Author: Debbie Watkins

Oriel High School welcomed us to their end-of-year celebration assembly where we had the opportunity to thank them in person for raising over £12,000 towards Crawley Foyer through their annual sponsored walk. 

Student and school staff took part in a 9.5 mile to Crawley Down and back on 27 June. Family and friends sponsored the event with great generosity, smashing their ambitious £10,000 target, to raise over £11,500. The students then pushed this amazing sum to £12,158 by donating their non-school-uniform fee following the assembly.  

The school welcomed four Crawley Foyer residents – including former students of the school – along with support staff. Housing Manager Wesley Lucas presented a hand-made thank you card from the residents and briefly explained how the school community’s generosity would improve living conditions at the Foyer. 

Sports coordinator Hannah Ashleigh-Morris shared that in the past, the school had chosen to support national charities. This year however, they wanted to make an impact on the local community and selected YMCA DownsLink Group’s Crawley Foyer, which currently supports three former students of the school.  

For these young people returning to their old school, the experience of revisiting familiar grounds in the light of their current circumstances brought on a mix of emotions. Still, they felt it was important to show appreciation for the school’s fundraising achievement. 

Crawley Foyer manager Wes Lucas said: “The significant amount raised by the school will fund not only equipment for the self-catering two-bedroom flats at the foyer but garden furniture to make the outdoor space more welcoming. 

“It will even bring to life a long-held dream: setting up a pop-up outdoor cinema and acquire a karaoke machine to keep the entertainment going, whatever the weather. We are driven by offering more than a room and such additions truly make the difference between accommodation and a home.” 

Enhancing the common areas nurtures the foyer’s community feel by offering focal points for the young people living in or engaged in the project: Crawley Foyer also houses a Youth Advice Centre where both residents and local young people up to age 25 can access support and advice for a wide range of wellbeing issues as well as practical matters such as education, employment and financial welfare.   

Find out more about Crawley Youth Advice Centre

Inspired? Contact Lina from our Fundraising Team. 

We are delighted to launch our Impact Report 2025, showcasing the difference we’ve made in the lives of children and young people in our communities across Sussex and Surrey. 

This year’s report is a powerful reflection of the impact our work has had on the children and young people we supported during the year. 

 Here are just a few of the achievements we’re proud to share: 

• we supported 5,952 children and young people through our services
• a total of 896 young people from 16 to 25 were given a safe home 
• 91% of those ready to move on to more independent living did so successfully 
• we provided 4,186 children and young people with counselling support 
• a total of 870 received other advice and support. 

 The report details the impact we’ve made in our three service areas of supported housing, emotional wellbeing and mental health, support and advice. Our work in these areas has helped children and young people: 

• feel safer 
• be more independent 
• advocate for themselves 
• develop life skills and confidence 
• improve their emotional wellbeing and mental health. 

Our Impact Report also outlines some of the advances we’ve made to become a more resilient organisation – such as the major milestone we reached by securing Ofsted registration. This means we can continue housing 16 and 17-year-olds with care experience. 

 A huge thank you to all our staff, volunteers, partners and supporters for your dedication that makes all our vital work possible. 

 Please check out some powerful stories and key stats and facts in the full Impact Report here. 

We are delighted to announce that three of our nominations for the Youth Matters Awards are through to the finals!

But we need your help. This year, your votes go directly to picking the winner of each category, so they count this year more than ever. There are only two weeks to get your votes in and help our amazing nominees win these well-deserved awards.

You can make your vote here.

Amy Mayfield Richardson – Young Campaigner of the Year

Amy, 22, has called Supported Housing at Worthing Foyer home since 2024. In that short time, she’s become a powerful voice of resilience, leadership and compassion.

From an early age, Amy faced immense adversity and trauma. Yet she never let her past dictate her path. Instead, she’s used those experiences to fuel real change—not just for herself, but for other young people trying to find their footing in the world.

As a respected member of the West Sussex County Council Care Leavers Advisory Board, Amy is helping to shape national policy. She’s travelled across the country ensuring the voices of care-experienced young people are heard by those in power.

