MEMBERS of the SW Midland Region of the National Council of Women, met in Hampton Bishop Village Hall on April 16 and found Alicia Lawrence of SHYPP to be a lively and inspiring speaker. The Hereford Supported Housing for Young People Project, which is part of the nationwide Foyer Federation, has Foyers in Hereford, Ross and Leominster. Each building provides single unit accommodation for young people who are in need of supported lodgings and guidance through a difficult period whilst growing up and achieving independent living. The team of 23 adults help the young people by focussing on what they can achieve, while showing them basic skills for life in a safe environment. Most of the tenants apply for help themselves, often through the Housing Solution Team in Franklin House.

They are then subject to a risk-assessment and are taken through the reality of leaving home and the possibility of working with family first. Commitment from the young person is vital to their continuing in Foyer and SHYPP arranges input from many agencies. The DWP supports the fact of higher rental at Foyer, because of the support provided, but as soon as a resident gets a reasonably well-paid job, that support goes. A major difficulty for SHYPP now is to access funding after the changes to welfare come in April 2017. The benefit system is complicated now, but when the housing cost element of Universal Credit goes it will be hard for the young moving on from Foyer. Local authority funding for SHYPP itself will decrease until it ends in March 2018. Members were moved by two small films of young people endorsing the work of SHYPP which had changed their lives from wretched teenagers to qualified, productive adulthood. These were now people who contribute to society instead of – as could be the possible alternative – troubled people who cost the authorities more. The next topic was housing provision for the elderly. Privately owned retirement complexes are recognised as a sensible first step for older people down-sizing, with the security provided by on-site management. This arrangement seems to help to prolong good health, as opposed to going too soon into a care home, no matter how excellent. local authority provision at affordable rents would be a worthwhile social and financial project.

NCW plans to research further and a report will be prepared on the findings.

NCW is open to all women at discussion groups and men are welcome to speaker meetings. Most recent speakers have come from St Michael's hospice and the Herefordshire Council Recycling Dept. and on May 4 we hear latest on the Swansea Lagoon Product and Karen Usher will come later to talk on the Hereford's University. Contact ncwgb.org or 01432 264366 and 01981 540966.