PR06.013
16th October 2006

SMH residents help orphanages in Eastern Europe

Two young women, Cheri Beech and Paula Manley, from Suffolk are preparing themselves for a fortnight's expedition to Bulgaria in November 2006 where they and a team of eight others will take part in a Prince's Trust community project repairing orphanages.

The project, aimed at 18-25-year-olds who are unemployed and in care or have previously been in care, is a 12-week course. Most of the course preparation has been taking place at Haverhill Fire Station however this week (18-20 th October) there is also a team building residential at Leiston Abbey.

Cheri, 21-years-old from Bury St Edmunds and Paula, 20-years-old from Haverhill are both residents at St Matthew Housing (SMH), which is a charity that provides supported accommodation for single people who are either homeless or unsuitably housed around East Anglia and the East Midlands.

“I love the course – it gives me so much confidence. I would not speak up before but now I do,” Cheri enthused. “I am really looking forward to going to Bulgaria , especially as I have never been abroad before.”

Wendy Cullingworth , Chief Executive for St Matthew Housing said, “This is an unbelievable opportunity for our SMH residents to travel to the other side of Europe and help people in more need than themselves.

“SMH is delighted to be working in partnership with The Prince's Trust. The course is really worthwhile for our two residents as it builds their confidence, motivation and self esteem and they work towards a City & Guilds qualification, which could improve Cheri and Paula's employment opportunities.”

Richard Garnett, Development Manager for the Prince's Trust in Suffolk said, “Our European Programme is a fantastic opportunity for young people to overcome barriers that prevent them from accessing education, training or employment.

“The focus from day one of the course is to encourage the ten participants to work together as a team, and the three-day residential at Leiston Abbey plays a vital part in this.

As well as learning about Bulgarian language and culture from of our Bulgarian host partner, the group learns to live and work together by tackling several different problem solving and team building exercises during their stay at Leiston Abbey.

“The residential is invaluable preparation for the hard work that lies ahead in Bulgaria .”

NOTES TO EDITORS

You are invited to a press opportunity at Leiston Abbey on Friday 20th October2006 at 10.30am to see the team building activities the young adults are completing in preparation for their community project in Bulgaria . There will also be the opportunity to interview Graham Ball, Regional Director for the East of England at the Prince's Trust and Richard Robinson , Funding and Marketing Manager at St Matthew Housing. Please ring Sarah Yarrow, Funding and Marketing Assistant at SMH to confirm your attendance on 01284 732574.

St Matthew Housing (SMH) is a charity that provides supported accommodation for single people who are either homeless or unsuitably housed. SMH provide resettlement support to enable residents to successfully move on to independent accommodation and outreach support to external clients who are at risk of losing their tenancies and becoming homeless.

The Prince's Trust is a UK charity that helps young people overcome barriers and get their lives working. Through practical support including training, mentoring and financial assistance, we help 14-30 year olds realise their potential and transform their lives. We focus our efforts on those who've struggles at school, been in care, been in trouble with the law, or are long-term unemployed.