At BCHA, we understand the value of social connection among colleagues and feeling a sense of belonging within the workplace. We also recognise the passion and insight young colleagues bring to the organisation. These are just a few of the many reasons why BCHA launched its Young People’s Group as a growing support network for colleagues under the age of 30 from across our services and locations.
Laura, Director of Change, Transformation & Growth, said: “The value and impact that young people have had at BCHA over the past two years was so noticeable that we were encouraged to do more by signing up to the Youth Employment Charter. The idea of creating a space for our younger employees to come together was immediately picked up by them and they have made it in to something they felt they needed. It was a pleasure to coproduce in this way and I learnt a lot about the experiences of younger people in the workplace. I'm truly excited to see how this group develops”.
The Young People’s Group held their second Away Day at BCHA’s beautiful allotment at the start of this year to welcome new members and discuss goals for the year ahead.
Individuals shared how becoming a member of the network has transformed their wellbeing, confidence and progression at BCHA, commenting that:
“It’s nice to feel part of a group with passionate people I can relate to”.
“I’m getting new opportunities; it’s putting my name out there as a result of being part of this group”.
At the away day, the group of enthusiastic colleagues also discussed their experiences of being witness to the stigma associated with homelessness, not just from the general public but internalised by our customers too. The colleagues from across our customer-facing and corporate roles were all in agreement that this process of judgement and discrimination sets our customers up to fail.
As an organisation, BCHA is committed to delivering trauma-informed care as a person-centred approach that avoids triggering our customers and gives them the support they need to rebuild their life. The Young People’s Group recognise that this more personal approach to understanding the previous experiences of our customers could play a vital and essential part in the de-stigmatisation of homelessness. The group looks forward to discussing this further to collectively consider how we can protect our customers and community from discrimination whilst driving our mission to end homelessness.
For more details on BCHA’s Young People’s Group, please read our blog.
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