Portsmouth Care Leavers charity to launch Christmas helpline

Flying Solo, a local Care Leavers charity, will be launching a helpline to tackle loneliness and isolation of care experienced people.

The helpline, which is due to go live on December 1st and will be available to care leavers and unaccompanied asylum seekers.

Claire Thomas, one of Flying Solo's trustees commented: "We know that many care leavers will face isolation and loneliness this Christmas, many with no family to turn to. This has a significant impact on their mental health and well-being."

"Christmas is a busy time for many charities and helplines across the country and that's why we felt compelled to launch a helpline dedicated to Portsmouth and dedicated to care leavers to help them through any crisis they may have or simply to just have a chat."

Nassar Kessell, Chair of Trustees, added: "We're hugely grateful to VIVID Homes and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation who helped us fund this project this year and especially grateful to our volunteers - most of which are care leavers - who are undergoing significant training to manage the helpline."

We're looking to fund the helpline for the entirety of 2021! To do this, we need your help to raise £2,000. If you're willing to donate to this project, please do so by clicking here.