Hull City Council’s Room 42 team have been working with the charitable foundations of two major sports clubs to develop exciting new opportunities for young care experienced people in the city.
Room 42 have developed a close partnership with local charitable foundations, the Hull Kingston Rovers Foundation and the Tigers Trust, to develop and expand support for care leavers.
The Hull KR Foundation is the charitable foundation of the Hull KR rugby league club and the Tigers Trust is the charity of Hull City football club.
Room 42 is a care leavers’ hub based at the Guildhall which supports young people leaving the care system around the transition to adulthood and independence. Room 42 works with local businesses to develop opportunities for young people to learn more about education, training and employment. It’s also a place for young people meet to have their voices heard and make positive change for care leavers in Hull.
The Hull KR Foundation have been getting involved in a number of different initiatives, including developing a programme specifically for care leavers, inviting them on a stadium tour, attending drop-ins to meet with young people and signing them up for support though their programme.
They are also attending the council’s regular Care Leaver Forum.
The Young People’s Regeneration Champions, based at Room 42, will be proactively promoting their programme and supporting young people to access and engage with the support the club offers.
Room 42 also has an established partnership with the Tigers Trust, which aims to make a difference to people’s lives by involving them in sport.
Through its work, the Tigers Trust promote the values linked with sporting success and help up-skill participants through practical activity as well as running courses, events and promoting their work in schools across the Hull and East Yorkshire region.
Involvement in community sport projects can help tackle a wide range of issues including health, youth crime and unemployment.
The Tigers Trust runs the council’s Care to Dream sessions, which gives care leavers the opportunity to play football, socialise and offers additional services such as employability support. The Care to Dream sessions are part of the wider Premier League Charitable Kicks programme. Room 42 are currently looking to develop and extend these sessions.
Like the Hull KR Foundation, the trust also run a programme specifically for young care leavers.
One young care leaver supported by Room 42 has been though the club’s programme and is now employed. They will be an ambassador for the Care to Dream programme, helping to promote it and encourage even more young people to take part.
Room 42 are also working on opening the sessions up to care leavers from the East Riding.
Councillor Linda Tock, the portfolio holder for Children’s Services at Hull City Council, said: “The Hull KR Foundation and the Tigers Trust are doing wonderful work with us to expand opportunities for our care leavers. We want all care experienced young people in Hull to have their talent nurtured and to be given the chance to develop their skills and to thrive.
“They are just as passionate as we are about seeing all care leavers in our city reach their full potential.”
Paul Hamnet, the CEO of the Hull KR Foundation, said: “We are excited to be working with Room 42 and look forward to growing opportunities for care- experienced young people across the city and how we can play an important part in their lives.”
Kayleigh Jackson, Head of Community, Engagement and Safeguarding at the Tigers Trust, said: “We’re proud to continue working with Room 42 and Hull City Council’s Leaving Care Team on our Care to Dream programme, which supports care-experienced young people across the city. The programme is a strong reflection of Tigers Trust’s core values, and we’ve seen some fantastic success stories – particularly through our Tigers Pathways programme, which helps individuals move confidently towards employment. Together, we’re creating real opportunities and positive futures.”
Phil Morris, lead for Room 42, said: “We are excited to be working with the Tigers Trust and the Hull KR Foundation. Our Regeneration Champions are working hard to engage young people and link them up with the opportunities on offer. Both organisations do some amazing work with young people in the city and we hope to continue to develop our relationships to further support our care experienced young people. We are really grateful for their support.”
