Care leavers’ stories highlighted by charity
Flying Solo’s funding appeal
LEAVING care can be a daunting time for young people.
Many face discrimination and find themselves lonely or lacking support, and that’s exactly what one Portsmouth-based charity is trying to tackle.
Flying Solo offers support, encouragement and financial assistance to care leavers that most people receive from their parents.
The charity is marking National Care Leavers’ Week, which runs from October 26 until November 1, by sharing care leavers’ stories.
Chairman Nassar Kessell, 23, entered care aged 14 and was moved to different carers until he turned 17.
Nassar said: ‘My experience of the care system was very mixed and although statistically I’m one of the successes, I believe this was due to the additional personal support I received from outside social care rather than those who should have been providing it.’
Nassar is currently a Liberal Democrat district councillor in West Berkshire as well as a school governor for the Waterloo School.
‘I do not have a family, although I do have a girlfriend and two pugs – if that counts!’ he said.
Nassar has chaired the local Children in Care Council for four years.
He said: ‘Being a care leaver myself, I have seen the challenges we face. From systematic discrimination to preconceived opinions. But Flying Solo is so much more than that and it means so much more to me than that – we want to celebrate the success of care leavers.’
He is calling for more funding from central government.
He said: ‘The government needs to start properly funding social care. So many support services have been cut over the last 10 years and this will inevitably have a negative impact on the outcomes of young people.
‘Care leavers get limited and reduced support from the council, most of the council support is geared towards children’s social care. Care leavers can access support, in some circumstances, until 25. But 90 per cent of council support drops off at 18.’
Flying Solo relies on donations and is run by a group of 10 volunteers.
The charity has secured funding for a helpline and mentoring service, which will launch on December 1 and run until January 10. It will be managed almost entirely by care leavers and will service around 600 people.