About Depaul UK
Depaul Trust has made a name for itself by working with the most disadvantaged young people in the UK. We specialise in working in communities where poverty and long-term unemployment have resulted in generations of social exclusion and high rates of homelessness.
Whilst our work with homeless young people continues to be a central part of what we do, we have developed new services and opened new projects that not only help individual young people but – crucially – whole communities where homeless and anti-social behaviour are rife.
Today Depaul Trust is tackling the issues that are most important to families and communities, specifically:
• Homelessness and social exclusion
• Crime and re-offending
• Violence
• Vandalism
• Bullying
• Drink and drugs dependency
Depaul Trust provides young people and communities with the services that prevent these problems from happening. At the same time, we continue to work with individual young people who have fallen through the safety net and lack the most basic needs, such as somewhere to live and something to eat.
Our history
Depaul Trust was established in 1989 in response to the growing numbers of young people arriving on the streets of the capital. Emergency nightshelters, long stay hostels and shared housing were developed so that no young person had to sleep on the streets. Over time it was realised that these young people needed more than just their basic needs met. Depaul Trust expanded into providing specialised pre-employment training so these young people could start planning for their futures.
In 1997 we extended these services nation-wide, reaching out to young people living on the margins of society across the UK – the potential drug users, those beginning to get involved in crime and those who have little hope for the future. By providing these young people with positive role models we hoped to stop them from leaving home, help them gain self-respect and reaffirm their link to the local community that they live.
It is our view that prevention is better than cure. We will never turn our backs on young people who have no option but to call the streets their home but we hope to reduce the numbers of young people facing this crisis by intervening and providing support and opportunities before they reach this crisis point.
We work with over 3,000 young people every year.