Do you have what it takes to change a life?

Do you want to make a huge difference to someone’s life?

Do you enjoy going to the cinema, cafés or playing football? If so, why not become an Independent Visitor volunteer and make a huge impact in a young person’s life by building not only rapport, but confidence – you may even enjoy yourself at the same time!

If you have 4 hours a month to spare, you can be a truly significant and positive influence on a young person, who may lack an adult role model to enjoy life’s simple pleasures with or gain emotional support from.

Like some young people, Paul 15 has lived most of his life in care and foster housing and has received regular support from various organisations, including No Limits’ Advocacy service. Aside from the essential help he has been provided, Paul would love a mentor, a supporter, a friend -someone he can relate to, talk to and spend time with – independent of an official capacity. Like Paul, other young people require a male IV and currently demand is outstripping supply.

No Limits will provide necessary training for our Independent Visitor Volunteers (IVs), support and expenses, to enable the successful relationship between young person and IV to continue for at least a year. We ask that you as a volunteer are committed enough, so a sustainable relationship with the young person can be managed. Many individuals in care and foster homes lack the consistency many are fortunate to have and we want to nurture the rapport with the young person, over a minimum period of time. No Limits will assist the process and facilitate the Independent Visitor volunteer, so the needs of the young person can be met.

Try our statistics quiz on young people and care – it may surprise you (answer at the bottom)

#1 How Many children are in care at any one time in the UK?

33,000                    88,000                       44,000           91,000

#2  What percentage of looked after children were in foster care placements?

20%                           50%                         73%               49%

#3   What % of care leavers go onto University?

 45%                           62%                          6%              15%

#4 In 2010 1 in 10 children had how many different placements? (foster care)

5                                10                           3                         1

#5 By the age of 19, how many care leavers are not in education, employed or training?

1/3                               ½                         80%                       60%

Imagine the huge difference you could make by spending time with a young person who just needs encouragement, support and your time.  Many youngsters would benefit from spending time with an unbiased adult who can listen to problems, or take a young person to a café for a cup of tea and cake.

No Limits needs you! You can apply by emailing enquiries@nolimitshelp.org.uk or calling 023 8023 6237 and visiting http://nolimitshelp.org.uk. You do not need youth work experience just a positive attitude, commitment and a wish to be a encouraging and consistent influence on a young person.

Answers:

#1 91,000 #2 50% #3 6% #4 5 #5 1/3

Four ways of investing in No Limits (probably) the best charity in Southampton (and possibly Hampshire)

At No Limits we need to raise about £1.2 million per year to ensure that we can continue to offer our excellent services to the young people of Southampton and across Hampshire. Many of these young people are disadvantaged or vulnerable. We all know fundraising is getting tougher. A recent Guardian Article ‘Charity donations and donors decrease, says survey’ commented on the recent survey of more than 3,000 people conducted by the Office for National Statistics. It found that donations to charity fell by 20% during 2011/12. The public gave £1.7bn less to charity this year, with the total amount given to charities by people across the UK falling from £11bn in 2010/11 to £9.3bn during 2011/12.

We do not want to cut back our services or dip into our reserves. So we need to find other sources of funding.

Support us by:

• Organising an event and donate the proceeds to No Limits. We can help you with this. Have fun and raise money!
• Sending a text to 70070 with the words NLIM01 and the amount that you want to donate. Easy peasy!
• Donate to No Limits through Everyclick . Any amount is welcome or set up a standing order. Excellent!
• Buy all of your goods online through Give as You Live. Free money!

Donors don’t give to institutions. They invest in ideas and people in whom they believe.

-G.T. Smith

No Limits:Helping young people help themselves.

Paul: From No Limits: Helping vulnerable young people with their housing.

Paul works at No Limits as a Housing Worker. He started off by volunteering for us but almost a year ago became a paid worker. In a typical day Paul will help young people (often those who are very vulnerable) find accommodation but also ensure that they do not lose their tenancies. Most of his work is with the A2T project where No Limits engages with private landlords In Southampton and Eastleigh to provide accommodation for young people. He also supports young offenders to find accommodation after leaving prison or Young Offenders Institutions through our Next Steps project that specifically works with young offenders, care leavers and those who are young carers. He is also part of our Street Safe Team that aims to prevent young people sleeping on the streets of Southampton and respond quickly to those found rough sleeping by providing housing advice, support and access to accommodation. Paul feels that his greatest achievement in his work is when he supports  a young offender by finding them accommodation and because of his support the young person does not reoffend and does not end up going back into prison. That is a great result!

Paul also has a life outside working for No Limits:

Biopic: Paul likes red meat and, if pushed, prefers to listen to Ollie Murs or Robbie Williams. He likes reading mainly non-fiction books about law and psychology. His film of the year is ‘Dark Night Rising’. Hobbies and Sports include boxing, cycling, swimming and going to the gym. In his spare time he helps out at a local youth club…..

No Limits: Helping young people help themselves

Follow us on Twitter @nolimitshelp

Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity; it is an act of justice

A recent report ‘Campaign to end Child Poverty’ has shown that on average throughout the UK, one in five children are classified as below the poverty line.

The Joseph Roundtree Foundation quotes: The proportion of children living in poverty has risen considerably in the last 30 years. In 1968 one in ten children lived in poverty (1.4 million children). By 1995 it was one in three (4.3 million children). The UK has proportionally more children in poverty than most rich countries. All political parties have signed up to the goal of ending child poverty by 2020 and to the 2010 Child Poverty Act enshrining this in law.

In Southampton (Itchen) where No Limits supports children and young people  6,015 children are in poverty i.e. 29% of the total population of children….the same as Glasgow North and Walthamstow.

However here at No Limits this (unfortunately) does not come as a surprise. The IMD (Index of Multiple Deprivation) puts Southampton in the bottom 25% of cities/towns across the UK. This means that the young people and children that we support are already at a distinct disadvantage compared with the majority of young people across the UK.

No Limits:Helping young people help themselves

Nelson Mandela “Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom’’