A Coventry charity has helped almost 200 young people tackle the cost-of-living crisis after the latest round of support from a long-established city institution.
Positive Youth Foundation (PYF) has provided more than 600 meals and over 1000 hours of tutoring to 178 11–18-year-olds in Coventry thanks to funding from Coventry Building Society – and is hoping for the strong start to continue until the end of the scheme in March.
The two organisations have worked together to support Coventry communities since April 2021, but the latest support to tackle the cost-of-living crisis has been one of the most important interventions from their city neighbours according to Operations Director Krishan Singh.
PYF’s Winter Youth Clubs initiative was launched after Coventry Building Society announced a £1 million donation to fund cost of living support in Coventry in November 2022 including £250,000 for food and emergency support in every school in Coventry, and £200,000 for the city’s 15 social supermarkets.
Krishan said: “The funding from Coventry Building Society has been absolutely vital to the support we are offering young people in the city. The partnership has yielded some great results over the years but the impact of these clubs has been felt by so many families in the community.
“One of our main goals is to give young people the tools and awareness to identify issues as they are unfolding so that they themselves can go on to support vulnerable people in their communities and be part of the solution.
“We want to empower young people to support their local community and combat the challenges we all face regarding the increased cost of living, and we are thrilled that we have been able to reach so many people with the support of Coventry Building Society, with two months still to go thanks to the funding.”
The Winter Youth Clubs, which run every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Hillfields Young People’s Centre, provide a warm space and hot meal for young people to take home or distribute in their community – reducing the financial pressure on families in the area.
Young people can also access a professional tutor, IT equipment, and a range of activities to promote education, community, and good mental wellbeing. Food parcels are also available for young people to pick up outside of PYF’s opening hours.
Anna Cuskin, Corporate Responsibility Manager at Coventry Building Society, which was named Corporate Partner of the Year at PYF’s tenth anniversary celebrations in December 2022, said:
“Since April 2021, our partnership with PYF has seen numerous benefits for young people including donations of IT equipment, funding to support refugees settle in the city and more recently, the Winter Youth Clubs.
“We understand the cost-of-living crisis is making lives harder and we hope our support will shine a light on the help that’s available locally to people who need it the most.
“We look forward to continuing working with PYF to provide funding and support so they can deliver programmes and initiatives that make a lasting impact within Coventry’s communities.”
