Supporting young people leaving care
We are united by the belief that every young person deserves a safe place to call home. Together, we are committed to delivering long-term, positive impact.
Over 11,000 young people leave the care system every year, often with little to no family network and in highly unstable housing situations:
- 1 in 3 care leavers become homeless within 2 years of leaving care
- 1 in 4 care leavers aged 19-21 are not in education employment or training
- 1 in 4 care leavers live on their own experiencing issues around loneliness and isolation
IKEA UK & Ireland and Barnardo’s believe it does not have to be this way. Our partnership utilises our shared knowledge, expertise and resources to improve the lives and lives at home for young people leaving care.
In 2020/21 our partnership delivered a positive impact on over 9,500 beneficiaries across the UK including young people leaving care – and this year we want to reach even more.
Our work so far
IKEA UK & Ireland and Barnardo’s have delivered a number of innovative and impactful projects over the last 12 months, including:
- Reaching 8,000 children, young people and families with wellbeing packs during COVID-19
- Supporting 1,105 young people to develop life at home skills through our Life Labs hub
- Providing 350 young people with digital skills to access employment and stay safe online
- Revamping over 30 Barnardo’s services across the UK into more welcoming spaces
- Launching our No Place Like Home advocacy report calling for change
- Raising over £100,000 for Barnardo’s through IKEA’s Sagoskatt campaign
- Raising an amazing £60,000 through fundraising activities to support Barnardo’s work
Barnardo’s vital frontline services can be found within a short distance of all 23 IKEA UK & Ireland stores, making it easy for store teams to support young people in local communities.
If you need any more information about the partnership, or would like to know more about how you can get involved, please contact IKEA@barnardos.org.uk.