One year on from launching the three-year Bright Future Initiative with Centrepoint, we’re incredibly proud to celebrate the life-changing impact this partnership is already having for young people facing homelessness across the UK.
In just 12 months, the partnership has supported an extraordinary 11,648 young people through specialist psychological support, trauma-informed training, improved living environments and meaningful moments of care and celebration.
At a time when youth homelessness continues to rise across the UK, these numbers represent far more than statistics – they represent young people rebuilding confidence, finding stability, improving their mental health and beginning to imagine brighter futures.
According to Centrepoint’s latest Youth Homelessness Databank, 123,934 young people faced homelessness or were at risk of homelessness across the UK in 2024–25 – equivalent to one young person every four minutes.
The Bright Future Initiative was created to help tackle exactly these challenges by embedding Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE) principles across Centrepoint’s services. This trauma-informed approach recognises the profound impact homelessness, instability and disrupted relationships can have on young people’s emotional wellbeing and ability to thrive.
Delivering real impact where it matters most
The first year of the partnership has already exceeded expectations in several key areas.
Specialist psychological support
Mental health support remains one of the biggest barriers facing young people experiencing homelessness, with Centrepoint estimating that around 80% of the young people it supports experience mental health issues.
Through funding from the cardfactory Foundation, a full team of specialist psychologists has now been established across Centrepoint’s services.
In year one alone:
- 107 young people accessed specialist psychologist sessions
- 100% of those young people reported an improved quality of life
- Access to support increased dramatically compared to the previous year, when only 23 young people could access this type of specialist intervention
For many young people, this support came at a critical moment.
One young person shared: “The sessions have been transformational. I had no idea it was possible to change my thinking like that. I have been in a dark place and now I can see hope.”
By embedding psychologists directly within Centrepoint services, young people are able to access consistent, trauma-informed support quickly and in environments where they already feel safe and supported.
Building trauma-informed support nationwide
The partnership is also helping spread best practice across the wider youth homelessness sector.
In the first year:
- 223 Centrepoint staff completed PIE training
- 62 partner charities received specialist training
- 496 reflective practice sessions were delivered
- A further 4,017 young people indirectly benefited through Centrepoint’s partner network
Importantly, the training is creating measurable improvements in staff confidence and understanding, helping organisations across the country deliver more compassionate and effective support to vulnerable young people.
Creating spaces that feel like home
Homelessness is about more than housing, it’s about feeling safe, secure and valued.
Through the Physical Environment Fund, the partnership improved 37 accommodation services and 460 young people’s homes, helping create welcoming, calming and psychologically informed spaces.
From furniture and soft furnishings to sensory resources and communal areas, these improvements are helping young people feel comfortable and settled in spaces they can genuinely call home.
Celebrating life moments
The partnership also ensured that every single Centrepoint resident received a Christmas gift voucher during the festive season.
For the 939 young people supported, this was about far more than a present, it was about dignity, choice and feeling remembered at a difficult time of year.
Looking ahead to year two
The first year of the Bright Future Initiative has shown what’s possible when organisations come together with a shared commitment to long-term change.
As youth homelessness and mental health pressures continue to grow across the UK, partnerships like this are becoming more important than ever.
Together with Centrepoint, we’re helping young people move from crisis to stability, and from surviving to thriving.
To learn more about the Bright Future Initiative, visitcardfactory Foundation.
