Warburtons, Britain’s biggest bakery brand, is delighted to announce the continuation of its partnership with local Bolton charity, BACKUP (formerly known as Bolton Young Person Housing Scheme).

The charity, which supports local young people in difficulty, has received a grant of £10,000 from Warburtons.

The donation will help launch a new scheme, Chances Project, that aims to empower at risk 16-25-year olds by increasing their independent living skills.

BACKUP offers temporary housing to homeless young people in Bolton and aims to provide much needed emotional and practical support. Many young people on the project come from environments which are unstable and unsafe, and the programme provides guidance that aids their development in becoming independent young adults.

The charity will help these young people to progress into education and employment; a reality that many may never have envisioned.

The Chances Project is designed to improve self-esteem, self-discipline and well-being which will help teach these young people to live independently. The programme involves team building days and therapy activities, which are both focused on helping to fight isolation and build positive emotions. This will encourage the desire to move into education, training and employment.

This is the fifth year Warburtons and BACKUP have partnered. Over the course of this partnership, Warburtons has donated £49,580 to help support young people in the local community and help them on the path to secure their future.

Brett Warburton, Executive Director of Warburtons said:

We are very excited to partner with Bolton Young Persons Housing Scheme for a fifth year. As a family business from Bolton, helping the local community is a such a cornerstone to our values, and this project is vital in supporting our young people. Everyone deserves a place to feel safe and to call home, and this work is so important, especially when homelessness is becoming such as issue across the UK. We look forward to seeing how the project progresses.

Maura Jackson, CEO at BACKUP said:

We are thrilled to have the continued support of Warburtons to develop another new project. Not only does this have a direct impact on young people who are homeless through services available, it also gives us leverage as an organisation with other funders. The outcomes of young people being safer, healthier and more confident are priceless. We couldn’t do it without this strong partnership.