Esteem: securing a space for young adults

The cause

Esteem is a youth charity based in Shoreham-by-Sea, one of the few remaining open-access youth spaces for 14-26-year-olds in West Sussex.

The charity was founded in 1995 after foster carer Val Vizor recognised that many young people face significant challenges when transitioning into adulthood without the trusted relationships and opportunities they need to thrive.

Today, many of the young people who come through Esteem's doors experience multiple challenges, including mental health issues, neurodiversity, social isolation, insecure housing, caring responsibilities and barriers to education or employment. While each journey is different, they all need somewhere they feel safe, valued and able to belong.

Esteem provides a community where these young people can build trusted relationships and access support at their own pace.

This support includes:

• Social and wellbeing support that helps them feel connected, valued and supported.
• Trusted mentoring relationships and tailored guidance.
• Opportunities to build confidence, skills and pathways into education or employment.
• Programmes that enable them to influence decisions and contribute to their communities.

The impact

One of the most significant outcomes of our advisory work has been increased backing from local stakeholders, including unanimous support from the local council for Esteem to remain at The Old School House on a long-term lease. This has removed the risk of the charity having to relocate.

The fundraising campaign developed through this work also helped Esteem build stronger connections with businesses, community organisations and individuals who share its vision of helping young adults build brighter futures. The team now has a strategic plan to diversify and grow its income, supported by a full-time Corporate and Community Partnerships Lead.

This investment is already delivering results. Esteem has secured a three-year, £75,000 partnership with Ansvar Insurance and established partnerships with local businesses including Shoreham Port, Focus Group and Oakley Property. Beyond financial support, partners have contributed their time and expertise through fundraising, mentoring, volunteering and work placement opportunities for young adults.

The charity is also seeing early success in attracting major donors, securing £20,000 through this income stream in the past year and beginning to develop a philanthropy programme.

Reflecting on the journey, Emma believes CAF's involvement has been instrumental in helping Esteem realise its ambitions. 

“For us, this was never just about securing a building. The Old School House represents safety, community and belonging for so many young adults, they deserve to have a space which belongs to them, our job is to protect it into the future so they can continue to have a space of their own. CAF helped us move from feeling the scale of that challenge to having a clear strategy for responding to it. That shift has strengthened our relationships, our fundraising and our confidence that we can protect what matters while building a more sustainable future for Esteem.”