Support for care leavers in Surrey increases as huge expansion is announced for national programme
The Community Foundation for Surrey is to increase support for care leavers in Surrey as national Care Leavers Programme gains £1.7 million over three years by the Henry Smith Foundation. With match funding, the multi-year programme will award a further £25,000 in grants across the county.
The Community Foundation for Surrey (CFSurrey) has received an additional £25,000 to help young people who have experienced care in the county, announced today by UK Community Foundations.
The Care Leavers Programme, which was launched in 2024 by the Local Authorities' Mutual Investment Trust (LAMIT) and UK Community Foundations (UKCF), in collaboration with investment manager CCLA, is a multi-year programme providing support for care leavers to survive and thrive as they transition to adulthood.
In its first year, CFSurrey was among 17 participating community foundations from UKCF to have supported more than 2,000 care leavers aged between 16 and 25 years old, by funding 59 organisations and 411 individuals directly.
A new donation of £1.7 million over three years by the Henry Smith Foundation, announced today, (25th November), will expand the programme out to 14 new areas in the UK, now including Northern Ireland and Wales. This expansion will bring the total programme value to £7 million, including matched funds, significantly increasing reach, impact and length of delivery.
“We’re delighted to fund the expansion of the Care Leaver Programme across the UK. This work is important and ambitious – bringing together community foundations, local authorities and the Henry Smith Foundation. Together, we’ll increase critical support for both care leavers and the charitable organisations supporting them as they navigate their way into adulthood.”
CFSurrey will double this contribution through its forthcoming Christmas campaign.
To donate please visit our Donation Page
Support for care leavers from CFSurrey has already been awarded to:
YMCA East Surrey
Step By Step
Rentstart
Big Leaf Foundation
Creative Response Arts
These grants fund support workers, support sessions, creative arts as well as trips and activities that support mental health and wellbeing.
“At CFSurrey, we’ve seen first-hand how vital the Care Leavers Fund is in helping young people build confidence and independence. With additional funding and national collaboration, we can extend our reach and ensure that every care-experienced young person has the tools and opportunities they need to thrive. We’re absolutely delighted that the Henry Smith Foundation is enabling us to take this work to new areas and sustain it for longer, making a profound difference to our community and the young people at its heart.”
In addition to reaching new areas, the expansion of the fund is extending existing projects in Surrey. A new report, published by UKCF, shows the reach that the Care Leavers Programme has had already.
Read the UKCF report here: Connecting Care
“The Care Leavers Programme has already demonstrated the power of local partnerships to create real, lasting change for care-experienced young people. We have seen the impact of this programme in its first year, and we are delighted to expand it further with the support of the Henry Smith Foundation.
The next phase represents a fantastic opportunity for more local and national partner organisations to help build a fairer start for young people leaving care, ensuring they have the support that every young person deserves”
To find out more about applying to The Care Leavers Fund or to make a donation to this Fund please visit: