Location: South London
Supports: 275 young people in the boroughs of Lewisham, Southwark, Sutton and Greenwich

Provides: New learning zone with IT suite, healthy living centre, three further training rooms

Before
Camberwell Foyer provides long term accommodation for 80 young people. Before FFL funding was available the existing learning rooms were tired, underused and there were no communal kitchen facilities to teach cooking and healthy living. Most of the South London services did not have a learning facility but now they can share with Camberwell.

After
The old facilities were completely redesigned and now Camberwell Foyer has:
• learning resource room, with five workstations, printing facilities
• healthy living centre, with teaching kitchen, dining facilities, space for group work
• private interview room for 1:1 meetings
• learning room with nine workstations
• multi purpose room for training sessions, therapies and activities for staff and outside agencies
• additional staff room
• new floors, ceilings, lighting, decoration throughout
• four specialist FFL staff have been delivering the health and support programme covering areas such as finding a job, healthy living and computer skills.

Now
Since the FFL centre opened at Camberwell in autumn 2008, 250 young people a month on average have been using the services. Young people using the FFL facilities can now, gain a European Computer Driving Licence (a recognised qualification), learn how to use Photoshop, do their university/college work, create a CV and apply for jobs online as well as taking part in the workshops, training and advice given by the FFL staff.

In September 2009 six of Camberwell’s residents gained university places.
“The new FFL centre is so much better than the rooms that were there before and it really makes you believe someone else thinks you are worth investing in. I have completed ten LifeWise workshops and this has helped me learn skills for the future.” Nicola