Buzzacott helps London's young homeless

Young. Homeless. In urgent need of advice, medical facilities and the basics of life. Hardly Buzzacott’s typical client profile but exactly the kind we look to help through our Stuart Defries Memorial Fund.

The Fund is dedicated to helping socially and economically deprived young people under 25 in the City and its adjoining boroughs – exactly the clients of the New Horizon Youth Centre (NHYC), with whom we have been working throughout 2010.

NHYC came to us for help in funding an advisory programme for their NEET youngsters. NEET – Not in Education, Employment or Training – teaches the skills necessary to break the cycle of homelessness and unemployment.

When we first talked to NHYC we were struck by how well they met our criteria. We visited their centre in King’s Cross and awarded them a grant. They became our adopted charity in March, and ever since, staff have been volunteering their time, running workshops, coaching interview technique and giving the youngsters “taster” days at the office.

NHYC is our main, but not our only current project. Other charities we have supported in the past year include, amongst others, Inspirations, which provides holidays for deprived inner London kids; St Giles Trust, that trains former young offenders to be peer advisors, and the Challenger Trust, helping to provide a five-day residential programme for young people in Hackney.

These projects are part of an ongoing commitment by Buzzacott to channel 1% of profits through the Fund into helping disadvantaged youngsters. As well as grants, the Fund matches any donations by staff and invites them to give 14 hours of their time, subsidised by the firm. In the last five years, 2,500 hours of volunteer time have been given together with £85,000 in grants.