A Safe Haven.

27 August 2026

The Amber Foundation seeks to help young people aged 18 to 30, who are unemployed and homeless, sofa surfing or struggling with where they are living, to get back on their feet and rebuild their lives. The charity operates four centres across England — in Devon, Wiltshire, Kent and Surrey — with a focus on health and wellbeing; personal development; independent living; education; and employability. Residents typically stay for six to nine months, moving through three stages: “Induction”, “Development” and “Move-on”, with the goal of leaving Amber with both a job and a home arranged.

I enjoyed a hugely informative visit to Farm Place, Amber’s supported homeless housing service in Surrey, which is based in Ockley near Dorking. Louise Cheung, Amber’s Senior Fundraising Managerin Surrey, showed Hazel Watson, Vice-Chair of Mole Valley District Council; John Milne MP for Horsham and his wife, and me around the main house and the various outbuildings.  We admired the allotments which seemed to overflow with beans and herbs, as well as the new outdoor covered space for the residents to enjoy, which was funded by a recent grant from Your Fund Surrey.

Louise explained how at Farm Place up to 27 young people live and work together in teams under Team Leaders. They take part in community projects, leadership courses, fitness sessions and creative activities. Referrals come from local authorities, social services, probation and prison services, homelessness hostels, and drug and alcohol teams, or young people can self-refer.

We met several residents who spoke openly about their lives and the fantastic support that is helping them to turn their lives around. Daily life includes shared cooking and cleaning rotas, maintenance projects, and practical workshops on budgeting, banking, writing CVs and tenancies. Fundraising provides just over half of Amber’s income, and remarkably, 92p of every £1 donated goes directly to front-line support.

The atmosphere was warm, relaxed and full of quiet confidence. About 80% of young people at Amber’s four sites report mental health as a challenge, and a similar proportion say they have maintained or improved their mental health during their stay. This is a testament to the Foundation’s impact.