds confidence to manage the mental health issues developed from traumatic childhood experiences. It even provides early-stage family mediation to rebuild broken relationships.

The charity offers refuge housing to women and children escaping domestic abuse and independent but supported accommodation and family lodgings for young people leaving care or fleeing abusive homes.

Education, training and work experience also play a part in Llamau’s holistic approach to care. And that’s where we hope to be of help. As a partner, we are raising funds to support these excellent projects, but we can also add value through giving career mentoring and work experience placements to some of the young people in Llamau’s care.

You can keep up with our programme of fund-raising activities on social media, starting with Wye Walk for Llamau, a family sponsored walk around the picturesque Chepstow countryside on Saturday 11th May 2019. If you’re keen to find out more about Llamau, perhaps with a view of giving your support, you can read their story here.