Young people coming to Centrepoint

• over half of the young people supported by Centrepoint have slept rough

• on arrival at Centrepoint, only six per cent of young people are in employment, and just 11 per cent are in education or training

• over a quarter of the young people they work with have no qualifications at all

• a third of the young people they support speak English as a second language

Most of the young people at Centrepoint have lacked constructive relationships with adults and authority figures. They have few skills, limited experience and find it hard to improve their prospects. They find themselves trapped in the cycle of no home – no job – no job – no home, relying on the benefits system for support.

This downward spiral which leads to homelessness can be reversed, but it takes a comprehensive support system to keep young people off the streets. That’s where Centrepoint comes in. They have a very clear idea of how to help homeless young people. They work with them – not for them – and they challenge as well as support. Centrepoint asks young people to take responsibility for improving their own lives.  It is this approach that has made Centrepoint so successful at tackling homelessness. Since 1969, the charity has provided 72,000 homeless young people with a safe place to call home and the chance to build a better life.