In June 2024, Centrepoint launched its largest-ever charity partnership with Nationwide Building Society as part of Nationwide's Social Impact strategy, Fairer Futures. Together, Nationwide and Centrepoint are working to support young people experiencing homelessness and create pathways towards more stable and independent futures.
In that last two years, Nationwide have raised and donated a staggering £6.6m to Centrepoint, which has funded a range of programmes that enable young people to have a home where they feel safe, where they belong and where they can rebuild their lives.
Through our partnership, we committed to support 3,500 young people to take steps towards independence and a home of their own. We are pleased to share that two years into the partnership we have supported 4,713 young people, surpassing our original target.
Our Impact So Far:
- 4 Centrepoint services have been refurbished, creating a physically and psychologically safe place for young people to recover from homelessness
- 1042 young people living in Centrepoint services received a £125 voucher to purchase items for their rooms to style them in their own taste and create a more homely feel
- 47 young people have been supported by our Moneywise financial literacy programme, giving them the skills and confidence to take control of their finances.
- 406 young people have received support with rent and deposits, helping them access privately rented accommodation
- 38 of our partnering organisations received grants, totalling over £675,000, to enable the young people they support to buy items for their rooms and to upgrade their spaces
Year Two - Highlights
Our partnership has been able to achieve so much for young people experiencing homelessness. We’re pleased to share some key highlights from this year:
- Through donations, sponsorship and fundraising, Nationwide raised and donated £3.2 million for Centrepoint in year two
- We are now a multi-award winning partnership! We were thrilled to win the Charity Times Award for the Corporate National Partnership of the Year in September 2025, and Nationwide Fairer Futures also won the Consortium Award at The Business Charity Award’s Consortium Award in May
- Alongside CP Works, we delivered two Get Set Go work experience programmes, supporting 12 young people across two intakes
- Our second annual Move On report was published in April, just ahead of a Westminster Hall debate on affordable housing for young people. The report was referenced extensively by the Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning, who described the report as “very informative”
- Colleague engagement continues to be strong, with 120+ volunteering hours committed this year, alongside challenge events and fundraising
- Nationwide once again were the Headline Sponsors of Sleep Out, supporting the event to be a huge success. They were also the headline sponsors of Centrepoint Awards and The Ultimate Quiz
- Nationwide also hosted their second Host Your Own Sleep Out campaign in their branches and admin sites across the country, raising over £54,000 and engaging 274 colleagues
- We received gift-in-kind support, with gym equipment delivered to services in Bradford and London
- Nationwide continued their strong support for our Make Work Pay campaign, including Nationwide CEO Dame Debbie Crosbie’s signature on our open letter to government
What our young people think:
We spoke to two young people who were supported by the Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme. When they both thought back over the last few months and the journey they had with Centrepoint, from facing housing insecurity to moving into their new home, they both wished they had reached out sooner.
From sending one text message, to them being settled in their flat, they couldn’t believe how far that one action had been able to take them in a couple of months. They’re now making sure that anyone who is in a similar situation to them knows that support is out there for them, if they know where to look.
One of them said:
“Keep on trying because it does get better. If it can happen to us, it can happen to anyone. We’ve never had luck in the slightest and then obviously we came across you lot and it’s actually been mint. It’s been like a blessing in disguise and I’m really so grateful. Thank you so much.”
From their own experiences, they wanted to share some advice and guidance they had learnt with other young people which they hope could support them and take the steps they need towards stable housing.
“Definitely speak out and reach out to Centrepoint – don’t be afraid to ask for help. Because if you do, the right people are willing to help you.”
Year three: Looking ahead
We have lots of exciting things in the pipeline for year three, including:
- Continuing to roll out Style Your Space to reach all Centrepoint young people
- The launch of our new ESOL pilot, offering English language courses to young people facing language barriers to services, jobs and education
- Working with Nationwide on multiple employment opportunities, including internships and permanent roles
- Collaborating with Nationwide's Customer Vulnerability Team to improve access to banking for homeless young people
- Working with senior leaders from Nationwide's Strategy and People Team on a skills-based volunteering opportunity in September 2026
- Continuing to grow our Sleep Out campaign together, aiming to have even more colleagues and branches involved
We would like to say a huge thank you to Nationwide colleagues and customers across the UK for their incredible support. We look forward to building on these achievements together in year three.
