Each young person who comes to New Horizon Youth Centre has a different story, but they are all here for the same reason. They have found themselves unhoused or unsafe in our capital city. While we work hard to find them a safe place to call home
Every year, from Christmas to New Year’s Eve, we keep our community connected and doors open when many other services are closed. We welcome young people with nowhere else to go, offering warm meals, a special Christmas dinner, and thoughtful gifts.
New Horizon makes the BIGGEST difference to the lives of young people, through our housing advice, support services and the community we create. Through taking part in our BIG Christmas Give, you can make the BIGGEST difference to young people too. Every donation we receive 3rd-10th December will be doubled, so your impact will go further.
Last year, more than DOUBLE the number of young people came to us over the Christmas period than the year before, showing how important keeping the doors open over the Christmas period is.
We spoke with young people Casey, Samaria, and Nick to share their stories and find out the BIGGEST difference New Horizon has made to them and what they would DOUBLE if given the chance.
CASEY, 19
“The biggest difference that New Horizon has made to me is bringing me a safe home, safe place to go back to. Even the basics such as having a toilet and a bathroom, that has made a massive difference to going back to reality, something normal and feeling like everything’s going to be okay again. And also creating a support system that I can always go back to regardless where I am.”
“I would double New Horizon’s reach and its audience because I am one of many [young people affected by homelessness] and if other young people could know that this is the number to call, this is a place to go, it will make a significant difference to people. It will make it quicker [for young people to get support] as well, when getting support from elsewhere is really slow at the moment.”
You can read Casey’s full story here.
SAMARIA, 19
“The biggest thing I have received from New Horizon is the support from the people who worked where I lived at the Youth Hub. They really helped me with a lot of stuff… I don’t think I’d be here today if it wasn’t for them.”
“The best thing I’ve done at New Horizon is making a really, really close friend that I think will be in my life for a really long time. It was really bonding to share that kind of experience together.”
“ If I could double something that New Horizon does, it would be to double the bed spaces [in the Youth Hub]. I think it’s very important for young people to get the help they need because a lot of young people, especially in London, experience homelessness. A lot of the people around me have experienced homelessness.”
You read Samaria’s full story here.
NICK, 21
“I’d say the biggest difference New Horizon made to me is my mindset and my drive.”
“The biggest thing I have received from New Horizon is a community. Because it’s like everyone’s got the same kind of experience that everyone can relate in some way or form.”
Read Nick’s full story here.
We provide winter clothing for young people to keep them warm until the weather improves. £38 provides two young people with winter clothing essential kits, so if you give a donation of only £19 you could have the the same impact.
To make sure no young person who comes to us for support spends a night sleeping outside over Christmas, we book them into emergency accommodation. By donating £45, you could cover the cost of two nights’ accommodation, providing a safe place to sleep during the holidays.
Last year, we welcomed 70 young people to our day centre over the Christmas period. It costs us £350 to provide a warm meal for all of them each day. You could enable 70 young people to join us around the table for a wonderful Christmas dinner with a donation of just half that, £175.
Help us give young people a Christmas to remember and give the gift of community by donating to donate to the Big Give Christmas Challenge now.
