St Christopher's Highlights Need for Safe Children's Homes

Charity’s boss says pressure on care system is growing

Charity aims to provide supportive homes for children in care

April 15, 2026

Children’s charity St Christopher’s Fellowship will publish its annual Spring newsletter, Opening Doors, on Thursday 16 April, shining a spotlight on the growing demand for safe, stable and therapeutic children’s homes and the difference they make to young people in care.

The edition arrives at a time when more children are entering care with complex needs. Drawing on the charity’s long history — St Christopher’s traces its work with vulnerable young people back to 1870 — Opening Doors sets out how the organisation’s relationship-based, therapeutic approach helps children recover from trauma, build confidence and develop the practical skills and support networks they need to thrive both during and after care.

Chief Executive Jonathan Whalley contributes a front-page letter that frames the newsletter’s message: as pressures on the care system grow, so does the need for high-quality homes where young people can feel safe, valued and hopeful about their futures. The newsletter brings that case to life with a series of human stories and service snapshots, including the opening of a brand-new children’s home designed with input from young people themselves, and the charity’s first-ever Build Your Brand event, where care-experienced young people pitched business ideas to local supporters and employers.

Other features in the newsletter show how everyday activities can support wellbeing: gardening projects and the simple act of growing sunflowers are highlighted as powerful tools for nurturing mental health across St Christopher’s services. The publication also outlines the charity’s wider offer — children’s homes, supported housing, fostering and specialist services delivered across the UK — and explains how donors’ support helps create more safe homes and greater stability for young people.

Last year St Christopher’s worked with 573 children and young people, the newsletter notes, and the charity says continued donations from the public, trusts and corporate partners are essential to expand its reach and innovate in response to rising need.

Supporters are being asked to consider a donation of £35 to help more children find safety and hope. The newsletter, further information and donation options are available at www.stchris.org.uk/donate.

St Christopher’s Fellowship describes itself as a relationship-centred organisation that aims to help care-experienced young people overcome the effects of adverse childhood experiences and move into independent, fulfilling lives. The charity says its work combines therapeutic care with practical support to improve education, employment prospects and long-term wellbeing.

For readers who want to learn more, Opening Doors offers first-hand accounts from young people and staff, and sets out how local supporters can get involved in fundraising, volunteering or corporate partnerships to back the charity’s work.