concrete rose collective
Concrete Rose Collective is devoted to providing first-class support that
responds to the needs of young people particular in the fields of accommodation
and education. You can find out more about our vision and background below. Our
vision Every young person living life to the full with the foundations and
opportunities to flourish. Our mission To provide accommodation and support that
enables young people to step into a better future. Current offer We provide
supported lodgings for young people (including care leavers, those at risk of
homelessness, unaccompanied asylum seekers and young parents). These are
nurturing places, in host homes, that include exceptional levels of wrap-around
support (for hosts and young people) and are founded on a therapeutic approach
that is based in research and understands trauma. We do this generally, though
not exclusively, through hosts from local churches. Our history The roots of
Concrete Rose Collective CIC can be traced back long before its establishment as
a Community Interest Company in 2020 and in particular to 20 years of support
for marginalised young people by our founder Mike Farrington (see ‘Our People’
for more details). Increasingly evident over this time was the need to
proactively respond to two priority areas essential in enabling young people to
thrive: Accommodation: The need to provide safe, loving, and professionally
supported accommodation options particularly in the area of semi-independent
living enabling young people to successfully navigate the transition from home
(or care) to adulthood. Education: The need for educational provision that
focusses on character and emotional intelligence and where a range of talents
and aspirations can be expressed and nurtured. The name comes from a poem and an
audio extract from the hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur. Elements of both are written
below and eloquently capture the tremendous resilience and tenacity that many
young people have already shown in overcoming traumatic starts to life that may
include abuse, childhood trauma and community dysfunction. It also echoes the
notion that such trauma inevitably creates hurt, scars and the odd prickly spike
but that, with some key ingredients, the outcome can be something of striking
beauty that defies the past, points to the future, and beautifies the world. Did
you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete Proving nature’s
laws wrong It learned to walk without having feet Funny it seems but by keeping
its dreams it learned to breathe fresh air Long live the rose that grew from
concrete when no one else, even cared You try to plant somethin in the conrete,
y’knowhatImean? If it grow, and the and the rose petal got all kind of Scratches
and marks, you not gon’ say, “Damn, look at All the scratches and marks on the
rose that grew from concrete” You gon’ be like, “Damn! A rose grew from the
concrete?!” You see you wouldn’t ask why the rose that grew from the concrete
had damaged petals. On the contrary, we would all celebrate its Tenacity. We
would all love it’s will to reach the sun. Our ethos Concrete Rose has at its
heart a Christian ethos. We do not impose these beliefs on others and we
support, employ and work alongside those of all faiths and none. Our Christian
ethos informs the ways in which we work and creates a culture which values the
individual (and recognises their immeasurable worth and innate talents),
empowers others and demonstrates a love and commitment that is long-term and
resilient. We desire to see the young people we support live life to the full,
realise their God-given potential and positively shape their future and the
world around them. Make a difference Last year 121,000 young people (16-25) in
the UK were homeless or at risk of homelessness. You could make a difference.
Give young people the opportunity to build a firm foundation for the future by
becoming an approved host through our supported lodgings scheme, ‘Room to
spare’. We provide training, 24/7 support and start-up bursaries. Find out more
by downloading our ‘Information for hosts’ brochure.
