A CHESTER city centre supported housing venue for young people has received a welcome £3,000 boost.

Cheshire West and Chester councillor Matt Bryan has donated £3,000 to Your Housing Group’s Bridge Foyer in Tower Road, Chester to help fund the development of a relaxation room for the young residents to take time out.

As a former resident at Bridge Foyer, Cllr Matt Bryan has a full appreciation of the great work that goes into supporting and working with the young people and the positive impact it makes.

He said: “I've experienced first-hand the care that the Bridge Foyer and their staff give and it's a privilege to be in a position to help out with this excellent addition to the accommodation."

The generous donation was made as part of an arranged visit to the Foyer to celebrate the National Housing Federation’s Starts at Home Day, which shines a light on the important role of supported housing.

Foyers provide supported housing for young people aged 16-25 who for various reasons are at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness prior to their move to a Foyer.

In addition to accommodation, Foyers also provide residents with support to access learning, training, and employment opportunities, as well as developing life skills such as cooking, cleaning, and budgeting.

Your Housing Group has four foyers across the North West including Bridge Foyer; Verve Place in Warrington, Ravenshead Foyer in St Helens and Coops Foyer in Wigan. All four foyers have received the highest level of Foyer Federation Accreditation, for the third year running.

For Starts at Home Day Mike Gaskell, chair of Your Housing Group, visited Bridge Foyer and joined colleagues and residents for brunch when they sat down and talked about their experience living there.

Commenting on his visit, Mike said: “It was wonderful to spend time with the residents and our colleagues here today to celebrate Starts at Home Day.

"Supported housing provides a safe and secure place for people to call home, where they can feel respected and heard. Not just in foyers, which are for young people, but all supported homes make such a difference to people’s lives helping them to find or maintain independence.

"The work that our Foyers do is incredible, and the young people we have met today are truly inspiring. It was fantastic to hear about how they are each working to create positive opportunities for themselves, and along with the fantastic care and support of the team here I have no doubt they will achieve all of their goals.”

“Why would anyone not want to live here? You’re all wonderful,” shared Jinx.

“It’s a safe haven. A really good place to get back on your feet,” said Jacob.

The residents also took the opportunity to speak directly to Mike and Paula Marshall, director of housing & customer service, to gain a better understanding of the wider organisation, and to feedback some thoughts on improvements to the Foyers.

As part of the regular Foyer weekly schedule, residents attend a resident meeting during which they can feedback about life at the Foyer and talk about any changes they would like to see. In a recent meeting a group said that they would like a dedicated relaxation room.

Cllr Matt Bryan’s donation will help to fund this room, as well as some other much needed resources.

Mike Gaskell, Chair of Your Housing Group, added “a big thank you to Matt Bryan for this generous donation to support the residents’ vision for a new relaxation room.”

Your Housing Group is one of the UK's largest housing providers with over 29,000 homes across the North West, Yorkshire and the Midlands.