A team from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office has taken part in charity hike to the highest point in Surrey to raise money for a key service supporting homeless young people.
A number of PCC staff, including the Deputy Commissioner Ellie Vesey-Thompson, joined organisers and young people from the Amber Foundation in completing the 10km route last weekend at Leith Hill near Dorking.
Amber are a fantastic organisation who transform the lives of young people by providing them with temporary accomodation and a programme of support to help them get their lives back on track.
They support young people aged from 17 to 30 by providing a shared home with a community of around 30 others. Staff there deliver a programme of training and activities based around accommodation, employment and health and wellbeing.
The Commissioner’s office provides funding for three beds at their centre near Ockley through its dedicated Reducing Reoffending Fund and the aim of the hike was to raise money to help towards paying for another bed space.
It’s not too late to donate – you can support Amber here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/hikethehill23
A back injury meant the Commissioner Lisa Townsend had to sit out the hike but she was there to cheer on everyone who completed the hike at the finishing line.
She had previously paid a visit to the Amber centre a few weeks ago to meet some of the fantastic team and hear about some of the young people they support.
Lisa said: “Sadly, many young people who have experienced childhood trauma or escaped domestic violence or a difficult situation at home can find themselves with nowhere to live.
“Sleeping on sofas or in hostels can often mean they struggle to find work or maintain education which can have a devastating effect on their self-confidence and mental health.
“This sadly all too often results in them drifting into substance or alcohol abuse and crime and it can be a vicious spiral that is hard to break.
“Reducing reoffending is a really important focus for my office and I strongly believe if the right services are offered to young people whose lives may have gone off track – we can steer them away from criminality meaning the communities in which they live will also benefit.
“Nearly three quarters of those who move on from Amber have managed to go to independent, safe housing with a job or back into education which is an amazing statistic
“That is why I am delighted to support this brilliant event which I hope can help Amber go even further in having such a positive impact on young people’s lives.”
