An innovative new Health Fund tackling youth homelessness could generate almost £1M in economic benefits, a new report from Pro Bono Economics (PBE) has found. One-fifth of the benefits is likely to come from reduced demand on NHS mental health services, while 60% will come from increasing the chances of young people finding employment in more productive roles over their working life.
Launching today, the Health Fund by End Youth Homelessness – a UK-wide movement of local charities tackling youth homelessness – will enable member charities to provide vulnerable young people with access to appropriate care such as sessions with dedicated mental health care workers and bursaries. As the founding funder, The Body Shop pledges to raise £220,000 by donating 10p from all Body Butter sales between now and the 30th September 2021.
The Health Fund comes at a crucial time as the latest reported youth homelessness figures released pre-Covid saw a 10 per cent rise of young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness across the UK in 2020. Since then, EYH Member Charity, Centrepoint have reported that calls to their helpline surged by a third since the start of lockdown. Most alarmingly, calls from young people sleeping rough and without anywhere to stay at all more than doubled during this period.
A shocking 80% of homeless people report struggles with mental health, however a number of services and support networks have closed down since the start of the pandemic . Factors such as shame, feeling like a burden and low self-esteem can have a crushing effect on young people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness, with 18% admitting to having attempted suicide. Furthermore, national data demonstrates the cyclical nature of the issue – 26% of homeless people in the UK cite mental health issues as the reason for becoming homeless .
For further information on the initiative and how to donate, visit www.thebodyshop.com/youth-homelessness
