Saint-Gobain and Barnardo's have created the first two Gap Homes in Renfrewshire, an initiative designed to address the shortage of appropriate accommodation for young people leaving care.
1 in 4 young people leaving care face ‘unsuitable’ accommodation such as run down B&B's and campsites, with a third becoming homeless within two years. There is a high cost to society of these failed placements and local authorities face 3-year placement costs ranging from £30,000 to almost £100,000 per care leaver.
Saint-Gobain and Barnardo's Gap Homes are self-contained homes which will provide a safe and sustainable environment from which young people can learn skills such as cooking and budgeting, to support their independence and bridge the gap between care and permanent tenancy.
The partnership between Saint-Gobain and Barnardo’s includes plans to build 50 Gap Homes over the next 5 years, which has the potential to transform hundreds of lives for decades to come.
Speaking about the initiative, Richard Batley, HR and CSR Director, Saint-Gobain, said:
We are proud to support Barnardo's and create the first two Gap Homes. By building purpose built accommodation specifically designed for young people and providing training opportunities we are helping them to overcome some of the significant challenges that they may face. This couldn’t have been possible without the support of Saint-Gobain employees, who have gone above and beyond to make this a reality, raising £200,000 and reflecting our purpose of ‘Making the World a Better Home’.
Find out more about this project in the 2021 Saint-Gobain Gap Homes Report, which is available here. Saint-Gobain also support Barnardo’s through the YouthBuild Academy, which provides young people with the skills and training to become the future of construction.
