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How we’ve helped: Youth on the Move

For families navigating the uncertainty of temporary or emergency accommodation, the cost-of-living crisis has turned the basic need for nutritious food into a daily struggle. Many households, particularly those in Hackney, face the compounding pressures of unemployment and unstable housing, which often result in food insecurity. For the children in these families, the effects are immediate: hunger, fatigue, and poor concentration, all of which directly undermine their education and long-term potential.

Youth on the Move is a vital community partner with extensive experience in supporting disadvantaged young people. By leveraging their close ties with local secondary schools and community networks, they are uniquely positioned to identify families experiencing housing instability who are often overlooked and reluctant to seek formal help.

How our funding helped

Our grant supported the Youth on the Move Essential Food Assistance Programme, which provided targeted relief to 20 disadvantaged families currently living in temporary accommodation.

The funding was directly utilized to:

Provide Immediate Relief: Distributed £100 food vouchers to each of the 20 participating families.
Ensure Nutritional Security: Enabled families to purchase fresh, essential groceries, ensuring children have access to regular, nutritious meals.
Reduce Financial Pressure: Alleviated the strain of daily expenses caused by the high cost of living and limited cooking facilities in temporary housing.

Meeting an urgent need

Youth on the Move operates with a discreet and culturally sensitive approach, specifically tailored to the needs of large families facing significant financial pressure. Because many of these families are hesitant to seek mainstream support, the charity’s established presence in schools enables it to deliver aid where it is needed most, without the barriers or stigma that often prevent families from coming forward.

Impact on wellbeing

This project has had a clear, measurable impact on the health and stability of the 80 beneficiaries involved. By removing the immediate worry of how to put food on the table, parents are better able to manage their households, while children are better equipped to engage effectively in their education. This “light-touch” intervention creates the breathing room these families need to focus on stability and health rather than immediate survival.

Why this work matters

Youth on the Move demonstrates the power of hyper-local, targeted support. By identifying “hidden” families in crisis and providing practical, dignified assistance, they ensure that housing instability does not dictate a child’s ability to thrive. We are proud to support an organisation that turns community knowledge into immediate, life-changing action.