Following research undertaken by Centrepoint into youth homelessness in Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth Doorway became a registered charity in 1997. Originally based in Bedworth with two employees we developed a range of services to advise and support young people aged 16 – 25 who are homeless or threatened with homelessness.

In 2006, Doorway renewed its relationship with Centrepoint through an ongoing partnership agreement which helps youth homelessness charities build capacity and this enabled delivery of our Lifewise Skills course. In 2008 we formally adopted our working name and became “Doorway”.

For our 10th anniversary a Young People's Group project was to create a billboard (see above) which was at roadsides in Nuneaton, Bedworth and Atherstone. It became our website homepage for several years and the man in the doorway is made up of a collage photos of young people, stakeholders, committee members, staff and volunteers.

In 2012 we revisited our mission statement and aim:

  • Our mission is to give homeless young people a future through advice, accommodation options, support and life skills development.
  • Our aim is to make sure that vulnerable, homeless young people can look forward with optimism, raise their aspirations and improve their quality of life.

By this time, the number of young people contacting Doorway had increased, our private landlords scheme had grown and to meet these needs so had the team! We relocated to Nuneaton to premises with a Drop-in centre enabling us to provide more volunteer opportunities. Other facilities for young people include laptops, a shower, a meeting room to deliver Jobwise and Lifewise sessions and a place for our Young People’s Group to meet.

We are now celebrating our 21st year and we are proud to have worked with so many fantastic young people who often just needed someone to listen to their concerns and plan their next steps and basically get the help they needed to get back on track. In 2018, we changed our structure to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) which will help Doorway achieve business plan objectives and increase our accommodation options for homeless young people

21 years on, we still have two original Management Committee members. The staff team provides a range of experience and our volunteers are invaluable. We couldn’t do what we do without help from our supporters and partner organisations.

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Author: George Norton

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