Bury care leavers are learning to make a house a home

A new scheme has been launched in Bury to assist young care leavers to turn a house into their home and develop the skills they need to live independently and successfully.

The House Project is a life-changing nationwide initiative that brings together groups of young care leavers to support them in developing life skills, from property maintenance, painting and decorating to cooking and financial management, and provides them with a property which then becomes their home.

As well as teaching essential practical skills, the House Project also supports Bury care leavers to create a community, providing friendship, guidance, emotional support and helps them to build resilience.

Bury, Oldham and Rochdale are working collaboratively to develop a local House Project and held an uplifting launch event on 10 October, where young people were joined by professionals from social care, housing, leaving care and commissioning to learn how the House Project can make a difference to care experienced young people and provide a stable and secure place to live.

Jeanette Richards, executive director for children and young people at Bury Council, said: “This is such an exciting project for our care leavers and I am really delighted that we have launched this scheme here in Bury. I am really looking forward to seeing the progress and success of the Bury House Project.”

Councillor Lucy Smith, cabinet member for children and young people, supports all young people in the borough to find suitable housing, while recognising the challenge for care leavers.

“Leaving care and finding suitable housing can be a challenge for young people,” she said. “The House Project addresses this in both a supportive and practical way and this will give our care leavers taking part the essential skills, relationships and experience that will stay with them throughout life.”

Here are some of the comments from the young people who have been referred to the Bury House Project:

“I want to learn DIY and Decorating Skills as I want to renovate houses in future, financial skills like budgeting too.”

“In the future I want to work as a chef so the cooking session would be good, I want to learn how to decorate (wallpaper) and do DIY around the house and know how to set up direct debits so I can pay bills. I would like to develop my group skills and how not to feel awkward in a group.”

“I would like to learn to decorate, and gain skills I could use in a trades career, I would like to learn skills to be independent such as bill paying.”

The Bury House Project is now live: for more information, please contact Cara Ebden at Cara.Ebden@manchester.gov.uk

ENDS

Press release issued: 21 October 2022.