2020-21 was a year of constant upheaval, during which we had to live our value of being dynamic in our approach on a daily basis. When looking back on this tumultuous year, the story of New Horizon is one of change and consistency. This report tells that story, and in doing so confirms the values at the heart of what we do.
The Covid-19 pandemic increased youth homelessness to a degree no one could have prepared for. Virtually overnight we went from an entirely in-person service to a mixed, hybrid delivery, constantly adapting to meet the needs of young Londoners with nowhere safe to go. How we worked may have changed, but our ‘why’ did not. We continued to advocate for young people, getting them on the agenda in housing provision and youth justice, during and beyond the pandemic.
We learned a lot this year. The resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement reminded us that we need to be ever more dedicated to achieve our anti-racism commitments. We drew valuable lessons from further testing the hybrid delivery model of our services, which we’re strengthening and taking forward. And we learned that, via our evidence, partnerships and policy activities, we can pack a punch in setting up new initiatives and making things better for the young people we don’t necessarily see at our services.
The year included many positive things that we’ve taken into 2021-22 to improve our offering and strengthen our resilience. A huge thank you to everyone who has found a way to so generously support our work, whether financially, in-person or online, as staff, volunteers and trustees in these most challenging of times.
