Bardsley Youth Project assists young people grappling with complex issues that lead to, contribute to, or arise from homelessness. We often work with individuals who have fallen through the cracks of other support systems and are frequently referred to us by agencies that find their needs beyond the remit of their services.
At age 18 Yusaf was temporarily housed in a unit for young people experiencing homelessness. He wanted to move towards independence, but without support he was not equipped to take positive steps forward with his life.
He started to come to Bardsley when he had run out food and money, meaning he had nothing to eat, but once we had built trust with him he knew he could ask for support when he needed it most. From this trusting connection, Yusaf has been able to work with Bardsley on both his practical and emotional needs – developing his personal skills while also moving towards his independent home. We were able to support him in finding secure living arrangements through the council, which has given him a platform to keep progressing from.

“Bardsley was always there to help. They’ve been brilliant and helped me through my lowest days when I had nothing Bardsley was always there to help me. I first met the Bardsley team at Coventry foyer. The helped me find a better and more suitable accommodation sorted food out for me when I had none. They’ve been supportive through my personal issues as well. They helped sort my Homefinder out and when I was about to be kicked out of the Foyer they helped get me into where I live now and it’s been really good for me.”
This is just one of our young people's stories. Bardsley Youth Project initially emerged as a youth work charity, conducting youth groups throughout the city. While our focus has shifted from traditional youth work to addressing homelessness, the core principles of building rapport, trust, and mutual respect remain integral to our youth-centred approach. These are complemented by the expertise of our staff, who are specifically trained to handle housing, benefits, and homelessness-related issues.
We have over several years built up several different service components that we can combine with our person-centred approach to support. For instance, someone in Yusaf's position could benefit from utilising our food bank, hardship support, 1:1 practical & emotional support, as well as our loaner white goods program, kitchen, and hygiene packs when moving into their own independent accommodation.

This winter we are running our third warm space at the youth centre. Allowing young people, like Yusaf, to charge their phones, keep warm, socialise, and access support. This year we have chosen to expand our offering to tackle not only fuel poverty but also food poverty among young people in the city.

However, we need your help to tackle food poverty amoung young people in Coventry. Thanks to donations from organisations, individuals, and people like you, we have filled nearly half of our need for warm nutritious meals over the 24-25 winter period. Think you can help? It’s simple: every £5 buys 1 meal.

If you or your organisation would like to donate, you can do so here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/nourish-connect-support
To learn more about the campaign head to: https://www.bardsleyyouth.org/post/nourish-connect-support-young-people-donate-now-coventry-5-pounds-buys-one-meal
To discuss PR around your donation, please contact Rachel on rachel@bardsleyyouth.org.
When you donate, we love to share the impact of your donation. So please don’t hesitate to get in touch.