Youth homelessness charity St Basils will mark its 50th anniversary by hosting a fundraising Gala dinner.

The event takes place on 7 October 2022 and will serve to kickstart a year of fundraising to build on the success of St Basils’ Live and Work scheme in Sandwell. The charity hope to raise £1m over the next year, which will help fund the next phase of the scheme. This will see the opening of a new scheme in Birmingham which will support the most vulnerable young people in the city, as rents and the cost of living continue to increase.

The Live and Work initiative works with young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, to provide them with affordable accommodation and access to apprenticeships and employment.

The Gala dinner will celebrate the 50 years that the charity has been supporting homeless youth in the West Midlands, whilst looking forward to the future. The evening will be hosted by Heart FM DJ Ed James, with live music, entertainment and a charity auction.

St Basils CEO, Jean Templeton, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating our work over the past 50 years with a Gala Dinner at the world-renowned Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham. We are committed to ensuring that young people do not experience homelessness as part of growing up. We want young people to feel cared about, to have trusted support, and somewhere safe, suitable, and affordable to live that enables them to learn and work.

“The present cost of living crisis is creating significant additional challenges for many. For young people at risk of homelessness, this can appear insurmountable. We believe our 50 th anniversary is an ideal opportunity to call upon our supporters to use our collective will, skill, and resources to enable those young people to thrive and achieve their dreams and ambitions.”

To find out more about St Basils, visit: stbasils.org.uk.