The cardfactory Foundation and leading youth homelessness charity Centrepoint have announced the first-year impact of their three-year, £1.5m Bright Future Initiative partnership, revealing that 11,648 young people have already been supported across the UK
The milestone comes as Centrepoint’s latest Youth Homelessness Databank reveals that 123,934 young people faced homelessness or were at risk of homelessness across the UK in 2024–25 – a 6% increase on the previous year and equivalent to one young person every four minutes.
Launched in May 2025 through the cardfactory Foundation’s Life Moments Fund, the Bright Future Initiative aims to embed trauma-informed, psychologically informed support across Centrepoint’s services nationwide.
In its first year alone, the partnership has delivered specialist psychological support for 107 young people, with every young person reporting an improved quality of life, while also providing PIE (Psychologically Informed Environment) training to 223 Centrepoint staff members and 62 partner charities across the UK.
The initiative has additionally improved 37 accommodation services and 460 young people’s homes, helping to create safer and more welcoming spaces, while ensuring all 939 Centrepoint residents across 60 services received a gift during the Christmas period.
The partnership has also significantly expanded access to specialist mental health support for vulnerable young people at a time when NHS waiting lists remain a major barrier to care.
Centrepoint estimates that around 80% of young people accessing its services experience mental health issues, with many facing delays of months or even years for specialist assessments and treatment.
Dr Helen Miles, head of psychologically informed environments (PIE) at Centrepoint, said: “The Bright Future Initiative has got off to an amazing start. We are already seeing a difference in terms of young people being able to access a job and a home, just by having immediate access to psychological support when and where they need it.
“At a time when youth homelessness is rising nationally, partnerships like this are critical. The support from the cardfactory Foundation is helping us create environments where young people feel safe, understood and able to rebuild their futures.”
The initiative is centred around psychologically informed environments (PIE), a trauma-informed approach that helps staff better understand the impact of homelessness, instability and disrupted relationships on young people’s behaviour and wellbeing.
By embedding specialist psychologists, reflective practice and trauma-informed training throughout Centrepoint’s services and partner networks, the programme is helping to improve outcomes for thousands of vulnerable young people nationwide.
Pushpinder Gill, head of cardfactory Foundation, said: “The impact we’ve seen in the first year of this partnership has been extraordinary. Behind every number is a young person at a moment of crisis who has been given support, stability and hope at a critical point in their life.
“The scale of youth homelessness in the UK makes partnerships like this more important than ever. Together with Centrepoint, we are committed to helping young people move from crisis to brighter futures.”
The partnership will continue over the next two years, with plans to expand specialist support, extend PIE training across the homelessness sector and continue improving environments and opportunities for young people facing homelessness.
