Shropshire Youth Support Trust receives funding from Nationwide Building Society

Shropshire Youth Support Trust (SYST) has received a grant of £48,000 from Nationwide Building Society as part of their Community Grants programme, which brings their members and colleagues together to help tackle the housing crisis.

The funding will enable Shropshire Youth Support Trust to fund a Full-time Project Co-ordinator and Full-time Youth Development Lead, which will help young NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training) to find good quality and fulfilling employment. Young people who are NEET are especially at risk of experiencing homelessness. Many of the young people we support experience numerous barriers to employment and without consistent employment, young people are at risk of becoming homeless. In Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin data shows that there are 92 young people aged 18-24 who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. We empower these young people control over their circumstances through employment and self-employment skills.

Richard Nuttall, Chief Executive at Shropshire Youth Support Trust said: “Grants and funding from businesses and individuals enables us to provide greater levels of support for more young people in Shropshire. This fantastic support from Nationwide Building Society, which we are incredibly grateful for, enables us to fund two members of our team at SYST who are providing valuable support for young people in shropshire.”

Britain’s biggest building society has run its Community Grants programme since 2017 – offering grants of up to £50,000 to local charities and projects, particularly those focussed on housing. This year, it’s awarded a total of £4.3 million to 96 housing related projects across the UK.

Craig Taylor, Senior Social Investment Manager at Nationwide Building Society, said: “Helping local communities and charities is at the heart of what it means to be a building society for Nationwide. We are pleased our Community Grants programme is going to make a difference through this £48,000 grant to Shropshire Youth Support Trust, helping them make a difference to the lives of those who rely on their services.”

Over the last five years, Nationwide Building Society has awarded £22 million to housing charities up and down the UK.

That means almost 118,500 people are now living safer, happier lives. From April 2023, Nationwide will be offering new grant applicants up to £60,000 to support those in housing need.