Mayor of Malvern visits our young people’s services supported by Travis Perkins and Wychavon District Council

We welcomed the Mayor of Malvern, Councillor Marilyn Birks, to The Foyer earlier this month to learn more about our specialist housing services for young people.  

The visit came after the Mayor met our colleagues at a recent community event and expressed an interest in seeing the project first hand.  

Councillor Birks was joined by Jen Taylor from Wychavon District Council, which contributes financially to the scheme, and Ben Clifford and Michelle Smith from Travis Perkins Managed Services or TPMS, whose Community Legacy Fund is providing £20,000 per year for the next five years to help sustain the service.  

The TPMS Social Value Fund is designed to create lasting impact in local communities.  In addition to financial aid, the fund has delivered donated materials, unlocked training opportunities and volunteer hours across hundreds of projects nationwide.  

The Foyer and neighbouring Somers Park Avenue provide supported accommodation for young people aged 16 to 25, as well as helping them to develop life skills, gain confidence and move into independent living.  

Marion Duffy, our Chief Operations Officer said: “We were delighted to welcome the Mayor, Wychavon District Council and Travis Perkins to see the difference this partnership is making.  The Foyer is all about giving young people the stability, support and opportunities they need to build a positive future.  The continued commitment from our partners ensures we can keep delivering this vital service.”  

Councillor Marilyn Birks, Mayor of Malvern, said: “It was a pleasure to visit The Foyer and hear about the life changing support being provided.  This is an invaluable service for our community and it’s fantastic to see such strong partnerships working together to make it possible.  I would like to express my congratulations and gratitude for the work they do to help young people overcome adversity and build a better future for themselves.”  

Ben Clifford, Senior Account Manager (South) at Travis Perkins Managed Services said: “We’re incredibly proud to be supporting The Foyer and Somers Park Avenue through our Community Legacy Fund.  Visiting the project has been inspiring, it really brings to life the social value we’re striving to achieve through partnerships like this.”  

The visit also highlighted our ambition to create apprenticeship and employment opportunities for young people moving on from supported accommodation, encouraging local employers and training providers to engage with the service and help open new pathways into work.  

The Foyer and Somers Park Avenue are part of our Young People’s Services, which provide accommodation, tailored support and life skills training for young people facing homelessness or other challenges.  Over its long history of providing young people with housing and support, the service has  supported hundreds of young people to stabilise their lives, continue education or training and move on successfully into independent living.  

Photo caption:  The Mayor of Malvern, Councillor Marilyn Birks, with representatives from Platform Housing Group, Wychavon District Council and Travis Perkins Managed Services during a visit to The Foyer in Malvern.