Sunbeam Fostering Agency recently  organised a successful support group for our  young people on Thursday 21st February 2019.  We took a trip to The University of Greenwich and the Maritime Museum. The purpose of the trip was to give university exposure to our young people, who are turning 18 soon and highly motivated for further education.

We had a total of 11 people joined the trip including 4 facilitators. The group started the trip from the our Croydon office at 10.30 by using public transport and reached at the university by 12 p.m.

The young people were given a tour of the campus, by a student ambassador who happens to be a Care Leaver and a faculty member. The day started off with a tour of their state of the art library, and their facilities and the young people were explained about the student support services available on campus.

The sessions were interactive, the young people asked questions on the eligibility and requirements for the course, fees, terms, accommodation, course and the curriculum. The ambassador spoke about the support he received from the Local authority in pursuing higher education and advised the young people to start discussing with their social worker about various benefits available for care leavers.

The young people visited the Maritime Museum after the University. Our young people expressed that they had a good day and got the information that they needed. They saw many interesting things for the first time (artefacts etc.). The faculties also appreciated the young people’s keen interest in pursuing higher education.

The University of Greenwich is hosting a Care Leaver Summer School programme, hosted in July at their Medway campus.

Overall, the trip was a great experience for our young people and a beneficial trip to help them in the next step of their lives. We look forward to organising our next children and young people support group in the future.

Thank you to all the hard work and dedication that our team members put in to making the day a great success.