2014 - 2015 Project: South Tyneside Churches KEY Project

The church project from September 2014 to August 2015 was to help the South Tyneside Churches KEY Project.

Elvet Methodist Church supports a different project each year, alternating between local projects, and overseas projects.

 

.Tyneside KEY project

South Tyneside Churches KEY Project

Vision

We believe that no young person in South Tyneside should be homeless and we will work to motivate and guide these young people through a process of positive change so they can move forward to live independent and successful lives.

Kwagala childrenMission Statement

KEY is committed to helping young people living in hardship or under the threat of homelessness to live independent and successful lives.

Values

Our values underpin everything we do:

Some background

KEY was established in 1992 as a direct response to the death of a homeless young man on the streets of South Shields. Churches Together in South Tyneside were appalled that such a thing could happen in their town and decided to seek to respond to the needs of young homeless people.

Initially they collected food and cleaning materials to give out to young people in need. Today, a group of volunteers put together Emergency Support Packs to assist young people starting out on their first tenancy, between benefit claims or, simply, in need.

Strickland house

Strickalnd house

Strickland house during refurbishment

In order to prevent young people from becoming homeless in the first place, KEY provides a mediation service for young people and their families with a view to the young people remaining at home or returning there. However, if necessary, KEY also assists some young people to find and keep a home, working closely with housing providers, colleges and youth services.

They opened "Flavia House" as a pilot project to provide a home and training for five young people.  They give them the skills they need to run a home of their own.   This project was such a success that they set about raising funds to open a second property.   After three years’ hard work, prayer and determination they managed to obtain a second property, Strickland house, which will house four young people.  The property is currently in the process of being refurbished to the required standards.

Elvet member, Jean Burnside, is Chief Officer of KEY and an experienced social worker. She works with voluntary organisations to ensure that KEY does its best for the young homeless of South Tyneside.

With all the recent cuts to funding, local authorities and voluntary organisations alike are struggling for funding. All have to “deliver more for less” and KEY has had to make staff members redundant in recent months. Despite this, KEY is keen to develop the second, 4-bed, property, Strickland house- as this is the right way forward for the organization.

Elvet raised £21,600 over the year, to support young people to find and keep a home. In particular the money will be used towards setting up Strickland house. 

Previous Projects

We support a different project each year.  We alternate between local projects, and overseas projects. Projects over recent years have been:

We also support charities with a retiring collection after our communion services.

Return to top