The Julia Rausing Trust has awarded £10m in grants to charities to help them tackle youth homelessness.

Charities to share the money are Centrepoint, The Rock Trust, Llamau, MACS Supporting Children, Streetlife, 1625 Independent People and Nightstop Wyre Forest and South Worcestershire.

“Through The Julia Rausing Trust, we are increasingly focusing on prevention: recognising the warning signs earlier and ensuring young people receive the right support before difficult circumstances become a crisis,” said the funder’s chief executive Simon Fourmy.

“This £10 million programme brings together 31 organisations across the UK, combining early intervention with practical support for young people facing some of the most difficult circumstances. We hope it will enable these organisations to reach many more people and help build wider momentum around preventing youth homelessness.”

A focus of the funding is on backing early intervention.

Centrepoint has been awarded £2.5 million to expand its school-based early intervention programme Upstream England, that highlights the links between poor school attendance and homelessness in later life.

The grant builds on the Trust’s previous £3 million donation to Centrepoint’s Independent Living Programme in 2022, which supports vulnerable 18 to 25-year-olds who are homeless or at risk of homelessness by providing a home alongside access to a job or apprenticeship.

“The Trust’s strong focus on prevention is particularly inspiring,” said Centrepoint chief executive Seyi Obakin.

“By supporting Upstream programmes, pioneered in the UK by Llamau, we can help ensure that many more young people are protected from ever having to experience the devastating trauma of homelessness.”

Further grants will support the development of Upstream approaches across the UK, with £1 million awarded to The Rock Trust for work in Scotland, £500,000 to Llamau in Wales and £250,000 to MACS Supporting Children in Northern Ireland.

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