Co-Creating Meaningful Change with Care Leavers

In 2025, the Foundation for Future London initiated a campaign to explore how meaningful change could be made by and with care experienced / leavers in the social care system, specifically in East London.

The campaign aims to bring together and galvanise a wide range of stakeholders to work together on collective solutions, led and informed by care leavers themselves, in the driving seat.

This new programme will inform funding themes for our grants and commissions, as well as a raft of interventions and activities to help give a voice and agency to care experienced people to change things for the better.

The programme was launched in June 2025 with a panel event at Toynbee Hall, London, led by Baroness Lola Young, Co-Chair of Foundation for Future London.

Informed by our existing community of care-experienced young people, and through strong partnerships with our stakeholders, such as the Pan London Care Leavers offer, we are looking towards growing the following programmes in the year ahead:

Person-led, rights-based exchange, ambassador and network platforms
Skills and resilience building
Supported peer advocacy and leadership development
Campaign for a national bill in Parliament that mandates a dignified “standard of care” bag for every care leaver symbolising respect, equality and belonging
Further thought leadership to provide a safe space for all voices

Our programme builds on an extensive community co-design approach developed through the Westfield East Bank Creative Futures Fund and Foundations Programme, working with a wide range of marginalised communities, including young care leavers, unemployed and vulnerably housed.

Sarah Nelson, CEO of the Foundation for Future London, says:

“Amidst a background of cuts to young people’s services and social care, it’s vital that the Foundation for Future London continues to champion and advocate for East London’s care leavers and care experienced. Our programme aims to provide a platform for young people’s voices and help foster equity and agency, to ensure that life chances and talent are nurtured for one of the most vulnerable communities.”

The Co-Creating Meaningful Change with Care Leavers campaign is supported by Baroness Lola Young, Co-Chair of Foundation for Future London.