Athlete Mentors to Support Young People at Weston Foyer

By Charities Correspondent

Young people in Weston-super-Mare are set to benefit from a renewed partnership between Sanctuary Supported Living and the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust.

The supported housing provider, which runs the Weston Foyer for 16 to 25-year-olds who have experienced homelessness, is offering the Trust’s Get on Track programme to all 34 residents.

Funded through Sanctuary’s Sustainable Communities programme, 2026 marks the fifth year of the partnership, which brings elite athlete mentors into local communities to help young people build confidence, resilience and employability skills.

Paralympic swimming gold medallist Liz Johnson will return to Weston Foyer to lead a 20-session programme focused on improving self-esteem, wellbeing and life skills.

Ms Johnson previously delivered the programme at the service in 2024, where residents reported lasting positive change.

One participant, Cameron, said the experience helped him regain confidence and rediscover a passion for horses, which later led to employment at a racing yard.

“Before all this, I felt like I was stuck in a rut,” Cameron said. “With the support from Sanctuary Supported Living and Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, I realised that I could do anything I wanted to do.”

Speaking ahead of this year’s sessions, Ms Johnson said the programme had already shown strong results.

“The Get on Track programme is great for helping young people build confidence, resilience and self-belief, while also finding opportunities for their next steps,” she said.

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Annie Moody, interim chief executive of the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, said the continuation of the partnership reflected its success.

“With our world-class athlete mentors leading the programme, I’m confident the young people in Weston-super-Mare will be supported to realise their potential,” she said.

Sanctuary Supported Living’s operations director Dave Shaw said the organisation was proud to continue working with the Trust.

“We see first-hand how important confidence, resilience and employability skills are for young people building independent lives,” he said. “Entering our fifth year together reflects both the impact of the programme and our shared commitment to meaningful outcomes.”

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