A social worker from Swansea and teenage students from Gower College were set to appear on BBC's The One Show this evening (Thursday, June 9). Helen Davies from Killay is director of the Sunflower Lounge, an organisation set up to support looked after children across Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Powys and Carmarthenshire as they head into independent adult life.
Sunflower Lounge, given its name by some of the young people it supports, particularly helps young people leaving care who are feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of living alone for the first time or nervous about having to care for themselves and make decisions for themselves without family or relatives to guide them. It describes itself as "a social enterprise supporting care-experienced young people and care leavers through education and into employment across Wales".
Announcing how the organisation would be featured on The One Show, the team at Sunflower Lounge wrote on social media on Thursday: "Helen and a couple of our young people have been working with The One Show to talk about issues affecting young people in care and care leavers in Wales. Watch tonight at 7pm to find out more." For more Swansea stories, go here
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Speaking to WalesOnline earlier this year, Helen explained that she wanted to set up an organisation that would support young people who are often forgotten about by wider society and not always offered the support they need. "Young people in care are given lots of support when they're young, but the support drops off when they're older," she said. "Sometimes these young people are flung out into the real world with no experience making decisions for themselves, or knowing how to cook, clean, wash clothes, or manage their money.
"Sometimes these young people will become homeless, as they have nowhere to live and find it difficult to hold down a job. Many have had chaotic lives [in care] - how can they be a successful adult completely on their own? [As young people leave care], their social anxiety goes through the roof, they don't have a parent figure to support them."
Sunflower Lounge was born out of young peoples' concerns and challenges, Helen said, and was set up last year as an organisation to support looked after children (otherwise known as "children in care") as they begin to navigate adulthood. You can get more Swansea news and other story updates by subscribing to our newsletters here.
"Sunflower Lounge is a place to come, to be comfortable, relaxed and safe. It's a training centre with training and activities for young people, such as cooking, art, carpentry and yoga, and a place young people can go to for support. It was registered as a social enterprise in October, 2021, and received National Lottery funding in February, 2022," Helen added. "We work with Reaching Wider South West and Reaching Wider North and Mid Wales Partnership [a charity supporting young people in deprived areas across Wales through educational activities and other opportunities] as well as Swansea Council and Neath Port Talbot Council - who have been referring some looked after children to us."
"Young people are at the centre of what we do, they run our social media, they're on our fundraising committee, and they help with our small plot at Mumbles community garden."
Currently, Sunflower Lounge is looking for a physical location for its projects. When they have one, we will update this article.
You can find out more about Sunflower Lounge on Facebook here and you can catch Helen on BBC One's The One Show on Thursday, June 9 at 7pm.
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