Supporting Care Leavers Lives - Drive Forward Foundation

Momentum Made By You

Helping young adults leaving foster or residential care to achieve their full potential with exciting and sustainable employment opportunities.

Welcome to Drive Forward Foundation.

Supporting care-experienced young people aged 16-26 in London to transition from care into a career.

Care Leavers

If you’re driven to be independent, find your way and make something of yourself, then see how you can join us and start heading in the direction that’s right for you.

Business Partners

We want to give your business the opportunity to work with some of the brightest and hardest working young talent out there. Discover how partnering with Drive Forward can create opportunities for our young people and you.

Volunteers

Whether it’s having a chat over a cup of tea, sharing your experiences, stories and skills, or becoming an ongoing mentor, you can volunteer your time and make a massive difference in a young person’s life.

Supporters

We are a charitable foundation that couldn’t make the changes we make without the support of people like you. Take a look at how your donations and fundraising efforts enable us to expand the horizons of our young people.

What's the latest?

Press Release: New practical guide for lawyers to help reduce the over-criminalisation of care experienced children and young adults

Over the last couple of years, the Drive Forward’s Care Experienced Policy Forum has been working with youth justice experts to create a new guide for lawyers to use when representing care experienced young people. The guide has been completed in collaboration with the Transition to Adulthood Alliance, Child Rights & Youth Justice, Garden Court Chambers and the Youth Justice Legal Centre.

September 13, 2023

From Care to Career – Shabnam & Wunderman Thompson

“I was in Care due to family problems and was taken into care by my local authority. Everyone’s experience of being in care is so different – if I could summarise it to you in one sentence it’s sometimes a safe haven for some young people who go into a home and share the space with a loving caring family or it can be the most traumatic experience having to share a house with 12 to 20 or sometimes even more young people who are going through their hardest stage of life – where pain, anger, lost, abandonment feelings are visibly everywhere. Every care experienced young persons experience is different therefore it’s hard to describe what’s it like being in care.”

June 14, 2023

Power To Live: taking care-experienced mental health seriously

The collaboration between Drive Forward and Power to Live Foundations has made a positive impact on the lives of care-experienced youth. With shared values and a focus on mental health, over 20 young individuals have received behavioral psychotherapy sessions. Power to Live emphasizes behavioral change, helping clients detach from negative thoughts and move towards a value-driven life. Trust and therapeutic relationships are key, especially when working with youth who have experienced attachment trauma. Despite the challenges, the experience is immensely rewarding, as therapists witness the courage and resilience of their clients. This collaboration has not only helped the youth, but also allowed therapists to grow and connect on a deep level.

May 17, 2023

Getting involved with Drive Forward gave me more confidence, showed me how to approach people and put me in a good mind set to progress with my life.

Micah,18

Why we can't sit still...

2000 young people leave the London care system, ill-equipped for the challenges that await them. They lack the skills, confidence and support to successfully manage their transition into adulthood and independence.

We’re here to make a difference in the lives of young care leavers. Wherever they’re coming from, we’re on a mission to help open doors and give them the skills, confidence and inspiration to make some momentum and realise their full potential.