Muse and Quartz donate £10k to support West Midlands young people

Alongside our project managers for Arden Cross, Quartz Project Services, we’ve donated £10,000 towards youth homelessness charity, St Basils’ community hardship fund.

This vital fund will support young people across the West Midlands in the run up to the festive season and into the new year. It’s part of a collective community fund of £25,000, which is also backed by the property industry charity, LandAid.

This is all part of our commitment to working in communities to bring about positive change and is off the back of launching our partnership with St Basils by donating 40 laptops, opening our Muse Midlands business, along with being named as the preferred partner for the Arden Cross regeneration.

St Basil’s supports almost 4,000 young people per year across the West Midlands who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. With the cost-of-living crisis continuing to have an impact, this number has been on the rise with many more requests for urgent help. The community hardship fund will provide meaningful aid to young people at risk of rough sleeping or repeated homelessness. It will be available to people aged 16-25 across the region, not just connected to St Basil’s, but also those applying through other Birmingham Commissioned Pathway Providers.

Young people can apply for support grants to help with the purchase of essential supplies, clothing, furnishings, travel, entertainment, or means of staying connected with others. The grant can also contribute towards energy bills.

Maggie Grogan, development director, said:

Speaking about Muse’s contribution, Jean Templeton, CEO of St Basil’s, said: “We are hugely grateful to Muse for supporting this hardship fund. We have consulted with our young people about the challenges they face with increased costs and very low incomes, and they have told us very clearly the link between their inability to eat well, their inability to pay for heating and warm clothes and the impact that has on their physical and mental health. This support will not only help them materially but will show them how much so many of you care about their well-being. Being cared about is a fundamental human need. Thank you from all of us to all of you!”

Paul Morrish, CEO at LandAid, said: “We are so thrilled to continue our brilliant relationship with Muse and to collectively support St Basil’s in being there for the young people who are experiencing homelessness across the Midlands.

“We know that 122,000 young people approached their local council for housing support last year alone. Sadly, many of these were left unsupported and therefore often fall upon the vital care that charities provide in local communities across the UK, like St Basil’s. In such unprecedented times this support is more valuable than ever. With donations like this, LandAid can continue to support young people in building stable futures and enabling them to have a place to call home.”