Renowned writer and broadcaster Lemn Sissay is voicing a Radio 4 Appeal broadcast this weekend (Sunday 28th June, 7:54 and 21:25) for NYAS's Side-by-Side programme, which supports young people leaving the care system. Side-by-Side supports teenagers and young adults leaving care through some of the most crucial and challenging years of their adult life as they transition from life in the care system to independence.
The appeal follows the release of government statistics in November 2025 revealing that more than 1 in 10 care leavers in England are at risk of homelessness*, and in May 2025, in which councils reported at least 91 deaths of care leavers aged 16 to 21 in 2024-25**.
“I think more support would have been beneficial for me to not worry about living by myself when I left care... because when you live by yourself, you feel like you're alone. You might have a phone, but sometimes you might not want to call anyone because you feel like you have to do everything by yourself... So having the support to understand what I need to do, how to budget, how to cook. Especially the smaller bits, because the smaller bits makes the harder bits easier.” - Rayya, a young person with care experience
“In the lead up to me leaving care, I was very, very stressed. There were a lot of things going on for me. My mental health had declined. I was desperate to leave care, but one of the biggest things was figuring out how to set up bills and being able to buy everything that I need for a flat. It was so stressful because I moved from a really noisy six bed children's home into my own place, then all of a sudden to go to absolute silence - it made me so anxious to the point where I could not be in the house alone without playing a YouTube video or having some sort of background noise” - Georgia, a young person with care experience
Side-by-Side matches young care leavers, from 16 to 25, with trusted volunteers who provide friendship and tailored support. This could include everything from help understanding bills and food shopping, through to job applications and attending cooking classes together. Through the programme, young people are also connected to local networks and resources, helping them find a community to be a part of, and no longer facing independence alone.
It costs £3000 a year to recruit and train a volunteer, support their time together, and cover meaningful activities that they’d like to do with their match. The appeal, which you can donate to here, seeks to increase funding to expand the programme beyond its successful pilot schemes.
The appeal’s presenter - poet, writer and broadcaster Lemn Sissay - spent the first eighteen years of his life in care. He has spoken about feeling like he was ‘alone in the wilderness’ when he left the care system. He’s now joining the National Youth Advocacy Service for their BBC Radio 4 Appeal, which is fundraising for the Side-by-Side programme.
‘When I left care, I didn’t have family who told me, ‘you need to look after yourself’, ‘you need to figure out what you’re doing next’. My eighteenth birthday was a deadline, and then I was alone in the wilderness, and all I had was a flat - I was alone, no family. Nowhere to call. I was cut off from all the adults of my past. I am proud to support Side-by-Side and this appeal, because I think it’s a beautiful thing – young people no longer having to navigate that transition into adulthood alone.’ - Lemn Sissay
‘We are so grateful to Lemn for gifting his time to us for this very important appeal, which will support NYAS in expanding a promising programme to more care-experienced young people. Side-by-Side has changed so many young lives for the better, thanks to wonderful volunteers building the stable, trusting relationships that are so important for all of us as we enter adulthood.’ - Rita Waters, NYAS Group CEO
** https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-examine-deaths-of-vulnerable-care-leavers
