7th August 2021
Sanctuary Supported Living
Young people living at Sanctuary Supported Living’s Brighton and Hove Foyer are celebrating after successfully completing the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust’s Get on Track for Wellbeing programme.
The Get on Track for Wellbeing project, which is being run by the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust in partnership with Sanctuary Supported Living, gives young people aged 16 to 25 the opportunity to work with current and former professional athletes over a period of six months. The aim is for participants to improve their well-being, confidence and life skills through sport and physical activity, as well as gaining and developing the skills needed to enter further education, training or employment. Residents at Brighton and Hove Foyer, which provides accommodation and personalised support for vulnerable young people, have spent the past six months taking part in weekly tailored training and support sessions with former champion boxer Hannah Beharry, one of the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust’s athlete mentors. To mark the successful completion of the programme, the young people recently enjoyed a celebration event at the British Airways i360 viewing tower, including a flight to the top of the tower and a celebratory drink. Once at the top, Hannah and the Sanctuary Supported Living staff gave each participant a certificate while sharing a few words about their progress and achievements since undertaking the course. Local Service Manager Stephanie Smith said: “The programme has been super interactive and fast-paced, which has kept the young people here engaged and excited. It’s been great working with Hannah too – she’s very inspirational, and her life experiences resonate with some of the residents from similar backgrounds.
"It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for these disadvantaged young people and it’s been very rewarding to see how much they’ve benefited from it."
My team have worked really hard to help make this project happen, and I’m so proud of how much everyone has achieved. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for these disadvantaged young people and it’s been very rewarding to see how much they’ve benefited from it already. They’re all so positive about small changes they have made which will support them to go on to bigger things - it’s given them the motivation to apply for jobs, think about a positive future or look forward to living independently for the first time. I’d also like to say a big thank you to the team at the BA i360 tower for supporting our celebration event by donating the flight tickets – they’ve previously supported our Eight Miles Away project by displaying local artist Tony Mills’ painting prior to them be auctioned and raising over £23,000 to help us break the cycle of homelessness and give these young people the opportunity they need to get started in life - and we’re extremely grateful for their continued support.” Hannah Beharry added: “Working with the group in Brighton has been incredible. From the start, it was clear that the group had a number of challenges to overcome. However, with the amazing team support from the staff at Sanctuary Supported Living, the young people have really bought into the programme and have progressed hugely over the last six months.” The Get on Track for Wellbeing programme is supported by Sanctuary's Community Investment Fund, which supports initiatives which meet the aspirations of Sanctuary residents. For more information about how the Get on Track for Wellbeing project has benefitted young Brighton and Hove Foyer residents, read a first-hand experience from Leah and Cortez. To find out more about Sanctuary Supported Living’s services for vulnerable young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, see our latest news or find a service near you.
