Pioneer FM partners with youth homelessness charity

When Pioneer FM was looking for charities to align ourselves with, a few organisations really stood out from the crowd. One of those was LandAid, which is on a mission to end youth homelessness in the UK.

It has a big ambition; to create 1,000 new homes for homeless people over the next three years. It’s doing this by bringing together organisations in the property sector to raise £3 million each year. And this money will be given out in grants to UK charities that renovate properties and create homes for young people.

This cause is very close to our CEO’s heart because she was once homeless herself. 

As a victim of domestic abuse, MJ fled her family home with her young sons, and she understands how events can lead to people losing their homes through no fault of their own.

Youth homelessness – a growing problem

Youth homelessness is a growing problem. Calls to national helplines this year already indicate that youth homelessness has risen by more than a third.

MJ said: “Becoming homeless is one of the worst things that can happen to a person. You become incredibly vulnerable, and many people can’t find a way out of that situation on their own. I was lucky, I had relatives who I eventually turned to, but many people don’t have that support network. 

“LandAid is doing vital work to protect young homeless people, and we are proud supporters of this amazing charity.”

Homelessness in Covid times

In 2020, LandAid gave over £1m in emergency funding to charities across the UK. As part of its Covid-19 response, it donated money to support young people, including grants for food shops, bills, and essential PPE. 

It also funded capital and digital projects which included creating safe and socially distanced spaces for young people, such as kitchens and showers, as well as implementing Wi-Fi at various sites.

Land Aid runs a pro bono programme which matches the professional skills of supporters with charities to help them save money and make a bigger impact in their communities.

Pioneer FM’s partnership with LandAid

It is early days in our partnership with LandAid, and we have already donated money to support its work, but we will also be committing to pro bono work in the future to help the charity in its mission.

LandAid’s chief executive, Paul Morrish, sees huge potential in companies in the property industry working together to achieve social change.

He said: “We work with some of the best, brightest and most progressive businesses and we are delighted to be working with Pioneer FM, helping us fundraise and offering skills and talents on a pro bono basis to make a difference for the thousands of people in our country who sadly don’t have a home. 

“We know accommodation isn’t the be all and end all which is why we work with some of the best charities around the country. We provide the accommodation to help them deliver services to those young people and every bit of help counts. 

“The more companies that help us, and the more people and volunteers that help our movement, the better, so we are delighted to have Pioneer FM on board.”

Over the next 12 months, the Pioneer FM family will be taking part in activities to help raise funds for LandAid. We will be announcing our first activities on this page soon.