Amy also delivers training to frontline professionals, using her own story to improve services and promote awareness around neurodiversity and SEND. Her insight is helping build a more inclusive, compassionate system that values every young person’s potential.

Vote now!

Chaplaincy – Diversity Award

The Chaplaincy team is the beating heart of our foyers, bringing warmth, empathy and connection. They help turn our spaces into a true home, where vulnerable residents can begin to heal, grow and flourish.

Through culturally sensitive, inclusive sessions, often shared over a meal, they offer much more than spiritual guidance. They provide comfort, companionship and a sense of belonging, ensuring every individual feels seen, heard and valued.

Supported by dedicated multifaith volunteers, they’ve created a space for honest conversation and emotional safety. These exchanges build trust, dissolve barriers and remind residents that their stories matter and their worth is never in question.

By focusing on shared humanity and unity, the Chaplaincy team continues to foster a culture of respect, understanding and hope, one meal at a time.

Vote now!

Every year, 30 July marks World Day Against Trafficking in Persons and is a chance to raise awareness and reflect on the harms caused by child trafficking*.  

In our WiSE service, we recognise that Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is a form of trafficking. When a child is moved, coerced, or manipulated for the purpose of sexual abuse, whether across borders, towns, or even just between houses, this is trafficking under UK and international law. Yet it is often is not recognised as such. 

Instead of identifying children as victims of trafficking, they may be labelled as “making poor choices,” “promiscuous,” or even “offenders” themselves. This lack of recognition not only fails to protect them, but it can also lead to: 

• Children being criminalised instead of protected. 
• Perpetrators evading trafficking charges, facing lesser consequences and/or shorter sentences. 
• Data being skewed, making the scale of the problem harder to track and tackle. 

We need to challenge these misconceptions, which includes recognising that trafficking is happening in our towns and cities in Sussex and Surrey. We need to talk about trafficking not just as something that happens “elsewhere,” but as something that affects children in our own communities. 

Knowing the signs of child trafficking and modern slavery can help give a voice to children. A child might not be aware that they are being trafficked and therefore may not disclose it themselves. Any child can be a victim, and identifying a child who is being trafficked or exploited is often difficult as they may become isolated from family, services and communities who could identify and protect them. We are supporting: 

• Professionals to use accurate terminology and frameworks when identifying and responding to CSE 
• Parents, carers, and community members to be alert to the signs of exploitation and understanding that trafficking can occur locally, not just across borders. 
• Those working directly with young people to create safe spaces for disclosure. Believe them. Advocate for them. Help them understand that what’s happening to them is not their fault and that help is available. 
• Young people to be aware of their rights and supported to understand that exploitation is never their fault. 

On the occasion of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons this year, we are reminded that accurate identification and appropriate safeguarding responses are essential in supporting young people, and hope that by raising awareness of these issues we can make a positive difference. 

*Child trafficking is defined by the UN as the ‘recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt’ of a child for the purpose of exploitation.  

We’re pleased to share this year’s tenant satisfaction results.

At the heart of our organisation’s strategy is a commitment to ensuring residents have accessible, meaningful ways to share their voice and shape the support they receive. So we were delighted to see a remarkable increase of over 100% in responses, giving us a much richer understanding of how our residents feel about their homes and our services.

Key highlights:

• 81% of residents said they were satisfied with the overall service provided by YMCA DownsLink Group.
• 84% felt that they were treated fairly and with respect.
• 85% reported feeling emotionally or physically safe in their home.

We’ve seen improvements across most areas, with many residents highlighting the strong support they receive from their support workers and the sense of safety they feel while staying with us.

Complaints have significantly decreased compared to last year, and 68% of residents said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the repairs service.

One resident said: “My support worker is the most caring, kind, understanding person I could work with. Everything thing they do for me always has my best interest. They understand what support I need and treat me like a human being, a not just a number on her pay cheque.”

Another one said: “I appreciate that we all get treated with respect and our individual needs are always taken into consideration. I imagine it isn’t always easy dealing with many different walks of life spread across different properties so I want to applaud the staff for making the time to help us all individually as best as they can.”

We’re proud of the progress made, and we’re more committed than ever to building on this momentum, ensuring every resident feels heard, respected and supported.

You can read the full report here.