Frequently Asked Questions
We have put together some answers to the questions you ask us the most. Read on to find out more about how we help young people and how you can get involved
What is Amber, where do you work, and what do you do? |
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| We are a charity housing and supporting young people grappling with complex challenges namely homelessness, mental health issues and long-term unemployment. We opened our first centre in 1995 and now run four supported housing centres in Devon, Wiltshire, Surrey and Kent with young people coming from a wide area around each centre. Each of our centres houses 25-30 young people providing a safe home plus a full holistic programme of support. Our aim is to help each young person leave their troubled past behind and move on to a brighter, healthier future where they never have to face homelessness again. |
Where does your funding come from? |
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| Just over half of our income comes from our fundraising activities and donations from our supporters. Click here to see how you can donate to our work and other ways to support us. The remainder of our income comes from housing benefit, funded places, contracts and service charge from residents. |
How can young people get a space at an Amber centre? |
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| We welcome referrals from a range of statutory and non-statutory partners including homelessness prevention teams, street outreach workers, charities, leaving care teams and probation. We also accept self-referrals and referrals made from concerned family or friends. To fill out our referral form please click here. |
I am homeless or about to become homeless. Can Amber help me? |
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| We are more than happy to accept applications directly from young people and you can apply via our form here. One of our team will then read it carefully to see if Amber may work for you. We will then arrange an assessment to discuss your application in more detail. |
What happens after you receive an application? |
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| Once we receive an application/referral form, we invite the young person for an assessment, which usually happens on Teams or telephone. The purpose of the assessment is to work out what your support needs are and whether Amber is right for you. |
How long can young people stay at Amber? |
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| The average length of stay with Amber is 6-9 months but this is flexible with young people staying as long as they need to up to a maximum of 2 years. |
Why the name ‘Amber’? |
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| Our name came from the Amber of the traffic light. We are the place between being homeless and/or unemployed (red) and being able to live independently and going out to work (green). |
