Thousands of young lives hang on the line

The Centrepoint Helpline is now the busiest it has ever been, taking call after call from young people who are panicked, exhausted and calling as a last resort. Those who have left traumatic and abusive family homes, with no savings or support to fall back on, and no knowledge of the rights that could protect them.

The number of people supported by the Helpline increased by 16% last year, and with the cold winter weather being as harsh as it is, young people will be even more desperate when calling our Helpline for urgent support.

We must be there for the young people who are completely alone in a harsh and frightening adult world. Will you make a donation today?

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Play video Helpline Advisor, Ethan, talking about working on the Centrepoint Helpline

A Day in the Life of a Helpline Advisor

Watch this video to find out more about what a day is like for Ethan, a Centrepoint Helpline Advisor. He tells us about the desperate situations many young people are in when they make a call to the Helpline, how his team provide them with a safe space to talk about their situation, and signpost them to the right place to get support.

Your donation could help answer a call from a young person in desperate need of support and advice today. 

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A young woman stands on a balcony.

Layla's story

At just nineteen years old, Layla's mum had kicked her out of their family home. Layla had refused to give her more money from her job as a cleaner, explaining: “I knew my mum would spend it on drugs so I didn’t want to give it to her.”. Feeling hurt, angry and completely out of control, Layla suffered a mental health breakdown and was rushed to hospital.

Layla was clearly very vulnerable, so we were able to secure her an assessment with a homelessness prevention support worker straight away. As a result, Layla was placed in emergency accommodation that very same day. By calling the Helpline, Layla had stopped herself slipping through the cracks. 

We're so glad that Layla was able to secure housing and change her life for the better - but thousands more young people still need our help!

Donate today
A young woman looks out a window.
Centrepoint phoned me regularly to make sure I was ok. They showed me how to get my benefits set up and then a week and a half later, they got me into a hostel where I stayed... before they found me the flat I'm in now

Support the life-changing Helpline today

Our Helpline Advisors are trained to guide young people through all the fear and uncertainty, making sure their voices are heard and their housing rights are upheld. Here's some of the help we provide most often:

  • The housing and benefit systems can be tricky to navigate, so we explain the support that’s available to young people using clear and simple terms. 
  • When a young person is struggling with their mental health, with their permission, we can speak to local authorities and other services on their behalf, helping them get vital support, faster.
  • Finally, we always ensure that there is a plan in place for a young person and that they know their next steps. We also remind them that they can call us back if they need any more support.

From the moment we speak to a young person, we show them that we’re in their corner. But we can’t be there for homeless young people without you behind us. 

Donate today