In 2019, we awarded a grant of £40,000 towards fitting-out and refurbishing the charity’s newly leased building in Islington.

Organisation

The Big House (TBH) provides support and opportunities to young care leavers who are at high risk of social exclusion. The Big House recognises the vulnerability of care leavers as well as their unplumbed talents, hopes and dreams. Through the use of theatre, the development of life skills and therapeutic intervention, the charity nurtures a relationship of trust and helps its service users work on behavioural and emotional problems. By tackling these fundamental needs, it aims to unleash creative potential and build core skills to help young care leavers manage the stressful complexities of taking up a positive role in the community. It does these in a number of ways including through the Open House Project – a bi-annual, 12-week intensive programme of life and employment skills workshops and drama that culminates in a three-week run of an original, full-scale theatre production. Every participant receives a tailored package of support to help them overcome personal difficulties and to move into and sustain education, employment or training opportunities.

This includes one-to-one pastoral and employability support, mentoring, and counselling with a qualified psychotherapist. The Big House also runs weekly drop-in workshops for 16-25 year olds involving role play, debates and motivational speakers, and offers training to professionals working in the social care sector.

refurbishment project

In 2016, TBH's trustees took the strategic decision that in order for the charity to continue expanding its reach, develop activities and become more financially resilient, they needed to move to a larger and more permanent home. After taking on a long-term lease at new premises, they undertook a phased approach to complete essential capital works. TBH applied to The Foundation for one of the later phases of the capital project, to transform it into a first-class, fit for purpose space focused on the needs of young people. This included transforming the ground floor of the building into a theatre with high quality sound, lighting and box office equipment and installing glass screens to prevent noise pollution as well as purchasing vital office equipment for their growing staff team.

At the time of application, £66,000 had been raised towards a budget of £190,000 for that phase of the project. We awarded a grant of £40,000.