Tackling youth homelessness with the help of Angels’ Den

But as youth homelessness continues to rise, 22% higher than the national average in Buckinghamshire, Youth Concern needed new avenues to fund its life-changing services. That’s where Angels’ Den 2024, a charitable pitching initiative run by The Clare Foundation, came in.

When CEO Hannah Asquith initially spoke with Martin Gallagher from The Clare Foundation about The Next Step project, the charity’s home for previously homeless young people, she didn’t plan to apply.

She was seeking advice on how to engage corporate supporters to help fund their high-impact housing programme. But after a series of conversations and support from a Clare Foundation consultant, Hannah was encouraged to apply to Angels’ Den 2024 and use the platform to raise awareness of the hidden crisis of youth homelessness.

“There is nothing else like The Next Step in Buckinghamshire,” said Hannah. “We support up to nine young people at a time for up to 18 months, giving them the skills to live independently. The impact is huge.”

From the first application through to the live event, Youth Concern embraced the Angels’ Den process. Hannah and her colleague Sam took part in public speaking training led by award winning coach and motivational speaker, Marcus Thomlinson.

“As a small team, it was a big commitment to have two of us out for the training day,” she shared. “But Marcus was excellent and incredibly generous with his time as we wrote and rewrote our pitch.”

Youth Concern took Marcus up on his offer of follow-up support and the extra preparation helped the team deliver a compelling, passionate pitch on the night.

Youth Concern was awarded a grant to support the ongoing delivery of The Next Step accommodation programme. The funding helped house vulnerable young people who would otherwise be facing homelessness, giving them access to stability, mentorship and the life skills they need to thrive.

“The Angels’ Den grant gave us more than money. It gave us visibility, validation and a stronger voice in the local community,” said Hannah.

To any Buckinghamshire charity considering applying for Angels’ Den 2025, Hannah has clear advice:

“Be brave and apply even if you’re unsure at first. Use all the training offered to you, it’s invaluable. You’ll gain new skills that you will use time and time again. For the pitch, tell your story clearly but don’t shy away from emotion. Also, collaborate internally. Use it as a chance to work alongside colleagues that you might not work with day to day. Getting a different perspective within your own team can be powerful.

The process helped us refine our messaging and has made us stronger in all our funding conversations since. We’re so grateful to have been a part of Angels’ Den.”

For any local charity looking for funding, visibility, networking and a chance to hone their pitching skills, Angels’ Den 2025 is now open for applications.

The deadline for applications is Monday, May 19.

Submissions should be sent to: [email protected]

For application guidelines, visit: https://theclarefoundation.org/launch-of-angels-den-2025