Care Leavers celebrate!
Published Monday 31st October 11 in Council - news and information releases news
Young Southend Care Leavers are marking this major milestone in their lives with a balloon launch celebration at 3pm tomorrow (Tuesday 1st November).
Their positive messages about their experiences in care are being attached to the balloons they release near Uncle Tom's Cabin on Southend seafront tomorrow.
This is part of a country-wide balloon event launched by The National Young People's Benchmarking Forum (YPBMF) for national Care Leaver's week.
Young YPBMF members suggested the venture, to help raise the profile and change negative perceptions of young people leaving care.
Southend-on-Sea Borough Council's Executive Councillor for Children and Learning, Councillor Mark Flewitt said: "We are very pleased to celebrate our Care Leavers, and herald their achievements.
"Moving on towards adulthood is a testing time for anyone, and even more so for young people leaving care.
"Our young people are ambitious, hard working and courageous. We are so proud of them.
"Government figures today show Southend has the third highest numbers of Care Leavers in higher education across the whole country."
A young YPBMF member said: "We are fed up with hearing negative stories about young peoples' experiences and the public perception that we are troublemakers and low achievers.
"Young people leaving care face so many challenges and they do not always receive the encouragement and praise that they deserve.
"We wanted to unite young people from care to celebrate our achievements and help put a stop to these attitudes."
A Southend Care Leaver said: "I am now in my third and final year at University and I am so pleased that Care Leavers week is being celebrated as I have always felt embarrassed and ashamed of being in care.
"I am very grateful for the support and encouragement the Council has provided me with, to help me get to where I am today".